The History of Bonsai

Welcome back to Indoor Bonsai for Beginners!

Before we start diving into the different styles of indoor bonsai trees - let's recap what we've already discussed:

Basic Bonsai Tools 101 for Indoor Bonsai
In this lesson we talked about the fact that there are MANY different indoor bonsai tools available to you. We found out there are (4) basic tools that you will need as a beginner to the hobby:

1. Concave Pruner
2. Bud Scissors
3. Bonsai Wire Cutters
4. Knob Cutters

Buying your First Indoor Bonsai Tree
This lesson we talked about the (2) best tree choices for beginners: the Japanese Red Maple and the Juniper. We determined that because your first bonsai will probably not make it, that we would start with the Juniper because it is cheap and easy to prune.

There are also some great resources for you to learn more about bonsai before beginning to work on your first Japanese bonsai tree:

RESOURCES

The Complete Beginners Guide To Bonsai

Classic Bonsai of Japan

The Art of Bonsai: Creation, Care and Enjoyment





The History of Bonsai

Let's begin this lesson with a basic Bonsai history lesson.

The word "bonsai" can be translated as "tray planting". The art of bonsai is believed to have started in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) in China. Legend indicates that an emperor created a landscaping design in his courtyard which was so detailed that it included valleys, rivers, lakes, hills and trees. It is believed he created this miniature representation of his empire so he might gaze upon it from his palace window.

It was not until the Heian Period (794 - 1191 AD) that bonsai is believed to have been brought to Japan by Buddhist monks. The art of bonsai became a privilege only practiced by the wealthiest of families. It was only after the Chinese invasion of Japan in the 14th century that bonsai was allowed to be created by all classes of Japanese society. After bonsai was established in Japan, they went to extreme measures to fine-tune the art and much credit must be given to these early bonsai masters. The changes they made is reflected in what we consider to be bonsai today.

Bonsai began to expand westward. The earliest example of this was at the Third Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878. The bonsai were not received well by the people of Europe and many felt the trees looked "tortured". These opinions remained in place until 1935 when bonsai was finally deemed an art form in the west.

At the end of World War II, bonsai rose to popularity once again. Soldiers returning from Japan with bonsai trees set off interest in the art. The large population of Japanese-Americans were fundamentally essential in teaching westerners how to properly care for their bonsai. Their knowledge helped to fuel a movement in America and sparked much interest in bonsai.

Our next lesson will go over the different indoor bonsai tree types.

Buying your first Indoor Bonsai Tree

Welcome back to Indoor Bonsai for Beginners!

You should now have your 4 essential indoor bonsai tools and I bet you are itching to being pruning something! No worries...you are close! Today we are start talking about picking your first indoor bonsai tree. Exciting, isn't it!? Today we will talk about which trees are the best for beginners and what each has to offer.

Before we begin a note about growing your own indoor bonsai starter from seeds. There is nothing wrong with this method. In fact, this may seem like the most economical way to go but the drawback...it can take over a YEAR before you can begin pruning your new indoor bonsai. Why wait a whole year? It's much easier to head to your local gardening shop and pick up your first starter indoor bonsai specimen. Why? Bluntly, because we want to get started creating our indoor bonsai NOW! So...let's get started!

JAPANESE RED MAPLE

This is a great starter tree for the indoor bonsai beginner and a beautiful tree to boot. The leaves of this indoor bonsai will be a duller red in the summer. However, the real show is in the fall when the leaves turn a vivid red/orange. Another bonus is that this is an easy indoor bonsai to prune. The leaves can be shrunk down to one or less inches which is perfect for the upright informal style of indoor bonsai. It is easy on the pocketbook and you can find these mainly online or at your local nursery (call ahead - not all nurseries carry this). The color is what makes it my first choice for an indoor bonsai.

JUNIPER


Many fondly call this the "Karate Kid" tree. It is the type of indoor bonsai which is the most recognizable by the general public for being a bonsai tree. In truth, it's not a tree...it's really a shrub. There are a wide variety of junipers you can choose from. With it's distinctive needles and easy-to-shape trunk, the juniper really epitomizes "bonsai". Junipers are economical and are the easiest to trim and form. Another bonus, they can easily be purchased from your local nursery.


So, for our first indoor bonsai tree we are going to begin with ...... (insert drumroll)... the Juniper. Hey wait a minute...didn't I just say the Japanese Maple was my FIRST choice? Why pick the Juniper then? Junipers are probably more easily found at your local nursery -vs- the Japanese maple. Also, the cold hard truth is that your first indoor bonsai will probably die. It's a sad fact but the art of indoor bonsai is all trial and error. You don't ride a bike the first time you get on it...you are going to make mistakes. The same applies to indoor bonsai you are going to forget to water...water too much...bottom line...the odds are your first tree is a goner. The Juniper will allow you to practice your skills and to make the mistakes on the cheapest test-subject possible.

