Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai E-Book

David Squire

• Herausgeber: Creative Homeowner
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 176

Beschreibung

Creating bonsai, an ancient art form that encourages meditation and contemplation, can be an intimidating art to start because of its intricate and precise nature. But David Squire's new book, Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai for Beginners, is a gentle but complete beginner's guide to the craft. Starting with the definition of what bonsai is, the author discusses the spirit and aesthetics of creating bonsai then continues with the materials needed--including the right species of tree to get--how to prune, pinch, water, feed and display your piece. The book also includes chapters on indoor bonsai species, outdoor bonsai species and how to deal with pests and diseases, then concludes with a beautiful gallery of bonsai trees. Feel calmer and more focused by learning how to raise bonsai trees.

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2024 David Squire and Creative Homeowner

This book may not be reproduced, either in part or in its entirety, in any form, by any means, without written permission from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts for purposes of radio, television, or published review. All rights, including the right of translation, are reserved. Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with manufacturer’s instructions for tools, equipment, and materials before beginning a project. Although all possible measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material presented, neither the author nor the publisher is liable in case of misinterpretation of directions, misapplication, or typographical error.

Creative Homeowner® is a registered trademark of New Design Originals Corporation.

Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Lauren Younker

Editor: Joseph Borden

Designer: Wendy Reynolds

Print ISBN: 978-1-5801-1609-1

eISBN: 978-1-6374-1353-1

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Creative Homeowner®, www.creativehomeowner.com, is an imprint of New Design Originals Corporation and distributed in North America by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 800-457-9112, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

About the Author

David Squire has a lifetime’s experience with plants, both cultivated and native types. He studied botany and gardening at the Hertfordshire College of Horticulture and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden at Wisley, Surrey. Throughout his gardening and journalistic careers, David has written more than 80 books on plants and gardening. He also has a wide interest in the uses of native plants, whether for eating and survival, or for their historical roles in medicine, folklore, and customs.

Contents

Introduction

GETTING STARTED

What Is Bonsai?

Spirit and Esthetics

Styles of Bonsai

Tools and Materials

Containers for Bonsai

Composts and Potting

Seasonal Care

Buying Bonsai

Exhibiting Bonsai

Root-Pruning and Repotting

Pruning

Pinching

Wiring

Watering and Feeding

Raising New Plants

Pests and Diseases

OUTDOOR BONSAI

Caring for Outdoor Bonsai

A–Z of Outdoor Bonsai

A–Z of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs

A–Z of Conifers (Deciduous and Evergreen)

A–Z of Flowering Trees and Shrubs

A–Z of Fruiting Trees and Shrubs

INDOOR BONSAI

Caring for Indoor Bonsai

A–Z of Indoor Bonsai

SPECIAL DISPLAYS

Displaying Outdoor Bonsai

Forest Bonsai from a Single Tree

Bonsai on a Rock

Group Bonsai

Creating a Cascade

Creating a Windswept Bonsai

Bamboo Bonsai

Glossary

Introduction

Bonsai is both an art and a craft. It can be learned by novice gardeners and turned into a satisfying hobby, providing the opportunity to meet like-minded people through clubs and exhibitions.

Traditionally, bonsai was solely concerned with growing hardy outdoor trees, shrubs, and conifers, but more recently an innovation has been to grow tropical and sub-tropical plants indoors and to treat them in the same way as outdoor bonsai. Many outdoor bonsai enthusiasts have difficulty in accepting this innovation, but really it is just an extension of bonsai, enabling gardeners, perhaps without a garden, to enjoy growing dwarfed plants indoors. They are ideal for creating interest throughout the year.

Outdoor bonsai does not need a great amount of space, although the area must receive a good amount of sunlight and be protected from strong, blustery winds. Avoid positions where icy winds whip between buildings, as well as where eddies of turbulent wind are created by solid walls.

Bonsai does not have to be an expensive hobby, and although many enthusiasts start with an established bonsai bought from a specialist nursery, it is possible to raise your own plants from seeds and cuttings and to train them into a bonsai. It is also possible to convert a garden-center plant into a much-admired bonsai.

Bonsai is a highly stimulating and captivating hobby that will enthral both you and your family for many years.

Bonsai is an art everyone can master, creating a vast array of miniature trees and shrubs that will enrich your garden as well as indoors. Here is a spectacular example of an outdoor evergreen coniferous bonsai in the Bonsai Garden at Fairylake Botanical Garden in Shenzhen, China.

Seasons

Throughout this book, advice is given about the best times to look after plants. Because of global and even regional variations in climate and temperature, the four main seasons have been used, with each sub-divided into "early," "mid," and “late”—for example, early spring, mid-spring and late spring. These 12 divisions of the year can be converted into the appropriate calendar months in your local area, if you find this helps.

Measurements

Both metric and imperial measurements are given in this book—for example 6' (1.8m).

