Frequently Asked Questions about Bonsai |
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old is it? | Are
they a special kind of plant...? | How do you keep them small?
| | Do you fertilize them? | How do they survive in such small pots? | | How often do they need watering? | | How do you start a bonsai? | How do you know what to cut off? | |
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A. This is undoubtedly the question we hear most often at the Arboretum when people see one of our bonsai trees. Unfortunately, the honest answer in most cases is “We have no idea!” Unless a grower keeps careful records of when a bonsai is begun from seed or cutting, or is able somehow to research the history of a collected tree, it is impossible to accurately say how old a given bonsai is. Many people have heard about bonsai trees living for hundreds of years and have jumped to the conclusion that all bonsai are old by definition. In Japan and China, where most growers keep meticulous records of a bonsai’s history, there are trees that can legitimately be said to be 100, 200, even 300 or more years of age. In this country, however, where bonsai has only been popularized over the course of the last 50 years, and reliable records are generally not kept, extravagant claims concerning the age of a bonsai tree must be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. In the final analysis, the age of the tree should be of secondary interest. The health and beauty of the tree is far more important.
Q. Are they a special kind of plant, or can any plant be made into a bonsai? A. Bonsai are not special plants, but rather, ordinary plants grown in a special way. A bonsai “tree” can be made of almost any woody plant material, including trees, shrubs, or vines. It must be acknowledged, however, that certain plants lend themselves to bonsai cultivation more readily than others. Small leaves and tolerance to heavy pruning are generally considered to be desirable characteristics, while large leaves and sensitivity to root disturbance would be less desirable.
Q. How do you keep them small? A. Bonsai are kept small through the use of special horticultural practices methodically applied by the grower. Among these practices are the regular pruning of both top growth and roots, the cultivation of the plant in a shallow container, exposure to as much sunlight as possible (within the range of tolerance for the species in question), and strict control of the amount of water given to the plant.
Q. Do you ever fertilize them? A. Yes, bonsai receive regular applications of fertilizer throughout the growing season. Because the grower is not attempting to “boost” the plant’s growth rate, fertilizer is given at a rate that will insure healthful growth, but not encourage excessive growth. Common water-soluble fertilizers, such as one might use on houseplants, are fine. Slow release organic fertilizers will also work well. Use at the label rate.
Q. How do they survive in such small pots? A. Any plant being grown in a container will reach the point where all the available space in the container is taken up by either the planting medium or roots. Plants in this condition are referred to as being “pot bound”. At this point, if something is not done to alleviate the situation the health of the plant will suffer, leading ultimately to the death of the plant. In bonsai culture, instead of taking the plant out of the pot and planting it in the ground, or moving it into a larger size container, we take the plant out of the pot, carefully trim off between one half to two thirds of the root mass, and then replant the tree in the same container (or a new container of similar size) with fresh potting medium. This allows the plant to resume and continue the root growth that is necessary for its health.
Q. How often do they need watering? A. There is no timetable for the watering of a bonsai. They should be checked at least once a day, but whether or not they need watering will be determined by a number of variables, including, weather conditions, time of year, sun exposure, composition of the growing medium, species of plant, vigor of plant, and the size of the container. This might sound complicated, but all it really amounts to is looking and feeling of the soil and responding to the level of moisture found there. Most plants will do well if kept evenly moist – never sopping wet or bone dry.
A. Bonsai can be started from seed, cuttings, nursery plants, and plants collected from the landscape or from the wild. Whatever a grower begins with, it is necessary to know the proper cultivation and development techniques to create a legitimate bonsai.
Q. How do you know what to cut off? A. The stylistic shaping of a bonsai is a creative process, and as such it is impossible to give set instructions for producing artistic results. The person creating a bonsai is working with his or her own personal image of what a tree should look like, and what a bonsai should look like. There are some general guidelines that a student of bonsai may learn that will lend themselves to doing credible work in the medium, and these are readily available in books, videos and instructional courses. Trimming an established bonsai is somewhat easier, and involves observing the shape of the tree and maintaining the existing design by pruning back most, although not all, of the new growth. If a branch produces a new shoot that has five new leaves, the grower may trim away all but one of them. In this way the tree is allowed to grow, but not at the rate it would if left unattended. |
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