Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv From: bartlone@zeke.med.ge.com (Michel Bartolone) Newsgroups: rec.arts.bonsai,alt.bonsai,news.answers,rec.answers,alt.answers Subject: The rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ: Part1 Supersedes: Followup-To: rec.arts.bonsai,alt.bonsai Date: 21 Mar 1994 10:52:07 GMT Organization: none Lines: 363 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: 4 May 1994 10:51:47 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: bartlone@colossus.med.ge.com NNTP-Posting-Host: bloom-picayune.mit.edu Keywords: FAQ Bonsai X-Last-Updated: 11/6/93 Originator: faqserv@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.arts.bonsai:3495 alt.bonsai:1486 news.answers:16644 rec.answers:4514 alt.answers:2160 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part1 Name: Part1 Version: 2.2 LastUpdate: 11/6/93 13:37:06 This is part 1 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ Section 1 -- Table of contents Part1 Section 1 -- Table of contents Section 2 -- What is Bonsai? Section 3 -- Administrivia Section 4 -- Frequently Asked Questions! Part2 Section 5 -- Soil Section 6 -- Junipers Section 7 -- Indoor bonsai Section 8 -- Clubs, Associations Part3 Section 9 -- Reading material (Books and Magazines) Part4 Section 10 -- Suppliers and Nurseries Part5 Section 11 -- Dictionary of Japanese bonsai terms Section 12 -- Dictionary of selected Latin botanical terms Section C -- Contributors... Section 2 -- What is Bonsai? This was, at one time, the most commonly asked of all FAQ's; but since The Karate Kid was first shown, it gets asked a little less frequently. Bonsai (pronounced bone-sai) is literally a plant (usually a tree or shrub) grown in a tray or dish. Growing trees in pots began in Egypt about 4000 years ago, mostly for practical reasons, mobility, and convenience. The Greeks, Babylonians, Persians, and Hindus copied the technique. The Chinese were the first to plant trees in pots for aesthetic purposes, about 200 AD. The art of bonsai then moved to Japan with the monks, who also brought Buddhism, in the 6th and 7th centuries. This data is supported by a scroll from Japan's Kamakura period (1192-1333) describing life in the Heian period (794-1191).* Bonsai as we now know it was perfected in Japan. The original bonsai trees were usually collected, already dwarfed by nature. Today, however, it is probably better to allow such specimens to stay where they are. In many locations, collecting them in the wild is against the law. In others, the chance of finding a suitable specimen is almost zero. One common misconception is that a bonsai is a specific type of tree. Yes, some trees are more frequently bonsaid than others, but bonsai can be made from almost any woody stemmed tree or bush species. Some of the more classic bonsai are Japanese Black Pine, 5 needle pine, Sargents Juniper, and Japanese maples. In the past 20 or so years, a great many species not previously accepted as bonsai have also joined the list. Some tropical trees, and plants, such as weeping willow and Jade, are just two. Over the years, techniques have evolved which allow the grower to change the height and direction of the tree's growth, and in some cases to dwarf the foliage as well as the plant. Today, bonsai is an art form, a living sculpture. There are certain classic or traditional forms that can be found and followed, but the basic rule of thumb for personal bonsai is 'If you like the way it looks, it's a good bonsai'. *(From The Masters Book of Bonsai) Section 3 -- Administrivia I'll try to update the FAQ weekly, or as often as required based on the info submitted. (In other words..I'll do it more often if required and less often if nothing has changed). The FAQ will be posted monthly, and a file explaining how to get the FAQ will be posted about half way between FAQ postings. *- Corrections and contributions -* If there are errors or typos in this text, or if your name has been left off of the contributor list, please just drop me a note. I'm very much capable of making mistakes...I do promise to do my best to correct all errors found before the next release of the FAQ. The bonsai Dictionary is still under construction. I have some of the most frequently used Japanese terms (according to my limited sources), and I have the Latin botanical terms (again within the limits of my knowledge/sources...) If you have additions or corrections, please e-mail them to me at the address below. *- FTP sites -* The Bonsai FAQ, and many other FAQ's, are available via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu in the directory pub/usenet/news.answers. The archive name for this FAQ appears in the Archive-name: line in the auxiliary header found in each of the 5 sections of the FAQ. The Bonsai FAQ is known as bonsai-faq/part1. (Each part has a separate name..ie part2, part3 etc..) A mail server also exists for accessing the FAQ archives. Send a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the command 'help' in the body of your message. An anonymous FTP server for Bonsai GIFS (and other types of pictures) and other bonsai related files is available at bonsai.pass.wayne.edu (IP address 