Bonsai is the art of growing trees and other plants into
small containers in such a way that it become the miniature of a real tree. A
bonsai tree may be 10 years old but have a height of one foot only. The art of
Bonsai originated perhaps more than 1000 years ago in China. Early
Japanese aristocrats also showed a fondness for Bonsai and contributed greatly
to its development. Bonsai is different from normal pot-planting as it is
considered an art form. A Bonsai tree is carefully shaped to remain small but
still has the appearance of a large tree. It does not need large pots but small
containers and not much of soil. A Bonsai container has holes in the bottom
which are covered by small nets so that the soil does not flow out with the
water.
The plant
is then taken out of its original pot and one-third of its root is cut off. It
is then tied to the bottom of the pot with the help of wires. Soil is then
spread over it to cover the container, but about an inch of the root is allowed
to stay on the soil to enhance beauty.
The soft branches of the plant are
coiled by wires so that they are compelled to grow the way the planter wants
them to grow. This allows the planter to give the tree a particular shape. A
Bonsai plant is never allowed to grow too high. In fact Bonsai is classified in
two ways- * the style in which the branches are planted and shaped, and * their
sizes. Plants that are below 6 inches are called miniature, 6-12 inches: small,
12-24 inches: medium, and those more than
24 inches are called large. Almost all woody plants can be grown as bonsai. The
art of Bonsai is now quite popular in many places of the world. For some
people, it is not only an interesting pastime but also a moneymaker.
0 comments:
Post a Comment