Bonsai

Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and cultivating miniature trees, or woody tree-like plants, in containers, with the aesthetic aim of invoking contemplation and appreciation from the viewer, as well as rewarding hard work, persistence, and creativity from the grower. Bonsai is differed from dwarfing, which refers to the creation of genetically miniature plants, in that Bonsai trees are grown from regular seeds and stock, and are only made miniature after the grower's consistent pruning, trimming, and such.http://www.bonsaisite.com/

The scale of Bonsai art is also comparatively small. As opposed to growing food in fields, or creating crops that serve medicinal purposes, or cultivating large parks and gardens, Bonsai growers typically focus on one tree in a single container for a significant period of time. This tree is given long-term attention and activity on the grower's part, who attempts to copy the growth and aging of life-size trees with the miniature counterpart. In this way, one tiny Bonsai tree can take many years of devotion to grow, with minute detail and precision needed to generate the ideal aesthetic.http://www.bonsaigardener.org/

Bonsai trees are usually not grown from the seed, as the characteristically aged appearance of a miniature Bonsai tree, imitating the aged appearances of real sized trees, may not be achieved in an ideal amount of time. Instead, growers may opt to use cuttings, which are removed segments of a growing plant cut off and planted to grow roots. The thickness and age of the cuttings affect the potential look of the Bonsai tree; the thicker and older the cutting, such as a branch, the more likely that it will grow into an ideal mature and realistic-looking Bonsai tree. However, thicker branches are also less prone to strike roots and grow in the containers than thinner and younger cuttings. http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Bonsai-Tree

Growers may also use the layering technique, where parts of growing trees are encouraged to begin rooting, before being removed and cut off from the parent plant. In this way, a branch of a regular tree can become the trunk of a new bonsai tree. When layering is used, growers usually choose to promote root growth near side branches. This is so that the new "trunk" of the future Bonsai tree will be thick, like a real tree, and with low branches, creating optimal Bonsai aesthetics. http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATLayering.html

There are a multitude of cultivation and growing techniques that Bonsai growers implement to create their miniature plants. Leaf trimming, for instance, is one of the most common and frequently necessary techniques, and it involves the strategic cutting and removal of leaves, buds, needles, or cones, depending on the tree at hand. A grower will have to trim Bonsai leaves for the better part of each year, and will have to stay persistent in the activity. The purpose of leaf trimming is to enhance the Bonsai's visual appeal, by revealing the tree bark and branches without the cover of leaves and foliage. Leaf trimming may also force certain growth processes, such as back-budding, which may not occur in natural plants. This technique is also known as defoliation. http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATdefoliating.htm

Pruning represents the other most commonly used technique, essential in the maintenance of an ideal Bonsai plant. Pruning is the direct cause for the miniaturization of Bonsai plants, as the continuous cutting of the plant's branches, trunks, and roots prevents it from achieving normal growth. The grower must have a prepared and clear-cut design in mind for the Bonsai tree's growth; this is so that any branches that interfere with the design can be promptly cut off or modified to conform to the grower's planned aesthetics. http://www.bonsaisite.com/mprune.html

To aid the grower in achieving the intended design, the technique of wiring may also be used. Wiring involves wrapping copper or aluminum wire around the branches of the Bonsai tree. This is so that the wires hold the branch or the trunk in an intended position until the process of lignification is completed, that is, the conversion of the wire to branch material. With proper wiring, a grower may connect connect a branch to another branch, or to the pot itself. Only a few types of trees are compatible with wiring, as the branches need to be flexible enough to avoid snapping or bending. http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basics_Wiring.htm

Bonsai growers can use a number of deadwood bonsai techniques to simulate the ideal age and growth of a life-size tree. There are two prominent sub-groups within deadwood techniques; in Japanese, they are referred to as Jin and Shari.http://www.bonsaiprimer.com/jinshari/jinshari.html Jin involves the grower removing the bark from an entire Bonsai branch in order to mimic the "snag" of natural deadwood. Shari, by contrast, aims to simulate the effects of lightning strikes or broken limb scarring on a tree by selectively removing segments of bark on a branch or trunk. When the deadwood has been exposed underneath the bark by either Jin or Shari techniques, the grower usually preserves the wood in a petrified state by the use of chemicals, usually lime sulfur, to maintain the bleached appearance of the tree. http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATCreating%20Deadwood.html