141.217.25.20). Login as anonymous and use guest as a password. You can put images in the /uploads directory, and get images from the /pub/GIFS directory. This allows the person responsible for the site a chance to check the files before anyone can get them, thus avoiding having the site terminated due to inappropriate material. *- The Bonsai Mailing List -* For those of you who for one reason or another can not currently get a feed for rec.arts.bonsai, there may be another way to get in on the discussion there. Subscribe to the bonsai mailing list! Subscription is easy. Send e-mail to: LISTSERV@cms.cc.wayne.edu. In the body of the letter, have the line: SUB BONSAI The mailing list software will extract your mailing address from the message header, so you don't need to put that in your command. The messages in the mailing list are automatically posted to rec.arts.bonsai, and all of rec.arts.bonsai is automatically mailed to the subscribers of the mailing list! For a list of commands, send the command: help to the LISTSERV address. If you have trouble, you can contact either me (Mike), or Dan Cwiertniewicz for help. *-European FTP site now available!-* The FAQ and some other bonsai related files are now available East of the Atlantic! If you prefer to get your copy of the FAQ without the use of one of the transatlantic channels, the address is: ftp.lysator.liu.se (130.236.254.1) The bonsai files are in /usr/local/ftp/pub/gardening/bonsai. +++++++++++++++++++ CALL FOR TRANSLATORS ++++++++++++++++++++++ If you like Bonsai, and you can translate this FAQ into another language, please do so. You can either e-mail me the translation, or post it directly yourself. I'll add it to the FAQ as TRANSLATIONS come in (if they come in...) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mike Bartolone bartlone@med.ge.com or cs688@cleveland.freenet.edu (first rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ compiler) Section 4 -- Frequently Asked Questions! Q: How do I start? Opinion 1) Get as many books as you can. Read them, and look at the pictures. Check your local phone book and for a bonsai club in your area. Talk to local Nursery operators and see if they know of any clubs in your area. Select a tree that has some of the basic design that you'd like to have in your final tree, and buy it. Use what you've learned from reading, and from the local club/nursery owner (if he knows what bonsai is!). Opinion 2) Indoors: Remember that immature plants should not be treated as bonsai, they must be treated as the houseplants they are. Give them plenty of soil to grow in and don't use too little fertilizer, or they won't develop branches and leaves when you cut them and the trunk won't grow in thickness. Q: As a beginner, should I purchase a mature or partially trained bonsai, or start from scratch? Opinion 1) I think you should start from scratch. Your first attempts may never be 'show quality', but you can make a few mistakes without damaging a tree you paid for. It may take a bit longer to arrive at something that looks the way you want it to, but bonsai is (usually) not one of those instant gratification hobbies. If you get the proper book and some guidance, starting with some inexpensive nursery stock may yield some 'instant bonsai.' This approach allows you, as a beginner, to learn while owning something that looks like a 'real bonsai'. Stay away from trees labeled 'Bonsai' in MOST discount stores. Numerous people have seen some discount chains with dead or dying seedlings planted in shallow trays with a solid mat of pebbles glued down over the soil. The trees had not been watered; and even if they had been, the water couldn't penetrate the ground-cover. They were marked $10.00... Opinion 2) The question should really be: Should I start from scratch with a small seedling, or with a plant that is larger? Neither will give you "instant bonsai". The larger will have a thicker trunk from the beginning, and thus will look "almost like a tree" sooner. A younger plant gives you greater freedom to choose a shape for training. You get to practice different methods on different size plants: the larger lends itself to cutting down, the smaller to cutting away to encourage other growth. (And by all means, if you see a shaped tree you really want, with the right price, that looks healthy and undamaged and is of a species you know is hardy or is of a sort you already have (and know you can take care of) -- it _is_ OK to buy it.) Q: Is there a list of plants that are accepted as 'good' to start a bonsai? (Latin names, and if to be in- or out-doors please) (Note: A more complete listing of indoor trees is available in section 7) Ficus benjamina Indoors Fast grower, hardy. Easy to get the leaves small. Suitable for many different shapes. Ficus retusa Indoors Similar to benjamina, leaves grow in a different pattern. Ficus pumila Indoors If you want a cascade, this is the way to go. Cut often to prevent it from going long and thin. May die if the roots dry out totally. Schefflera arboricola Indoors Schefflera actinophylla Indoors Can be cut down enormously. Buy a 50cm plant and cut it down to 10cm! Must be shaped completely without wiring. Takes correct