The Ancient Art of Bonsai

Special Bonsai Plantings

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The exquisite beauty of a bonsai tree well trained in a simple style, and growing vibrantly in a pot of suitable size and shape, can be the focus of many happy hours of contemplation. For some people, such simplicity is all that is necessary. Others, however, may prefer the more complex drama of a tree trained to cling to a rock, or the grandeur of a bonsai group planting. Such scenes are more complicated to create, but the basic rule of all bonsai still applies: the finished planting should evoke a natural theme.

Rock Plantings

The idea of planting trees on or over rocks has come from nature herself in the picture of a gnarled pine clinging to the protection of an outcropping of rock, or of a small, twisted tree growing on a cliff face. In rock plantings, the tree can

either be planted in or on the rock itself, or it can be trained over the rock, with the roots buried in the soil of the container.Rocks used for such plantings should be fairly hard, since soft rocks tend to rot after prolonged exposure to the elements. They should not be too smooth, and should be pitted with plenty of small crevices and small pockets where the roots can grab hold. Rocks with a saddle-shaped depression or a large, deep pocket are ideal for planting directly onto the rock. Just make sure that the drainage is correct, as if the water doesn’t run

Most bonsai are hardy outdoor plants that need a period of cold dormancy in the winter to thrive, but they should be protected from the harshest winter conditions.

off and instead pools in the pocket, the roots could rot; while if the water runs off straight away, the tree would get no moisture. Relatively small trees with small leaves, such as Cotoneaster are ideal for planting on rock.

Group Plantings

Whether planting a small copse of three trees, or a more ambitious miniature forest, the composition should first be planned out on paper. A shallow but wide container should be used, and the trees selected should be of the same variety, but of various heights. They should always be planted in odd numbers, not only because the Japanese dislike even numbers (especially 4), but because it will be found in practice that a balanced composition is easier to create with odd numbers.

The soil mixture required would be that which is normally used for the type of tree being grown.

To Begin:

Always start by planting the largest tree first. This focalpoint is normally set to the right or left of center.
The second largest tree is then planted to compliment thefirst... and so on with the remaining trees.
Be sure to check and see how the planting is looking, notonly from the front, but from the back and sides as you are trying to maintain an even balance.
Do not tie down the trees until the exact position of eachhas been determined.
After planting, thin out any inward growing branches,except for those trees planted around the outer edge.

Saikei:

Group and rock plantings can be taken a step further by adding small underplantings of alpine plants and tiny shrubs. Rocks can be embedded into the soil and small streams suggested by the use of white sand. Such a planting is

Dwarf plants, however, do not always convey the same impression as their full size counterparts because their growth habits are quite different.

generally called saikei, and small figurines and bridges are sometimes added to the landscape.

Bonseki:

Using a shallow tray of almost any composition, you can create a meditative bonseki composition. This generally consists of a group of rocks or stones placed in raked sand, which gives the impressions of small islands in the sea. As there are no living plants in bonseki, it doesn’t require any care and can be kept indefinitely. Children love bonseki!

Bonkei:

Bonkei is another type of tray landscape which attempts to replicate natural or imaginary scenes. Every type of material available can be used, including artificial or real plants, figurines, false rocks, and paint. The finished effect, however, should again mimic nature and retain a natural elegance.

American gardeners have taken bonsai concepts and applied them to houseplants. By combining traditional procedures for handling houseplants with bonsai concepts of design, growers have created different bonsai styles.

Displaying Your Bonsai Outdoors

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Remember that simplicity is very important in Japanese

aesthetics and bonsai should be displayed in an uncluttered environment where the details of the plant can be appreciated. This is, after all, a wonder of nature trees and shrubs made miniature. Gravel beds in the garden are good backgrounds for bonsai outdoors, and a simple stand or table before a blank wall makes an appropriate setting indoors. Make sure that the front view faces the viewer. Your beautiful bonsai can greatly benefit by the right setting.

Outdoor Display

If you grow just a few bonsai plants, you will have no problem displaying them. All you need is something that elevates the pots so that you can view them from the front rather than from the top down. A patio bench, for example, will accommodate one or several bonsai plants, and can also define the edge of a deck or serve as seating.

