What is a bonsai?

It is difficult to define with few words what is a Bonsai, since its origin comes from the Far East. Apart from being a tree planted in a pot, there are many other aesthetic, artistic, poetic and spiritual connotations.

To create a bonsai is to create an artwork. But, differently from other artistic forms, this work is never finished: it is live and always changing; we can therefore say that it is a live artwork.

To be successful with bonsai is not in everyone's reach, although it is in the reach of anyone who wants to be successful. The basic qualities needed are attention and patience, all advances are obtained in a very slow progression. This has a two way effect: the tree influences its keeper at the same time that the keeper influences the tree. By the oriental way of thought, the tree establishes a point of union between the sky and the earth, and independent of its size, provides a spiritual link between them.

The European enthusiast lacks the religious background of the Chinese people and the meditations techniques of the Japanese nation. However, we soon learn to take some time to contemplate these small trees, to treat them in a creative fashion so that they will resemble as best as possible the image they have in nature.

False concepts of bonsai

Due to the mysticism developed during the years around bonsai there are many false concepts and myths. One of the most common is that bonsai is a cruel practice on trees. Those who believe this think that the miniaturisation process will make the tree suffer. This widespread common mistake has probably nurtured itself from the old Chinese custom of wrapping, at an early age, the girls' feet in order to prevent them from growing. This was, with no doubt, a cruel custom that was banned, long time ago, in China. However westerners still associate this practice with the miniaturisation used in bonsai. 

Since both processes hinder growth, the miniaturisation of trees by pruning branches and roots, is considered equally cruel. Naturally, any gardener knows that pruning branches and roots is a very important resource in gardening. Rosebushes, hedges, and also fruit trees need to be pruned from time to time. The same is true of Bonsai. Gardeners around the world widely prune roots as a normal task.  All these professionals know that root pruning stimulates the development of ciliar roots. (These are the thinner roots, the ones that really 'feed' the tree.)

The radical pruning of young trees and bushes is a generalised horticultural practice and cultivating bushes in pots for the 'gardencenter' markets is an example of the importance of root pruning. No one will sustain that branch and root pruning, as practised in commercial nurseries, is cruel to bushes or trees. The fact that bonsai usually live many years, demonstrates that they receive a better care than their wild congeners.

Therefore we can state that bonsai is a tree, planted in a pot, that has undergone some horticultural and aesthetic process in order to obtain a visual harmony and a healthy state.

Copyright (c) 2002
pepberch@wanadoo.es