Welcome to the Bonsai Tree General Information Page!
Bonsai History 101
It is now widely accepted that it was the Chinese who first created the miniature landscapes and trees that we now know as bonsai. Called penjing by the Chinese, bonsai was believed to have had its start in the Han Dynasty.
The earliest documented proof of bonsai was discovered in 1972 in the tomb of Prince Zhang Huai, of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 A.D.) who died in 706 A.D. Two wall paintings discovered in the tomb show servants carrying plants resembling bonsai. In one of the paintings a servant is seen carrying a miniature landscape and in the other painting a servant is shown carrying a pot containing a tree.
Today, bonsai are sold in department stores, garden centers, nurseries, and many other places. However, most of these are young cuttings or starts and not the true bonsai produced by bonsai masters. Most trees purchased today are known as pre-bonsai and are for the most part only used as a starting point.
What is Bonsai?
The word Bonsai literally means, in both Chinese and in the Japanese language, tree-in-a-pot. Bonsai is an ancient oriental horticultural art form. Shape, harmony, proportion, and scale are all weighed carefully as art, and the human hand combines this in a common cause with nature.
Bonsai are kept small by careful control of the plant's growing conditions. A tree planted in a small pot is not a bonsai until it has been pruned, shaped, and trained into the desired shape.
The living bonsai will change from season to season and from year to year requiring pruning and training throughout its lifetime...and as time goes on it will become more and more beautiful.
Basic Care of the Bonsai Tree
The individual elements of bonsai tree care include watering, fertilizing, repotting, trimming, pruning, training and detering insects and disease. Bonsai usually need to be watered every day or two. The best time to water is early in the day or late in the afternoon at the same time every day.
A water-soluble fertilizer is usually applied every 2 to 4 weeks during the growing season, in a half-strength solution. Miracle-Gro or Miracid are commonly used, but check label directions for your tree.
A bonsai must periodically be repotted to supply a pot-bound root system with fresh soil. It is also necessary to keep the root system in balance with the top growth. Most require repotting every two or three years.
A bonsai is nothing more than a miniature version of a normal plant, therefore it can be treated with commonly found insecticides and fungicides according to directions on the package. Insects such as aphids, spider mites, scale, and root aphids are common problems corrected by sprays, soapy rinse, or a systemic.
Trimming and pruning are the means by which a bonsai is kept miniature. This involves the systematic removal of vigorous growth in the spring. It is important however, to understand that for the health of the tree one should never remove all the new growth at one time.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Bonsai Trees
When selecting a bonsai tree to develope, you should think about what your goals are and how experienced you are with the art of bonsai. Another factor is what you have to work with as far as space and time that you can spend attending to your bonsai tree.
Indoor Bonsai will generally need to be close to an east, west or south window or be supplemented with artificial light. A small tray with gravel and a little bit of water under the tree will add humidity around the tree. Your indoor bonsai tree may not need to be watered every day but it should be checked daily as the small pots can dry out rather quickly.
Hardy outdoor Bonsai need a winter dormancy. These are the conifers, pines and deciduous trees. One of the most popular bonsai is the juniper. The juniper is one of the easiest bonsai to grow as long as it is being raised outdoors.
Other sources of Bonsai Care and General Information:
A General Guide to Bonsai Care at Mid City Nursery - This page has been created to provide some basic guidelines for taking care of bonsai plants.
Entwood's Bonsai Section - These articles outline the general care, placement and environmental considerations for bonsai trees.
General Bonsai Resources - A look at the bonsai in the collection and general bonsai care.
Internet Bonsai Club - Includes FAQs, an online bonsai class, subscription information, supplies and media, listing of clubs...
Bonsai Web - Virtual bonsai show, seeds, tools, trees and more. Online discussion forums, tree care faqs and how to tips.
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What is Bonsai?
Outdoor Bonsai Tree
Watering Bonsai
Feeding Bonsai
Pruning the Bonsai
Bonsai Links