Benches and Shelves

You can put together a simple bonsai bench in a matter of minutes. Select a sturdy wooden plank, such as a 2 x 12, and raise it on concrete blocks, bricks, or flat stones. If you use slats (2 x 2’s, or 2 x 4’s) instead of a single plank, water will drain through the bench. If you display bonsai on shelves placed against a wall or

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fence, remember that the heat reflection from lightcolored walls can seriously damage bonsai plants in the summer. Make sure these displays are sheltered from direct sun during the warmest part of the day, usually late morning through afternoon.

Tables

Outdoor tables will certainly hold a collection of bonsais trees, but they may not display them to their best advantage as all the pots rest on the same level. If you do keep your collection on a table, choose one just wide enough for three plants, then place the larger specimens in the center, with smaller plants on the outside rows. Stagger placement so that no plant is directly behind another one. For better display, construct a unit along the lines of a patio table that has built-in benches. Make the center section (table) just wide enough to hold a single or double row of plants; the two lower sections (benches) can be just a bit wider to show off a number of smaller specimens on each side.

Outdoor Bonsai Maintenance Tips

Don’t crowd bonsai plants. You should leave about 8 - 12inches of space between the outspread branches of adjacent plants so that each plant can develop independently.
Make sure the plants receive at least morning sun, more ifclimate permits. This is particularly important in spring when plants are putting out new growth.
Rotate containers about a quarter turn in the samedirection every other week to expose all sides to the same conditions. Otherwise, new growth will be strongest on the side facing the light while roots will tend to grow away from the sun.

The exquisite beauty of a bonsai tree well trained in a simple style, and growing vibrantly in a pot of suitable size and shape, can be the focus of many happy hours of contemplation.

Specimens placed too close to a wall or fence can become onesided as rear branches dwindle from lack of light.

Rotating small containers is easy; turning larger specimensis more difficult. Use a lazy susan-type turntable, and you’ll be able to turn the largest bonsai with the push of a finger.

Display Stands & Winter Shelter

Display Stands. Keeping your collection of bonsai trees on a stand makes them easier to work with and to see, and gives protection from extremes of weather. The large design on the left is simple to build from wood, having a shade of timber battens and a slatted bench-top. There is a shelf for miniature bonsai at the back and a tool drawer under the bench. In severe weather, the trees can be placed under the bench and enclosed with heavygauge clear plastic sheeting (shown rolled). Building A Display

Stand.The number of trees in your bonsai collection will determine the size of the stand. When calculating the dimensions, be sure to allow each tree plenty of space, and

remember that small as they are, they do grow. To allow for easier working, the stand should be made a little higher than an indoor table. It should be made of good quality wood, treated with a preservative, or it could have a metal frame with a wooden top. The trees can be placed on a gravel bed, as this cuts down on the need to water; but in this case they should be lifted every now and then to make sure the roots are not growing into the gravel. Above the stand, around the sides and at the

back, a weather-shade of thin timber laths or canes should be made. Each strip should be secured an inch apart. This will help protect the trees from all extremes: hot sunlight, heavy rain, high winds, and even a certain amount of frost. For harder winter conditions the bottom of the stand can be enclosed and the trees placed inside.

Winter Care

Container plantings of any kind are more subject to damage from cold than plants growing in the ground. Containers just don’t hold enough soil to insulate plant roots. Where winter temperatures are frost free or relatively mild (above 20F or -7C) you can leave a bonsai outside if its normal display area is protected from wind. Spreading straw or mulch around the pots also helps insulate the soil. An unheated greenhouse is ideal as a winter shelter since the plants receive good light, are somewhat protected from the cold, and with a door ajar or vents opened slightly, get plenty of air. You can devise a polyethylene plastic and wood greenhouse by extending a leanto from under house eaves. Leave all or part of one end open, unless winters are severe.

Building A Cold Frame

With just a bit more effort you can build a simple cold frame - essentially a low greenhouse with a translucent hinged top. Placed against a south-facing wall and recessed into the ground it will keep plants dormant but not frozen (unless you live in the colder regions of Canada, for example). Dig a rectangle about six to eight inches deep beside the wall. Using scrap lumber or plywood, build a frame with sides the slope down toward the front; a six inch slope is sufficient. Make sure the front is high enough (about 18 inches) to accommodate your shortest bonsai. Then set the frame againt the wall and spread 3 - 4 inches of gravel in the bottom. Traditionally, old window

Wind-swept style bonsai

sashes formed the tops of cold frames, but you can also use clear plastic, fiberglass, or polyethylene plastic sheeting. In snowy areas, first cover the fame with fine mesh chicken wire or hardware cloth. Place the bonsai on the gravel base and surround and cover the pots lightly with straw. Close the lid for protection from extreme cold, opening it slightly for ventilation when the temperature is above freezing.

