From: tmkelly@shootist.EBay.Sun.COM (Tk)
\nNewsgroups: alt.bonsai
\nSubject: How to get started (long)
\nDate: 1 Apr 1993 00:10:38 GMT<\/p>\n
Source:\tBonsai Today Magazine #6 pg 24-25 (no author listed)
\nReprinted *without* permission<\/p>\n
————
\nHow to Start a Bonsai Collection
\n————<\/p>\n
When bonsai suddenly bursts into your life, you are greeted, perhaps
\ninundated, with new horticultural concepts, Eastern and Western
\naesthetics, and lots of advice, some of it seemingly contradictory.
\nAdd a dash of plant names in Latin and design concepts in Japanese,
\nand just the thought of jumping into bonsai can be almost over
\nwhelming.<\/p>\n
People find bonsai to be of interest for many reasons. <><\/p>\n
Regardless of from which direction you approach bonsai, there is
\nalways the question of how to get started.<\/p>\n
The first thing that you should realize is that interest in bonsai
\nimplies a profound respect and love for Nature. One does not start out
\ninto bonsai by collecting trees that are growing in the wild.
\nAlthough you may follow the bonsai manuals on digging practice to the
\nletter, you probably do not yet know how to even water your new
\nacquisition, how to fertilize it, or how to preserve or enhance its
\noriginal form. In many instances, a tree similar to the one you have
\njust collected could have been bought for very little money at any
\nnursery. Growing bonsai from seeds is an alternative, but this takes
\nan awfully long time; it may take 10 years for an experienced
\nenthusiast to produce an attractive bonsai.<\/p>\n
The same is true for cuttings. This method is used by enthusiasts who
\nwish to reproduce specific varieties that are difficult to obtain by
\nany other method.<\/p>\n
Layering is a good way to obtain fine bonsai stock. It is however a
\nfairly advanced technique, and is really a better method for
\ncompleting and improving your collection, rather than starting it.<\/p>\n
The quickest way is to start out with a bonsai that you have purchased
\nfrom a nursery. Talk to the nurseryman and learn all you can about
\nhow best to take care of your new little tree.<\/p>\n
After you have gotten over the initial awe, it is time to be
\nobjective. Study your tree, compare it with the fine bonsai that you
\nmay see in books or magazines that have a similar design. Look for
\nits flaws, and strong points. Realize that inexpensive bonsai may be
\nsometimes little more than nursery trees that have been planted in a
\nbonsai pot with little or no styling. Do not feel that you will in
\nsome way be violating the tree’s artistic integrity by changing the
\nits design: it is your artistic judgement that is most important.<\/p>\n
Perhaps a better way to get started with bonsai is to purchase a
\nnursery plant that has been grown in a pot for ornamental purposes. If
\nyou pick one that has fairly dense growth, you will be able to shape
\nit very quickly into almost any form you like.<\/p>\n
In a well stocked nursery, you will be able to find almost any
\nvariety. The majority of them will be well suited to your climate and
\nlocation. In addition, working with a nursery tree allows you, without
\ntoo great an expenditure, to begin to learn and practice those
\ntechniques that you must know to become a true bonsai enthusiast:
\nbranch pruning, wiring, root pruning, transplanting, pinching back,
\netc.<\/p>\n
To get started, you will need only some pruning cutters, scissors,
\nwire cutters, some chop sticks, 1,2,3 and 4 mm copper or coated
\naluminum wire, bonsai soil, and a training pot.<\/p>\n
Do not start out with complicated material: look for a plant with a
\nsingle trunk, many branches and one that is not too tall. Look, too,
\nfor a forgiving species that will survive in spite of what you are
\nabout to do to it: junipers are ideal species for beginners.<\/p>\n
Next do some searching around a nursery. Locate a tree or shrub that
\nyou think may have promise, and purchase it. Now only one more thing
\nis left to do: style it.<\/p>\n
Look through all the bonsai books and magazines you can find; look at
\nthe photographs of fine bonsai for a design that can be adapted to
\nyour pre-bonsai. Then look your tree over, assessing its qualities
\nand its defects. You are not yet Kimura , but the essential
\ntechniques only require practice and a little imagination.<\/p>\n
A bonsai is viewed from only one direction, call the front of the
\ntree. Look at the tree from many directions until you find what you
\nfeel is a pleasing trunk line. This will be the front. Push a small
\nstick in the soil in line with the front as a reminder. Then decide
\nwhich of the branches should be removed before you do any actual
\npruning: you can mark then with a piece of string. To get an idea what
\nthe tree might look like with a specific branch removed, take a sheet
\nof paper or paper towel and cover the branch.<\/p>\n
From then on, work slowly; look over the articles on design and wiring
\nand then begin to shape your first future bonsai. If you use a
\njuniper, the result will be immediately apparent and if you ant not
\ncompletely pleased with it, plant it in the yard and try again with
\nanother. Bonsai is a learn-by-doing experience: there is no other
\nway.<\/p>\n
After the tree has been styled to your satisfaction, it should be
\nplanted in a bonsai pot. A bonsai is not a bonsai until it is planted
\nin a proper pot. Remove the tree from its plastic pot and prune the
\nroots so it will fit in your bonsai pot. If you have removed half of
\nthe branches, then the tree really only needs about half of the roots
\nit originally had.<\/p>\n
From one of your bonsai references you can learn the details of root
\npruning, drainage, and potting soil suitable for bonsai, and how and
\nwhen to transplant your little tree into a bonsai pot.<\/p>\n
Then sit back and enjoy your new creation for a few moments. You will
\nfind yourself trimming a little here and there, perhaps moving a
\nbranch to a better position. You are on your way.<\/p>\n
There are many things yet to learn, foremost of which is how to keep
\nyour bonsai alive and vigorous. So read everything you can and learn
\nby observing how your plant responds to sun and shade, watering
\nfrequency, fertilizing, pruning, pinching, and so on.<\/p>\n
Join a club if there is one nearby.<\/p>\n
To sum up, practice and observation are the essentials fro developing
\nbonsai skills and building a collection of Bonsai.<\/p>\n
-end-<\/p>\n
