Bonsai myths
From BonsaiWIKI
Myth #1. Bonsai are grown from "Bonsai Seeds."
 | We should at this point clarify that there are no such thing as "bonsai seeds" that when simply planted will yield a beautifully trained bonsai. Bonsai can be developed from seeds, garden plants, nursery stock, and cuttings or specimens collected from the wild. You may find seeds of unusual species or cultivars packaged for bonsai use, but there are no magic bonsai seeds! |
Myth #2. A bonsai reaches completion.
It has been said that bonsai is a four-dimensional art form. This is because the passage of time introduces changes in the tree; the cycle of the seasons, the application of bonsai techniques and the advancing age of the tree itself all introduce changes. For this reason, during the life of the tree, the bonsai is never truly "finished" in the sense of a painting or sculpture reaching completion. The tree will continue to develop and grow until it eventually dies. Thankfully, trees are so long lived that they can be enjoyed by your children, and theirs thereafter.
Bonsai, like most art forms involves a series of techniques that can be learned and mastered. There are also bonsai tools specific to these techniques that make their practice more effective. Specialized shears, branch cutters and knives are used to prune and direct growth and pastes and sealants help to encourage rapid healing. Initiates to bonsai will often see dramatic demonstrations in which limbs are bent and twisted with wire, power tools are used to carve and shape wood and large amounts of growth are cut away. This sometimes leads to the impression that the practice of bonsai is a cruel sport, something akin to torture when nothing could be further from the truth.
Myth #3. Bonsai is cruel to trees
Bonsai are in fact pampered by their owners, fertilized frequently and watered dilligently to remain at the peak of health. The practices of wiring is used not to bind the tree and restrict growth, as is sometimes imagined, but to redirect growth. Those who advance this myth respond to beauty of the illusion of a potted tree without the understanding that they are relating to a product of techniques that create the perception of age and beauty. Many of these same folk would not flinch at mowing lawns, pruning hedges or trimming their rosebushes. The beauty of the bonsai illusion has the power to create a sympathetic, emotional response in anyone. Bonsai helps us to understand our own place in the world.
Myth #4. Bonsai are expensive
Without doubt, there exist trees and plants trained as bonsai that are expensive. In Japan it is not unusual to see trees at exhibition that are valued in the millions or even tens of millions of yen. But the quiet beauty of a bonsai can be appreciated on any budget, from trees grown from seed or cutting, or those purchased at the neighborhood garden center for just a few dollars. Many of the most appreciated bonsai were collected from the wild at no significant cost whatsoever. When one purchases a trained bonsai, they are paying for the time and care invested in locating, training and maintaining a bonsai tree.
Myth #5. All Bonsai are ancient trees / I am too old to start Growing bonsai!
Many people are impressed by the age of trees grown as bonsai, which are often collected from the wild or passed down from generation to generation and attain great age. More significant to a true bonsai collector than actual age or provenance of a specimen is how effectively it presents the illusion of an aged tree. A venerable potted plant is a curiosity, but a well maintained and executed bonsai is an art form unto itself, regardless of whether it was created from a thousand-year-old collected juniper in the high desert, or a clump of privet taken from an abandoned hedgerow.
Myth #6. Bonsai are indoor plants
Although Bonsai are frequently displayed and sold in indoor areas, with very few exceptions, bonsai are outdoor plants. Bonsai need sunshine and air circulation just like their outdoor cousins, and they exposure to seasonal changes are required in order to maintain health. More bonsai are killed by being brought indoors and neglected than any other single cause. Certain species of tropical bonsai (such as ficus) can be enjoyed indoors year round. But these are the exceptions.
Myth #7. My Bonsai died/I can't grow bonsai
Anyone can grow bonsai. Many of the bonsai grown and sold in malls or garden centers have lived their entire lives in high humidity greenhouse environments. We call these plants "Mallsai." They are lush green from foliar feedings and have overgrown their containers. Through no fault of the new owner, they cannot adapt easily to their new environment. If you fail the first time, don't give up, but do keep these conditions in mind:
- Location - Many newly purchased bonsai are placed indoors without adequate sunlight, or placed on top of a television or in a sunny window without circulation. Bonsai should be placed outdoors in full sun or partial shade depending on the needs of the plant and the climate.
- Watered infrequently or erratically. Bonsai need regular watering and the container should not be allowed to dry out. Deep waterings are the rule, but do not keep the soil soggy. Learn to Water.
- Over/Underfertilization. Trees manufacture their own food. They do need trace minerals and nitrogen, but more trees are killed by well-intentioned overfertilization than ever died from lack of fertilizer. Learn more about fertilization here.
- Overgrowth - A tree's size must be kept in balance with its container. As the tree grows, the root system, which is constrained by the container will be unable to keep pace. If the tree is not repotted or the top growth pruned, it will eventually succumb. Most often, it will dry out and die. If you find your bonsai is drying out rapidly between watering, it may already be too large for its container.
- Lack of repotting - Over time the soil will become compacted by watering and the container will fill with older, inefficient roots. The soil needs to be replaced by transplanting the tree, and the roots pruned slightly to encourage the maintenance of healthy feeder roots.
Myth #8. Bonsai is difficult to learn
Bonsai is appreciated throughout the world by people of all ages. Once you have spent a single season as a bonsai grower, you will have learned much of the required practice in caring for a bonsai tree. By visiting bonsai shows and looking at trees in magazines and books or viewing on-line galleries, you can educate yourself in how to appreciate a fine bonsai. Within just a few years it is possible to create and refine a plant taken from a nursery container into a bonsai planting that will bring you pride and enjoyment. You have come to the right place to learn more about these particular aspects of the hobby.