Gallery

Domoto Maple, Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum); formal upright style; original artist: Toichi Domoto; date of origin: ca 1850; in training as a bonsai since at least 1913; donated by Marilyn Domoto Webb to the Pacific Bonsai Museum. Believed to be the oldest bonsai in America, the ‘Domoto Maple’ was imported to the U.S. for exhibition in the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

Frankenpine, Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) with nails and metal; In training since 2015; informal windswept style Bonsai and container by Aarin Packard. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

Creeping Juniper raft (Juniperus horizontalis); group windswept style; date of origin: 1950; original artist: John Naka; in training as a bonsai since 1957. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

California Juniper (Juniperus californica); semi-cascading driftwood style; date of origin unknown. Original artist: Harry Hirao; Donated to Pacific Bonsai Museum by Mel Ikeda. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

Japanese Maple forest (Acer palmatum); original artist: Warren Hill; in training as a bonsai since 1970. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

Visitor at Pacific Bonsai Museum, 2022. PHOTO BY WINIFRED WESTERGARD FOR PACIFIC BONSAI MUSEUM.

Festive Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) bonsai, informal upright style. Adorned with holiday decorations, this bonsai presents a unique blend of traditional art and seasonal cheer. PHOTO BY DENIS RODINGER.

Lush Brazilian Rain Tree (Chloroleucon tortum) bonsai, bushy upright style. Thriving in its container, this bonsai showcases the species’ characteristic delicate foliage and robust trunk. PHOTO BY DENIS RODINGER.

Burt Davy’s Fig (Ficus burttdavyi), admired for its striking aerial roots and dense canopy of green, lends a miniature forest feel to any collection. Informal semi-cascading style. PHOTO BY MARK FIELDS.

This display features a variety of species, including a mature deciduous bonsai taking center stage, flanked by smaller trees with lush green canopies. This arrangement exemplifies the art of bonsai, where each tree complements the others to create a balanced and peaceful miniature landscape. PHOTO BY DENIS RODINGER.

Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba), renowned for its fan-shaped leaves and revered for its ancient lineage, stands as a living fossil in bonsai form. Bushy style. PHOTO BY MARK FIELDS.

Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora), celebrated for its soft blue-green needles and gracefully sculpted trunk, stands as a testament to the artful practice of bonsai. Informal upright style. PHOTO BY MARK FIELDS.

What Is Bonsai?

  Is bonsai a difficult hobby?

Bonsai is relatively simple to do, but it requires dedication throughout the year. Plants need to be watered and fed, while other activities include pruning, wiring, and pinching. None of these is arduous, and the skills needed can be learned and honed over a year or so. However, growing bonsai is a hobby that continues to reveal new facets, and the precise skills needed when looking after one plant may need to be modified for another.

Bonsai Definition

The definition of bonsai is growing a tree—or several trees in a group—in a shallow container. By pruning branches, leaves, and shoots, as well as roots, these plants are encouraged to remain miniature and to resemble trees growing in the wild. Incidentally, the word bonsai is both singular and plural, and therefore can be applied to a single plant or to a group.

There are both outdoor bonsai and indoor bonsai, and in temperate climates this means growing winter-hardy trees, shrubs, and conifers outdoors throughout the year. In such climates, indoor bonsai (tropical and sub-tropical plants) are left indoors throughout the entire year.

The Miniature Tree

Miniature specimens of bonsai are ideal where space is limited. Although small, they reveal all the fascinating qualities of larger and more dominant bonsai.

Indoor Bonsai (Chinese)

Sometimes known as Chinese bonsai, and created from tropical and sub-tropical plants, this is a relatively recent innovation in the art of growing bonsai. These are tender plants that, in temperate climates, need to be grown indoors throughout the year. However, in warm climates, they can also be grown outdoors.

The range of plants suitable for growing as indoor bonsai is more limited than for the outdoor types, and includes Bougainvillea, Crassulas, Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig), Gardenia, Nandina domestica (Chinese Sacred Bamboo), Olea europaea (Olive), Schefflera arboricola, and Syzygium malaccense (Malay Apple).

Indoor bonsai creates dramatic features throughout the year. Here is a dignified indoor bonsai displayed on a low, decorative table that harmonizes with the symmetry of the plant.

Outdoor bonsai can be displayed either individually or in groups, creating attractive features throughout the year.

Outdoor Bonsai (Japanese)

Sometimes known as Japanese bonsai, and created from winter-hardy trees, shrubs, and conifers, outdoor bonsai is the long-established form of this art. Within this book, all outdoor bonsai are assumed to be growing in a temperate climate. Temperatures in warmer climates may not enable some of these plants to be grown. The range of outdoor bonsai subjects is wide and encompasses deciduous trees, shrubs, and both evergreen and deciduous conifers.

