The Ultimate Guide to 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 a common 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, however, 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 tree 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.
Not everyone has a large yard 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 re-create the correct conditions for the tree you want to grow.
Growing Bonsai trees can fast become an addictive hobby and requires attention to detail, the 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.