treatment to get the leaves small. Crassula argentea Indoors Portulacaria afra Indoors Succulents with small leaves, branch easily. Malpighia cocciera Indoors Slow grower. Murraya paniculata Indoors Slow grower. Gets beautiful structured bark when still young. Myrthus communis cool winters - Outdoors Must be kept at around +10C (50F) in the winter. Q: I assume that the time and number of times to prune the trees/roots vary with the latitude. Anyone have data on that? The answer to this is a bit more complex than it would seem. It isn't just a case of latitude. Localized climatic conditions can and do play a much larger role in when to perform the common bonsai activities such as pruning, and repotting, than the latitude. For instance, in the US, the Great Lakes have a climatic effect in a strip around them that extends from about 10 miles to well over 50 miles in width depending on if you measure on the eastern or western edge of the lakes. What you need is the USDA zone map and a chart comparing the climate of some of the cities in Japan for min. winter temp, earliest frost, last frost, avg. precipitation. etc. Unfortunately I've seen a lot of people try to do this and come to the conclusion that the climate (at least in the US) has no parallel to that of Japan. Q: What are some good tools for beginners to purchase? They're rather expensive if you get true bonsai tools. It would be a shame to buy a $45 trimmer and then realize that it's only used during odd procedures or only for specific types of trees/styles. The general concensus is that the only indespensible bonsai tool is a concave cutter. Other tools can be the common garden/hardware store variety and work quite well. Things you will need are: Small concave cutter Diagonal wire cutters Scissors (Good moustache scissors or small sewing scissors) Chop stick (They are cheap and useful) Buy the best quality item you can afford, and take good care of it. It will be much more cost effective in the long run than having to buy a particular tool 3 or 4 times. You may also want to give some thought to watering "tools". If you have only one or two trees, a simple spray bottle, and cautious use of a common garden hose should be suitable for a while. If you get more involved you will probably want to get a .5 gallon per minute fogger head for your hose. Indoors, you can use a "normal" watering can.. if you want a finer stream, one person uses a common button hot glued to the end of the spout. There is also a small fine spray "rosette" head which is designed to attach to most common plastic consumer bottles. If it is difficult to find, you may have to look at a bonsai store, or in a bonsai catalog. Q: I have trouble finding the 'right' pots for bonsai, at any price, for my finished grove / cascade / etc., are there alternatives? One of the best ways to view an assortment of pots, as well as to speak to bonsai potters, is to attend a large regional Bonsai exposition. Your local club will be able to let you know of upcoming events. There are usually craftspeople selling an assortment of pots, and if one doesn't fit your needs, they may be able to special-order or specially craft a pot for you. An excellent American bonsai potter is Keystone in Pennsylvania. If they don't have a pot that fits your needs, they'll probably take a commission. Q: I'm beginning bonsai, and I can't afford a Japanese pot large enough for the tree I just collected / for all of the seedlings I've started / etc. Mica pots are an excellent alternative to clay pots. Not only are they much lighter than clay (useful for those large trees), but they usually cost less. And from all but the closest viewpoint, they look like an unglazed brown or black clay pot. There are also plastic pots that look good until you are very close, available from several of the suppliers. Another alternative is "DIY" (Do It Yourself) pots. There are several ways to make your own pots at home. Pots can be made from wood if you have the appropriate woodworking tools available. Recently I have seen demonstrations of casting pots from a combination of cement, peat, vermiculite, and concrete re-inforcing fibers. This yields a pot which looks like a rock, and is surprisingly light weight. One other solution which has been used by more than one person is to use a plain red clay "drip pan" from a larger pot. You will need to make a hole or some holes in the bottom for drainage. These can also be painted to cover the fact that it is a simple clay pot. There are numerous other options. Scout out yard/garage/estate sales. (These can also be a source of trained trees, but, in the case of estate sales, be careful. If the grower is the one whose estate is being sold, there is a good chance the trees are not well because they were not properly cared for after the owner passed away.) Check for "continuing education classes in your area for pottery classes and make your own! There is also growing interest in a form of "casting" called "Hypertufa". There should be an article on hypertufa in one or more of the archive sites. End of Section 4 -- Frequently Asked Questions End of part 1 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ. Continued in part 2