Growing Bonsai Trees

The art of cultivating bonsai trees has been a Japanese tradition stretching back hundreds of years.  Bonsai literally translates to "tray planting," and involves actively cultivating trees into an artistic dwarfed version of themselves.  A bonsai tree is not a special dwarf or hybrid species of a common tree; they’re genetically the same as their much taller brothers and sisters.  It’s the careful cultivation and shaping techniques that keeps these trees small.  However, the trees are not sick or damaged.  In fact, given the correct care, the bonsai version of a tree can live longer than the same tree if it was allowed to grow in the wild.

Grown from seeds or cuttings, Bonsai trees usually range in height from two inches to three feet.  Through pruning both roots and branches bonsai trees are kept small.  They’re also repotted periodically, and new growth is often pinched off. 

Cultivating bonsai trees is actually as much about art as it is about horticulture.  Not only are bonsai trees kept small, they are also shaped into pleasing forms.  They often follow a number of different patterns of growth, from simple triangles to waterfall shapes cascading down over their pots.  The shapes are usually a product of both the pruning of the tree and through the wrapping the branches and trunk with wire, pushing the tree into its desired shape.  Chosen to compliment the shape and color of the tree itself, the pots are also part of the art of bonsai.  Mosses and rocks are often added to the base for aesthetic appeal. 

Taking care of a bonsai tree is more complicated than cultivating most houseplants.  Since the bonsai, by definition, has has a smaller root system than most plants, it needs fertilizer and water more often than most garden-variety houseplants.  Occasional pruning is also essential, since without pruning the bonsai tree would grow into just a normal large tree.  Also, if wire is used to help mold and form the tree, it is important to take care that the wire doesn’t dig into the bark of the tree, scarring the branches permanently.  Depending on the type of bonsai tree and your climate, you may be able to keep some bonsai trees outside year round, while others will need to be kept inside for at least part of the year.  Since moisture in the soil, branches, and leaves of the bonsai is important, they need to be misted occasionally to remain healthy.