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The Navarre Garden Club, Plant of the Month for

FEBRUARY 2005

Bonsai

The following was presented by Jim Carson, our Horticulture Chairman

Bonsai is a fascinating subject that has always intrigued me and I thought it might be of interest to many of you as well. So rather than dealing with a single plant this month I thought I would discuss the bonsai technique of cultivation.

An apparent reference to bonsai appears in a sixth-century document and painted scrolls of the thirteenth century feature trees growing in containers similar to bonsai. Literally, Bonsai means, “shallow tray plant.” It can deal with a single plant or multiple plants in a single container, and attempts to re-create nature in an idealized miniature landscape. Bonsai is considered an art form and often said to be 90% art and 10% horticulture. It is also very calming, but you must also be very knowledgeable of and constantly in tune with your bonsai. By this I mean you have to know your plant’s requirements for temperature, water, sunlight/shade, roots, soil type, etc.

There are many different bonsai styles, such as: formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascading, on rock, broom, group, etc. These are created by a series of actions and care over time. You must first select a pot that will blend with your plant. Next you plant it, wiring it into position. You then prune to the basic shape/style you wish to develop. After pruning, you wire the trunk and branches into the shape and direction you wish them to grow. As the plant grows you will also trim vegetation to attain your chosen shape and style. As time goes on and the plant grows you will remove the wire, but will continue to prune and trim.

In order to accomplish all of this manipulation of your bonsai you are going to need a variety of tools. When planting or repotting you will need a root hook, rake, potting trowel, broom and wire. Shears and concave branch cutters will help you with the pruning. You will then need pliers and wire for the wiring, and wire cutters for the wire removal. Leaf cutters and smaller shears will help you trim the plant and tweezers will help with weed, trash, and dead leaf and twig removal. You may also want a turntable when you are working on your bonsai.

Elements you want to consider when you are evaluating a plant for bonsai or working with a currently growing bonsai are: trunk, root spread, branches, and leaves. You want a heavy, thick trunk with good texture. Root spread should be somewhat uniform with some above ground exposure. Arrangement of branches should flow up and around the trunk in a fairly uniform pattern. The leaves should have good texture and form and with proper root management should remain small. All of these elements must contribute to the single most important element of bonsai, which is balance. It can be formal such as an upright or broom style or informal such as a windswept trunk on one side of a pot with it’s branches trailing back toward the other side of the pot, but it must have balance!

When displaying your bonsai it will usually have one side that is the most attractive, even thought you constantly aspire to make all sides aesthetically pleasing. Optimally, this side should be placed facing the direction of the viewing and be at eye level. A small stand on a table or a stand-alone pedestal can also enhance your bonsai presentation.

So where and what plants do you get to experience the enlightenment and benefits of bonsai? You get them from many of the same places you get your other plants. You can purchase them from a garden center, rescue castaways, harvest from the wild, grow them from seed, cuttings and air layering, or you can purchase a ready made from a local bonsai nursery or online. Many common species make excellent bonsai candidates such as: cypress, juniper, crape myrtle, ficus, cedar, pine, locust, wisteria, crab apple, bamboo, plum, boxwood, etc. Most plants have a bonsai in them that is just waiting for you to help develop.

The single most important thing in bonsai is to allow it to give you as much care and comfort as you give it.

This is a bonsai that Jim has been caring for for 6 years