More information about Growing Bonsai Tree
The designation Wu Tang Ch'uan is also used to broadly distinguish internal or nei chia martial arts (said to be a specialty of the monasteries at Wu Tang Shan) from what are known as the external or wei chia styles based on Shaolin Ch'uan, although that distinction is sometimes disputed by individual schools. In this broad sense, among many T'ai Chi schools all styles of T'ai Chi (as well as related arts such as Pa Kua Chang and Hsing-i Ch'uan) are therefore considered to be "Wu Tang style" martial arts. The schools that designate themselves "Wu Tang style" relative to the family styles mentioned above mostly claim to teach an "original style" they say was formulated by a Taoist monk called Zhang Sanfeng and taught by him in the Taoist monasteries at Wu Tang Shan.
Some consider that what is practised under that name today may be a modern back-formation based on stories and popular veneration of Zhang Sanfeng (see below) as well as the martial fame of the Wu Tang monastery (there are many other martial art styles historically associated with Wu Tang besides T'ai Chi).
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If the season and the climate allow it, it may be a good time to open the rootball and trim the roots. You will want the root system to be shallow, efficient and well arranged. You need to leave sufficient root to support the remaining foliage of the tree, and definitely error on leaving too much rather than too little. Thick roots do a bonsai little service. It's the fine feeder roots that will do the lion's share of the work.
It may also be necessary to thin the bonsai or prune the apex of the tree. It is important that the existing root system is in proportion to the remaining foliage. If the tree is deciduous, and leafless, you can prune the roots much more aggressively.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Looking for an online canadian bonsai store
I've been looking for an online canadian bonsai store for a while. I finally found one, http://bonsaistore.ca/conditions.php?osCsid=456e0646954c089fb39c91c3a6ef0548 pretty variant collection of bonsai to be sold. So if your interested in starting up a collection this is the place for you canada. Tropical Expressions is the store name.
Definitions and Hints for Starter Bonsai
STARTER BONSAI
The following is a list of bonsai species that are hardy trees and beginner friendly.
EVERGREEN(retains its leaves all year)
Chinese Juniper - Juniperus chinensis. Hardy Evergreen. Numerous cultivars of juniper exist. This is the most common tree sold as mall bonsai (mallsai). Immature, needle foliage is deep green and prickly to the touch. The juniper is very hardy. However, imported specimens are often greenhouse grown and allowed to outgrow their containers to minimize shipping weight. Trees may appear healthy but rocks and soil are "glued in place." If you do purchase a juniper mallsai, remove the rocks and glue from the surface of the tree. It is probably already in desperate need of repotting and trimming. It is very tolerant of underwatering, in fact to a fault: the foliage will remain green long after it has died! Healthy growth is lush and turgid.
DECIDUOUS(drops its leaves in winter)
Trident Maple- Acer burgerianium. (Deciduous) This tree gets its common name from its three-lobed leaves. A robust grower. Root ball should not be allowed to freeze solid in winter, but it does need outdoor exposure.
SEMI-DECIDUOUS
Chinese Elm- Ulmus parviflora. (Semi-deciduous). Native to China, this tree adapts to its climate and may shed its leaves in winter or retain them depending on the depth of the cold and length of exposure. Some folks have tossed out a Chinese Elm only to find it budding out in spring on the compost pile. Watering requirement is about average. Limbs are brittle and somewhat difficult to wire, best trained by directional pruning. Can be grown indoors with success if lighting is adequate.
INDOOR
Benjamin Fig- Ficus benjamina . (Tropical) The same plant often seen grown as an indoor plant. Needs medium light. Tolerant of erratic watering. May shed all leaves in periods of shock, but will regrow. Wounds are slow to heal and exude white latex sap. One of the few trees suitable for bonsai that is perfectly adapted for indoor growth.
Serissa - Serissa foetida. Also called "Tree of a Thousand Stars". Appreciated for its tiny leaves and white flowers, gets its name from the pungent smell when plucked or pruned. Can be grown indoors in good light.
NOTE: Having listed a few particularly well-behaved species, It is appropriate to mention some trees that are considered challenging because of their growth requirements or seasonal care. Among these groups are largely the conifers like Pine and Spruce. These trees make beautiful bonsai, but we suggest that the beginner take at least one season to learn the care of the hardier species, and particularly to master the skills of watering and repotting before attempting these. Most growers will wish to explore the world of Satsuki Azalea after they have a few trees in their collection, but we point out to the rank beginner that the azaleas are absolutely intolerant of drying out.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
How to grow bonsai trees (Crash course)
BONSAI
A Japanese word meaning "tray-planted," bonsai refers either to dwarf trees or to the art of training and growing the miniaturized trees in containers. Bonsai may be either conifers with small needles or deciduous plants with small leaves. Some bonsai are small-flowered or small-fruit trees. Good bonsai can be kept outdoors all year long.
