bonsai- an art and science of growing trees in miniature form

University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot

Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi

Dept of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture

Id.No: UHS12PGM214

Senior M.Sc (Hort)

By

Rachappa Kore

Bonsai- An art and Science of growing trees in miniature form

Containers & Different styles of BONSAI

Containers Bonsai is a Japanese art using miniature trees

grown in containers.

The term bonsai in the Japanese itself indicates the

form of the containers.

Containers should be plate like, i.e. very shallow.

The shape of the pot should be harmonious with the

form of miniature tree.

The width and depth should correspond to the

volume of soil necessary for particular specimen.

The quantity of soil required for the mini, medium

and large bonsai must differ.

Size and shape of the pots should necessarily be

different.

Fundamentally, there are two kinds of bonsai pots:

Training pots

Display pots

Containers or bonsai pots come in various shapes

and sizes. They could either be square, rectangular,

oval, cylindrical in shape.

Bonsai containers come in five shapes:

Round

Oval

Square

Rectangular and

Hexagonal.

In general a tall bonsai requires a long pot.

A thick trunk usually requires a deeper pot.

The bonsai experts of Japan and USA have

recommended the specification of pot shape to suit

the particular trunk style.

Upright style – Square or rectangular pots.

Informal upright or curved trunks – oval pots.

Cascade bonsai – deep pot

Semi Cascade bonsai – less depth pot then

Cascade type

Trunk for serpentine curves – long & shallow pots

Double trunk, muiltitrunk, raft style – long pots

Multi-tree bonsai -flat slab of rock.

The long pots may be rectangular or oval, the width of

which will be half of the length.

The blocks of the stone, bricks are used for growing

bonsai.

The pots of burnt clay are mostly used for bonsai.

The length of the pot of a single tree should not

exceed two thirds the height of the tree.

In group of planting the pot length should nearly be

the same as two thirds the height of the tallest tree of

the group.

The depth of the pot should normally be upto 2.5

times the base of the trunk . Old tree with very thick

stem the pot depth should be the same as the base of

the trunk.

There are no aesthetic guidelines for these

development containers, and they may be of any

material, size, and shape that suit the grower.

These containers are usually ceramic pots, which

come in a variety of shapes and colors.

Unlike many common plant containers, bonsai pots

have drainage holes in the bottom surface for fast-

draining bonsai soil, allowing excess water to escape

the pot.

Pots usually have vertical sides, so that the tree's root

mass can easily be removed for inspection, pruning,

and replanting, although this is a practical

consideration and other container shapes are

acceptable.

Choosing Pots

Choose a pot in which to display bonsai when the

training of bonsai is sufficiently advanced.

The size and shape of the pot will depend on the

size and shape of the tree.

Trees trained in the cascade and semi-cascade

styles look best in round or rectangular pots.

Plant the trunk in the center of the pot with the

branches bending down over the side.

Place upright trees slightly off-center in oval or

rectangular pots. Place trees with thick trunks and

dense foliage in deep, heavy pots.

Branches of a bonsai should harmonize with the shape

of a pot.

The color of the pot should contrast with the tree’s

foliage.

Use white, tan, or green pots for trees with brightly

colored flowers or fruits.

Different styles of Bonsai

The bonsai of many shapes are there.

Those shapes are the imitations of nature.

On the basis of the height they are classified

as

Miniature bonsai

Small bonsai

Medium bonsai

Large bonsai

Miniature bonsai

A very little pot, a little bigger than a tea

plate, is used for this type of bonsai. The height of

a Miniature tree should not exceed 15 cm

Small bonsai

The bonsai of height 20-25cm.

Medium bonsai

The bonsai of height 25-30cm.

Large bonsai

The bonsai of height 30-90cm. Old trees are

known as large bonsai

Informal Upright

In nature Imitation by human

Each style is an artificial representation based on a natural shape that a full-sized tree may form in the wild according to it's environment.

Different styles of bonsai are

Formal Upright

Informal Upright

Twisted trunk

Long bare- root

Broom

Umbrella

Conical

Spherical

Slanting

Literati

Windswept

Cascade

Semi-Cascade

Twin-Trunk

Clump

Raft

Multi-tree

Growing-on-rock

Root-over-rock

Formal Upright This is characterized by a straight, upright,

tapering trunk.

The trunk is erect with branches growing

symmetrically in all directions, but the front of the

tree is kept free from branches upto two thirds the

length.

This style is suitable for ficus sps pines, maples

and junipers.

Informal Upright The trunk is erect but with few curves. The

curvature is gradually smaller towards the top.

This style is suitable for ficus sps, maple, conifers

and even some fruit trees, such as pomegranate

can be used.

The informal upright style looks best in an oval or

rectangular container

Twisted trunk The trunk twists

round & round on

itself. The

branches might

grow in any

direction.

Suitable plants are

ficus sps, maple.

Long bare- root Roots like the stem, remain exposed. Only their

growing tips remain in the ground.

Broom

The shape is similar to a broom, from which it

gets it's name.

The upright stem with broom-like shoots which

are allowed to grow at a certain height. They are

more or less crowded.

Suitable for deciduous trees.

Umbrella The trunk having

an umbrella-like

spreading head

that provide

shade over a

wide area

Conical Remarkably upright & slender tree that looks like

a cypress

Pinus sps are suitable.

Spherical A spherical crown on the upright trunks.

Slanting

The trunk is included more or less to an angle of

45 ̊.

The branches grow in all directions. The thick

roots are exposed in the direction of inclination.

This style looks best planted in the center of a

round or square container.

Literati

Trunk in an informal upright style or slightly inclined .

The branches are only in the top.

So the branches grow away form the earth.

Pines, junipers and cedars are suitable for this style.

Windswept

The appearance resembles a tree as if lashed by

wind.

The branches and twigs as if forced to take one

direction.

Pine and junipers are good species to use for this

style.

Cascade The form resembles the tree

hang down low over a rock .

The trunk and branches of the

bonsai hang down well across

the base of a usually tall pot.

Semi-Cascade The top of the lies below the

line of the rim of the pot.

The main difference is that the

trunk does not grow below the

base of the pot but some of the

branching does.

Plants that are well adapted to

the cascade and semi-cascade

styles are junipers, and

flowering plants such as

chrysanthemums, willows, and

star jasmine.

Twin-Trunk Two trunks of different girth, growing form one root

but style being the same.

Clump Several trunk more or less of the same size

forming a group .

They grow form a root.

Suitable plants are pinus sps, carpinus.

Raft The trunk buried

horizontally in a pot which

grows root downwards and

a number of shoot upwards

each resembling a person

standing on a raft.

Multi-tree Several miniature trees of the same species but

of different ages grown in a shallow and circular

pot.

Growing-on-rock

Tree or trees

growing in small

hollows or crevices

of a rock.

Root-over-rock

Tree sitting on the top the rock sends out the roots to soil

in pot.