bonsai forrest

[carol]

Can there be other reasons aside from a lack of nitrogen from the soil for the plants to have a stunted growth? Our class are planning to go to a bonsai forrest after the school year for a biodiversity research. I guess it would help to know.

[Skye]

Lacking nutrients in general, including water. Physical causes, shallow soil layer or high wind, too.

[D H]

A very short growing season. Krummholz forests just below the tree line comprise short, twisted trees.

[carol]

What do you mean by Krummholz forests?

[Glider]

The stunting of growth in trees in nature result from many things: short growing seasons, poor soil, limited rainfall, limited room for root growth (e.g. cracks in cliff faces, or shallow soil deposits in rock bowls), constant predation (e.g. deer eating the new growth), and harsh conditions (e.g. high winds or sharp frosts).

 

In Bonsai circles, trees that have grown naturally stunted are considered highly valuable. They are known as Yamadori.

 

In true bonsai, it takes constant care; careful watering, feeding and pruning of both top growth and roots to maintain the size and proportions of the tree. People mistakenly think that keeping a tree in a small pot will stunt its growth. This is not true. All that happens is that the tree becomes root-bound and dies because it can't take up what it needs.

 

As a general rule of thumb, given that the term 'bonsai' roughly translates as 'tree (in a) pot', any tree that isn't in a pot, stunted or otherwise, isn't a bonsai.

[carol]

Oooh.... thanks a lot

[weknowthewor]

But we should know diff styles of bonsai:

 

There are many different styles of bonsai, but some are more common than others. These include formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft, literati, and group / forest.

 

* The formal upright is just as the name suggests, and is characterized by a tapering trunk and balanced branches. The informal upright is much like the formal, but may bend and curve slightly, although for aesthetic quality the tree should never lean away from the viewer.

 

* Cascade and semi-cascade are modeled after trees that grow over water or on the sides of mountains. Semi-cascades lean just over the rim of the pot where as cascades fall below the base of the pot.

 

* Raft style bonsai are bonsai which mimic a natural phenomenon where a tree that has been toppled (typically due to erosion or another natural force) begins to grow a new root system out of the part of the trunk that is in contact with the ground. Raft bonsai are typically planted with the original root system still intact and in contact with the soil. The bark on the underside of the trunk is trimmed off until the smooth wood underneath is visible; this wood is then placed in contact with the soil and, typically, the trunk is buried either immediately or over time. This group of bonsai can include many other styles such as sinuous, straight-line, and group planting styles. These all give the illusion of a group of trees, but are actually the branches of a tree planted on its side.

 

* The literati style is the hardest to define, but is seen often. The word literati is used in place of the Japanese bunjin which is a translation of the Chinese word wenren meaning "scholars practiced in the arts". The literati style is usually characterized by a small number of branches typically placed higher up on a long, contorted trunk. Literati bonsai often have the base of the crown beginning at a height lower than an S-shaped trunk bend, and the primary branch growing from below the S-bend, leading down and outwards with graceful sweeping lines. Their style is inspired by the Chinese paintings of pine trees that grew in harsh climates, struggling to reach the light of the sun.

 

* A group or forest bonsai display is, as the name suggests, a number of bonsai (typically an odd number if there are three or more trees) placed together in a pot. Typically the number of trees in a forest style display is fifty or less, though there is no formal limit. The trees are often the same species and are styled accordingly; although group or forest bonsai tend to contain smaller trees (which would be classified as mame style bonsai if they were planted alone), larger trees may be used.

 

Additionally, bonsai are classed by size. There are a number of specific techniques and styles associated with mame and shito sizes, the smallest bonsai. These are often small enough to be grown in thimble-sized pots,[citation needed] and due to their minuscule size require special care and adhere to different design conventions.

 

 

gr8 info on bonsai!!!!!!