So be prepared to go to your local nursery and pick up your juniper. Best to get a 5 gallon size to start with. When you pick your juniper make sure to consider the natural shape of the trunk for your new indoor bonsai. While you can "train" a trunk to conform to the shape you'd like it to be...you aren't a miracle worker. Start with a trunk shape that says BONSAI TREE to you. Got it? Good.

Before you head out to get your first victim it's a good idea for us to go over the history of Bonsai. I know...you want to get started already, right? You need to learn how to walk before you can run. Until next time!

Basic Bonsai Tools 101 for Indoor Bonsai

You will no doubt have many questions about the art of Indoor Bonsai including which bonsai tools are truly necessary for beginners. This hobby can get expensive and it is very easy to go overboard and spend tons of money buying tools that you won't need until you become more advanced in pruning your bonsai trees. It is my intention to give you the low down on the essential indoor bonsai tools you will need right now and discuss why each tool is necessary. So let's get started! You will only need 4 tools to start out with.


CONCAVE PRUNER

The Concave Pruner should be your primary initial purchase. Concave pruners are used to remove branches from indoor bonsai without damaging the tree. They also cut off unwanted branches leaving a concave indentation - thus why they are called concave pruners. The concave indentation helps the indoor bonsai tree heal much more quickly and leaves minimal "knobbing" or unsightly scaring of the trunk. This is the tool you will utilize the most when pruning your indoor bonsai. I suggest you start with the 8 inch size as it is the most manageable and is safe to cut branches up to 1 1/2 inches thick. You can purchase them here:

Indoor Bonsai Tools: Concave Pruner


BUD SCISSORS

Bud scissors are used to trim buds, leaves and very tiny branches from your indoor bonsai. This tool is mainly used for delicate trimming. Bud scissors have a very short blade which provides superior control. These will allow you to get to the innermost sections of your indoor bonsai tree and allow you to trim with extreme precision. You can purchase them here:

Indoor Bonsai Tools: Bud Scissors (Satsuki Shears)


BONSAI WIRE CUTTERS

Many indoor bonsai require "training" to achieve the shape that you want it to have. Bonsai tree training requires using either aluminum or special copper wire which is wrapped around the trunk of your indoor bonsai to give it a particular shape. This process can take time. Once your indoor bonsai has achieved your intended shape you will need bonsai wire cutters to remove the wire from your tree. Bonsai wire cutters are specially designed to cut at the very tip of the blades. This will allow you to cut the wire without damaging your indoor bonsai tree. Do not buy hardware store wire cutters - they WILL seriously mutilate your bonsai tree! You can purchase them here:

Indoor Bonsai Tools: Bonsai Wire Cutters


KNOB CUTTER

While not the most frequently used tool, the knob cutter is a definite "must have" in your indoor bonsai tool kit. Knob cutters (also known as melon ball cutters) are used to cut the unsightly knobs from your indoor bonsai trunk. It can also be used to trim the roots of your bonsai tree to help it grow better. It's unique shape allows you to take off any bonsai callouses without damaging your indoor bonsai tree. I will warn you - these blades are SHARP! Please use extreme caution when using these. It is also a good idea to make sure you keep your knob cutter wiped free from debris. Because the root area can be a very damp place, you would be advised to wipe down your blades with a rag with lubricating oil to protect your cutter from rust. You can buy them here:

Indoor Bonsai Tools: Knob Cutter


There are 2 other beginner tools you will need soon: Bonsai Scissors and a Single Point Root Rake. We will discuss these more in depth in a future lesson. You can wait to purchase these or you can purchase a set of these plus the 4 basic indoor bonsai tools by clicking here:


Bonsai Tools - Entire Set
Set Includes 6 Tools



Beyond these 6 - there are a multitude of useful tools that can be helpful in specific situations - however these are only 4 you will need to begin your indoor bonsai hobby. Once we begin to get into more advanced bonsai tree care we will go over these new tools. For now just buy your bonsai tools.

There are many places on the web you can buy your bonsai tools - one of the best is Bonsai Boy of NY. Not only do they sell bonsai tools - but they sell just about everything you are going to need to progress in this hobby.

Here's a deal on a Student Bonsai Tool Kit:


Student Bonsai Tool Kit

Get ready for the next article where we will start talking about purchasing your first indoor bonsai tree.

Welcome to Indoor Bonsai

Welcome to Indoor Bonsai for Beginners. This site provides Bonsai care tips and Bonsai tool techniques for those who are beginning Bonsai enthusiasts. If you have questions not covered in Indoor Bonsai please feel free to email your question to jboesen@hotmail.com

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