Bonsai Trees
What are Bonsai trees
Many people think of tiny little Japanese trees cut and pruned to a
miniature size but literally speaking Bonsai means 'plant in a tray' and
while they are smaller than their wild counterparts they don't have to
be a couple of inches tall; they can be grown in a pot in the garden and
will be smaller than their wild counterparts.
Misconceptions about Bonsai trees.
Many people believe that training Bonsai trees is a cruel pastime
because the cultivator starves the tree and cuts it to such an extent
that it becomes unhealthy. Quite the reverse is usually true; while they
are cut and pruned quite heavily to keep them to the size of the pot,
they are usually transferred from pot to pot regularly and are fed and
watered much more often than their wild cousins.
Contrary to belief, Bonsai trees do not originate from Japan, but there
are records dating back more than 2000 years that show Bonsai being
grown in China. These Bonsai weren't as small as the Bonsai that people
often envisage and were grown on an
individual basis outdoors in pots. It was, though, the Japanese that
took this art form and progressed it to the level it is at now.
This has
led to quite different styles in Japanese and Chinese Bonsai; the
Chinese Bonsai being much more freestyle and
more lightly pruned than the Japanese miniature Bonsai that are very
heavily groomed and pruned and look much more like miniature natural
versions of the full sized versions.
Bonsai trees do not live shorter lives than wild trees. They regularly
live for many centuries and are traditionally passed down from
generation to generation of family. They lead nearly exactly the same
length lives as their wild cousins and are often much healthier because
of the attention they receive.
The advantages of growing Bonsai.
Not everyone has a large garden where they can plant numerous trees and
let them grow as big as they want, and even those who do have large
gardens still need to wait for many years before the tree becomes truly
established.
By growing Bonsai you don't
need any more room than the size of your pot and because you only need
them to grow to much smaller proportions it really is accessible for
anyone who is interested in growing Bonsai trees. You can even grow them
inside if you can recreate the correct
conditions for the tree you want to grow.
Growing Bonsai trees can fast become an addictive hobby and requires
attention to detail, foresight of how the tree will grow and plenty of
time and care. You will undoubtedly feel massive satisfaction if you
decide to grow Bonsai and are any good at it.
Author: Andrew Green
About the author:
Bonsia HQ, http://bonsaihq.com for
lots of information about looking after your bonsai
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