The overall artistic effect is of great significance in growing the trees. Everything must be proportional: the size of the tree, its leaves or needles, its flowers or fruit, and the container in which it grows. The containers, especially, must be chosen to harmonize in size, shape, and color with the tree.
There are four sizes of bonsai: miniature, small, medium, and average. Miniatures range up to only 2 inches (5 centimeters) in height. Started from seeds or cuttings, they mature in about five years. Small bonsai are from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) and take from five to ten years to train. Medium bonsai are from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters), and average bonsai are up to 2 feet (0.6 meter); both sizes can be produced in as little as three years.
The bonsai are dwarfed by pruning roots and branches. Their shapes are controlled by wiring the trunk and branches. The wires must be removed before the bark becomes scarred.
Bonsai originated in China more than 1,000 years ago, but it has been pursued and developed by the Japanese. A bonsai industry of considerable size exists in certain sections of Japan. It has also become popular in many parts of the world.
The art of raising bonsai--dwarfed potted trees--has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. Bonsai are able to bear fruit and to drop their leaves in season, thus reproducing nature in miniature. A skillful bonsai artist can prune, bend, and shape branches to suggest trees standing tall and upright in a field or bent and gnarled by age or weather. The beauty of a natural landscape is evoked in the viewer's imagination.
A Japanese word meaning "tray-planted," bonsai refers either to dwarf trees or to the art of training and growing the miniaturized trees in containers. Bonsai may be either conifers with small needles or deciduous plants with small leaves. Some bonsai are small-flowered or small-fruit trees. Good bonsai can be kept outdoors all year long.
The overall artistic effect is of great significance in growing the trees. Everything must be proportional: the size of the tree, its leaves or needles, its flowers or fruit, and the container in which it grows. The containers, especially, must be chosen to harmonize in size, shape, and color with the tree.
There are four sizes of bonsai: miniature, small, medium, and average. Miniatures range up to only 2 inches (5 centimeters) in height. Started from seeds or cuttings, they mature in about five years. Small bonsai are from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) and take from five to ten years to train. Medium bonsai are from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters), and average bonsai are up to 2 feet (0.6 meter); both sizes can be produced in as little as three years.
The bonsai are dwarfed by pruning roots and branches. Their shapes are controlled by wiring the trunk and branches. The wires must be removed before the bark becomes scarred.
Bonsai originated in China more than 1,000 years ago, but it has been pursued and developed by the Japanese. A bonsai industry of considerable size exists in certain sections of Japan. It has also become popular in many parts of the world.
The art of raising bonsai--dwarfed potted trees--has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. Bonsai are able to bear fruit and to drop their leaves in season, thus reproducing nature in miniature. A skillful bonsai artist can prune, bend, and shape branches to suggest trees standing tall and upright in a field or bent and gnarled by age or weather. The beauty of a natural landscape is evoked in the viewer's imagination.
Bonsai links
Bonsai articles people might be interested in
http://www.madcitybonsai.com/links/clublinks.php
http://www.madcitybonsai.com/links/clublinks.php
Misseto Bonsai Club - Mississauga and Etobicoke, Canada
We are a group of people interested in bonsai. Our members range from novice to 30+ years experience growing bonsai. A few members have several years experience teaching the art of Bonsai at community colleges and arboretums.
New members are always welcome!
Our meetings are informal and friendly. Several meetings a year are demonstrations where either a guest or experienced club member will teach some aspect of Bonsai. Most meetings are open workshops where the more experienced members will help the newer members get started with the basics or with their problem trees. In the summer months we have open-house evenings in members' backyards where we can enjoy the members' Bonsai and fellowship.
We are a group of people interested in bonsai. Our members range from novice to 30+ years experience growing bonsai. A few members have several years experience teaching the art of Bonsai at community colleges and arboretums.
New members are always welcome!
Our meetings are informal and friendly. Several meetings a year are demonstrations where either a guest or experienced club member will teach some aspect of Bonsai. Most meetings are open workshops where the more experienced members will help the newer members get started with the basics or with their problem trees. In the summer months we have open-house evenings in members' backyards where we can enjoy the members' Bonsai and fellowship.
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