Deciduous trees and shrubs include Acers, Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut), Betula pendula (Birch), Buxus sempervirens (Box), Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree), Fagus sylvatica (Beech), Morus nigra (Black Mulberry), Salix babylonica (Willow), and many others.

Deciduous and evergreen conifers used in bonsai include Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon), Chamaecyparis, Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair Tree), Larches, Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood), and Taxus baccata.

Flowering trees and shrubs encompass Forsythia, Flowering Cherries, Jasmine, and Wisteria; fruiting types include Pyracanthas and Malus.

This columnar outdoor bonsai (Chamaecyparis obtusa) forms a distinctive and dignified outline and is ideal for positioning where lateral space is limited.

Spirit and Esthetics

  Is there an ideal bonsai shape?

There are many different styles of bonsai (see here); some have an upright and formal shape, others lean, and a few reveal a cascading nature. They all have their own ideal proportions, and should exhibit balance and harmony within themselves as well as between the plant and the container. Each bonsai must create the impression of being a miniature form of a full-sized tree—an inspiration from nature as well as a replication.

Spirit and Soul

The spirit and soul of outdoor bonsai can be traced back a thousand or more years to China, and is claimed to have associations with religious thoughts about naturalism and mountains, trees, and rocks having a soul. Some bonsai historians suggest that the gnarled and contorted shapes of bonsai represent the bodies of people in the next world and without mortality. Other authorities claim that a form of growing miniature trees was known much earlier in India. Whatever the origination of bonsai, its spirit and soul were absorbed into Japanese culture in the eighth century, where it was perfected into an art steeped in beauty and correctness. It is this correctness of purpose, and desire for perfection in mirroring nature, that encapsulates the soul of bonsai.

Nowadays, the spirit of bonsai is also continued through indoor bonsai where, in temperate climates, tropical and sub-tropical plants are grown indoors throughout the year (see here for more details).

The simplicity of bonsai is encapsulated in the nobility revealed by this aged representation of a juniper, an evergreen conifer with needle-like leaves. Plain and uncluttered backgrounds help to highlight plants.

Introduction to the West

Before the beginning of the 20th century, bonsai was little known outside Japan. In 1909, an exhibition of bonsai was held in London, where it caused a sensation. The art of bonsai was taken up by many people and is now popular throughout the world.

In earlier times, bonsai were claimed to be representations of people in the next world.

Groups of trees growing naturally on a hillside reflect the ideal of simplicity in bonsai.

Esthetics

Bonsai must be pleasing to the eye, creating through style, shape, and size an impression of a tree nurtured solely by nature and its environment. It may have an upright, leaning, windswept, or cascading nature, replicating trees in the wild.

Design Factors

There are three main design factors; the arrangement of branches, the trunk, and the roots. When old and exposed, roots are a distinctive feature (see below right).

Size and Scale

Bonsai range in size from 4' (1.2m) down to 6" (15cm), or even less. Large trees are easier to look after than miniature ones, especially as the amount of water given is less critical; small amounts of composts are more at risk from excessive watering.

Viewpoint

Most bonsai have a “face” or “front” side, which reveals the plant at its best. Keep this in mind when creating an attractive yet natural shape through pruning and wiring. Curves and the general shape can be seen best from the plant’s side, rather than from the ends of the container.

WHAT MAKES A BONSAI LOOK GOOD?

FEATURE

GENERAL GUIDANCE

Apex

Should give an impression of being natural, not manipulated into an unnatural shape.

Trunk

Elegant and tapering.

Inter-branch

Creates a sense of space, as well as allowing light and air space to circulate between and around the branches.

Branches

Lowest branch should be the largest and most dominant, and about one-third of the way up the trunk.

Roots

Surface roots and lower trunk give the tree a mature nature.

Shape

For upright formal and informal styles, this should be somewhat triangular (see here for a range of styles).

Position

In an oval or rectangular pot, the tree should be positioned of tree centrally along the width, and about one-third of the distance from one of the ends.

Tree and

These must be in proportion to each other and an approximate container in guide (for upright styles) is that the container’s length should proportion be two-thirds to three-quarters of the tree’s height.

Color

The container should complement the tree, in color and harmony with proportion. Shades of dark blue, brown or green harmonize container with most trees.

Compost

Surface must look natural.

Container’s

Approximately the same as the diameter of the trunk near to depth its base. However, cascading bonsai have deeper containers.

Exposed Roots

Old, exposed roots are a further attraction and create the impression of maturity. They also give the bonsai greater stability and can extend in all directions from the trunk. They are able to continue the flowing line of many attractive trunks.

The tree must be in “balance” with itself as well as with its container. A too-large pot would dominate the tree and immediately capture attention. Its color and shape must also complement the tree.

Styles of Bonsai

  Are there many different styles?