Winter Watering

During freezing weather, water your bonsai (if they need it) in the morning. This allows excess water to drain out before the temperature drops. Water-soaked soil expands as it freezes, which can cause containers to crack.

Displaying Shohin-bonsai isn't the easiest thing in the world compared to displaying traditional bonsai. Shohin-bonsai demands more trees available at the time of displaying, and more creativity must be put into the display some times. The main theme of displaying Shohin or Mame-bonsai is the seasonal approach. Good quality trees must be at hand, and using a traditional Shohin rack demands at least three good Shohinbonsai to succeed. It is "allowed" to replace a tree with an accent planting or a figurine

i.e., as long as the aesthetic approach is all right. Setting up a rack with Shohin-bonsai may be full of compromises. How many of us yet have a load full of quality Shohin to choose from? So compromises has to be made until a good collection is available, fulfilling the needs at the time of year the trees are at their best. If one is not importing already styled trees it will take a while to build up such a collection, but until then it is still possible to play with the set up of a Shohin or Mame display. In the start smaller displays are the goal, and later racks with room for more trees will be appropriate.

Bonsai Containers

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All bonsai begin their development in training pots, where they stay until they have a good, fibrous root system and relatively full foliage development which make them look like bonsai rather than just a shrub or tree in a pot. Training pots help trees grown for bonsai make the transition between a deep nursery container, a balled and burlapped root system, or landscape, to the shallow confinement of a bonsai pot.

Above all, resist the urge to collect (dig) a tree and put it directly into a bonsai pot, where its chances of survival are slight. The best sort of training pot is often a large-diameter nursery container with good drainage holes, and with its top cut off to a depth of eight to 10 inches. During its time in a training pot, the tree should be grown in coarse, fast-draining soil. Traditional bonsai pots, available at bonsai nurseries, and some large nurseries and import stores, are round, oval, square, rectangular or hexagonal. Some are unglazed on the exterior (traditional for evergreens) and some are glazed and are suitable for most types of trees, as long as the pot

complements but does not compete with the tree. Pots for cascade, semi-cascade and flowering bonsai are deeper than others.

All bonsai pots have large drainage holes, which are essential for the rapid drainage that promotes root health, but which must be covered with screening on the inside bottom of the pot to prevent coarse soil from washing away with draining water. Bonsai containers should be unglazed on their inside walls, and on the bottoms, both inside and out.

Before repotting, familiarize yourself with the proper time of year to repot specific types of trees. For example, junipers can be repotted at any time during the growing season because they grow throughout it. Pines and most other evergreens must be repotted during the late winter before they show signs of new growth. Most deciduous trees should be repotted before they leaf out in very early spring. A bonsai that is ready for a bonsai pot should not be transplanted into it until all foliage work (pruning, wiring, pinching) has been completed. This precaution

prevents the tree’s newly placed roots from being dislodged. At the time of “potting up,” turn the bonsai container so that its front side (essentially the same for all shapes except rectangular, in which case only one of the two long sides should be the front) is toward you roughly at eye-level. Hold the tree with its front view toward you and place the base of the trunk very slightly off-center to the opposite side from which the dominant visual weight of its branches occurs.

In other words, if most branches occur on the left when viewing the tree from the front, place the base of the trunk

Keeping your collection of bonsai trees on a stand makes them easier to work with and to see, and gives protection from extremes of weather.

slightly off-center to the right. This maintains the asymmetrical balance that is the basis of Japanese design. Comb out the roots, pruning back (shortening) those that have become wiry or stiff deep in the soil. Keep, but trim, fibrous roots and spread them out inside the container. Add coarse porous soil such as Turface (a soil amendment), or “soilless soil,” which can be purchased at large landscape supply businesses. Water the tree thoroughly and keep it in a dry protected place for the next few days. Check it for soil moisture daily, but do not water it until the soil on top begins to feel a bit dry.

In the tokonoma, bonsai are displayed on stands accompanied by a wall hanging or painting and a viewing stone or “accompanying plant” on the floor. In this setting, the painting represents “god” or the “life energy”, the stone or accompanying plant represent the earth or nature, and the bonsai itself represents man.