Bonsai Trees

Bonsai Trees as Both Plants and Works of Art

Bonsai comes from the Japanese character for tray gardening, even though the historical roots of bonsai trees originally date to Ancient Chinese dynasties. Typically  Bonsai trees and plants are purposefully grown at miniscule heights, thru trimming and pruning, for artistic, aesthetic or spiritual reason. The primary concept underlying the basis of the bonsai trees is to maintain their wild natural appearance, but also never making it obvious that a person has intervened by controlling its look. Even though its obvious that most bonsai trees are planted and grown in pots, planters and smaller containers, their health should be consider equal to or even healthier than a natural tree grown in nature. One  keeps the bonsai small and diminutive  by taking advantage of pot confinement and the meticulous pruning of the crown and root. The care of a bonsai plant needs utmost dedication, creativity, patience and, of course, love and affection. Bonsai trees can be grown indoors for a decorative appeal in a living room or an office, or they can be left in the garden to give a more exotic look. The most widely used tree for bonsai is the maple. The maple trees are perfect for beginners in the art of bonsai. But still, they are amongst the most incredible-looking bonsai around. The care for a bonsai maple tree (see also Juniper Bonsai) is not that difficult, all it needs is the right amount of sun and water.

The main method of limiting the size of a bonsai is pruning, which is the careful removal of parts of the tree in order to shape it and limit its size. Pruning is critical for the development of the bonsai. It is the most important method, as it allows you to control the growth of the bonsai and shape it in the form and appearance that you want. This is the art of the bonsai tree, with the main idea of recreating the nature in a miniature form. The frequency of bonsai pruning, mostly depends on the bonsai’s size and age. If large branches have to be removed from the bonsai, it is best to remove them in the peak growing season of the bonsai, which starts from the early spring until mid summer. Concave cutters must be used, when removing those large branches from the bonsai.

Shaping the bonsai is achieved through several precise techniques. In order to maintain the small size of the tree, one needs to a apply a consistent regimen of pruning the leaves and the branches. Wiring the bonsai can also be used as a method of shaping it, as copper or aluminum wire is wrapped around the branches, holding it in place until the bonsai can maintain this shape without the wires. But this type of shaping is not suitable for all bonsai tree, especially those that are too stiff or too brittle. About the Author

Read more about Indoor Bonsai Trees