Bonsai styles range from upright and in small groups to cascading. These styles mimic shapes revealed by trees in nature, perhaps blown by wind and leaning, cascading over a cliff, or in small clusters. Here is a picture parade and detailed explanations of the main styles revealed by bonsai. Some can be displayed on flat surfaces, while others need to have areas in which their branches can freely cascade, perhaps from a special stand.

Range of Styles

The most important identification of style is the angle at which the trunk grows in the container. The formal upright tree is, by nature, upright and with branches that create an approximately triangular outline, whereas an informal upright has a slightly leaning trunk which imparts a more relaxed nature.

Relaxed and informal styles are becoming more popular than formal types and this probably mirrors the increasingly relaxed nature of society.

Outdoor/Indoor?

Outdoor bonsai has a more aged history than indoor bonsai, which is a recent innovation. Aficionados of outdoor bonsai often look with disdain on indoor bonsai, but it is only another facet of the same great art of bonsai. For indoor bonsai, see here.

Formal and upright

Triangular outline, but not symmetrical. Subjects suited to this style include needle-bearing conifers such as Larches, Pines, Junipers and Spruces, but not informal trees nor those with a fruiting nature.

Informal and upright

Fundamentally, an irregular triangular outline, with a bent trunk (usually at its base) and leaning no more than 15 degrees. Both evergreen conifers and deciduous trees create this relaxed style.

Leaning

Sometimes known as a slanting style, the trunk leans throughout most of its length, at about 45 degrees, and gives the impression of a tree growing in a windswept area. Occasionally, the trunk is curved.

Semi-cascading and cascading

These have a relaxed and informal nature. Semi-cascading (above) has, in part, a horizontal habit and gives an impression of growing out from the top of a cliff or stretching over water. The cascading type (right) evokes the image of a wild tree growing on and over a steep cliff.

Twin and multi-trunks

This adds further interest and form a more dominant feature than a single-stemmed plant. They can be formed of evergreen conifers or deciduous trees chosen for their foliage.

Groups and landscape

These mimic woodland, forests, and groves and, if formed by deciduous trees, look especially attractive in spring when new leaves are forming. In autumn, many trees assume rich autumnal colors. Avoid symmetry—it is better to have a few taller plants towards one side than to create an even-topped display.

The lower display is a raft type, where some stems are initially horizontal and introduce greater interest at compost height.

Windswept

This style has an even more windswept nature than the leaning (slanting) type, with stems trained to appear especially windswept. Evergreen conifers are particularly suited to this style which, when displayed, must not be constricted by other bonsai.

On a rock

Formed of single trees, as well as groups of plants. There are two main styles: the root-over type involves roots spreading down and over a rock (shown), while the other is where a tree is planted on the rock.

Style Representations

Bonsai styles represented here are depicted through evergreen conifers. However, many of these styles are also suitable for deciduous trees, including flowering and fruiting types.

FLOWERING BONSAI

Few bonsai features capture as much attention as a flowering tree. To many people, cherry trees are the epitome of spring, while Malus (Crab Apples), Lilac, Forsythia and Azaleas are other superb subjects for outdoor bonsai.

They are winter-hardy plants but when in flower need a wind-sheltered position, especially those that create their display in spring. Sudden gusts of wind, as well as heavy rainstorms, quickly destroy these displays.

Birds can also be a problem as they are soon attracted to developing buds. If plants are at risk, a bird-proof covering or cage is the only answer until buds cease to be attractive, although young leaves are tempting.

Tools and Materials

  What are the basic tools?

The range of bonsai tools is extensive, but initially it is possible to look after your plants with just a few of them. Indeed, basic toolsets are available and contain essential equipment. Always buy good-quality tools, as they will then last a lifetime. If possible, hold cutting and wiring tools in your hand before buying them to ensure that they feel comfortable and easy to use. This is especially important for women, who usually have small and less muscular hands.

Specialist Tools

Apart from the tools and materials featured on these pages, unusual equipment includes "bending jacks" and "bending levers." They are used to bend branches, and look like candidates for a medieval torture chamber. So infrequently are they needed that, for most bonsai enthusiasts, they need little attention.

A gardening knife is useful, especially for severing roots that have become adhered to the inside of a container. Thin-bladed but resilient knives are especially helpful.

Large, old table forks—with their prongs levered apart—can be used as rakes, but those with prongs too close together tend to draw away and remove too much compost.

Scissors

Keep them sharp and not strained

These have many uses, from general cutting to trimming shoots and leaves. Never use a pair of scissors for cutting material too thick for them—the blades will bend, become twisted, and never again be able to make clean cuts. Strained scissors bruise leaves, stems and shoots, often causing parts to die.

General-purpose scissors are for nonspecific cutting.

Leaf scissors are invaluable for cutting and removing leaves.

Stronger scissors for cutting medium-sized shoots.

Heavy-duty scissors are used for tackling thick shoots.

Brushes