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I felt that this subject might be worthy of a discussion, seeing some of the recent discussion regarding the subject.
One of the things I am noticing is that there seems to be mixed feelings over the subject, as well as possibly different views towards what it entails to make one. And would love to start to get a serious discussion going and get others input on the subject.
I will start off and state my views regarding it, and if you would love to chime in I would love to hear what you have to say! Thanks in advance!
So, for me the whole concept of an instant bonsai, does not really exist. It is my view on the subject that one is just giving a piece of material it's first styling and whether the material is an amazing piece of stock or a big box store special, it does not matter. Regardless of the price, or quality of the material, I approach both as a Bonsai artist in the same way. How can I make the best of the material before me. How can I make the best tree.
Before I go further though, I would like to address the issue of growing out a tree. Often one will buy a piece of material with the intention of enlarging the trunk size, working the nebari, regrowing all new branches where they want etc... I do this all the time. And I might put some wire around some of the branches, pull a couple down with Guy wires to help position the branches where I want them as they grow.
However, it is my view and perhaps this is where I might differ with some one else's, that a tree in this state is still just stock and what I am doing is not for the most part styling a tree. That what I am doing is still in the beginning stages of creating a pre-bonsai.
My reasoning behind this would be the following...
Let me start with that often bonsai nurseries both here in the states and in places abroad will spend years working stock defining it, growing it out, cutting it back to a line to promote new branches on the trunk etc. Preparing it for their customers to purchase and begin it's transformation into a bonsai. Even still the customer might consider to continue this process after the purchase, further getting it ready to begin work on the tree.
Usually a tree in this state, will be in a typical nursery soil, by this I mean dirt, or even still in the ground. The reasoning behind this is that at this state one is still trying to put on faster growth to help increase the size of the material, or help transition it from the ground. This is also true obviously with alot of collected material, but not all... In some instances where folks are collecting material, the tree itself is already there, but because of the location it was growing in or environment, when the tree was removed it was lacking in roots as well as possibly foliage, so instead to begin this development, the tree has been potted in more of a bonsai soil.
Bonsai soil, why do we pot it in it?
Once one has grown out a tree, and has achieved what they were hoping to achieve in the pre-bonsai state. It is now time to begin to define the tree. Bonsai soil helps us slow down the trees growth. Which is what we want when we begin to transform pre-bonsai into bonsai.
At this point, we are purposely trying not to grow large roots that help hold and add structure to support the tree, because we don't need them. We wire the material into the pot, which solves this problem. Instead we are looking for the fine feeder roots, which draw in and feed the tree. The more fine feeder roots one has, the more the tree is able to produce more finer branches, and more foliage. They go hand in hand, and this is what we want in bonsai. We want large amounts of branches to be able to work with as well as foliage.
Now, by slowing the growth of the tree down with our soil, not only do we produce these roots, which produce the branches and foliage, but we reduce the size of the spacing between them.which allows for them to be tighter in towards the trunk of the tree. Which is what we want as well. Tight spacing between nodes.
Now for alot of folks here, I know they already get all this... just throwing it in for those who are newer! Now, the reason I am going into all of this is to define what is considered the most common process in how one creates a bonsai tree out of a piece of stock.
However, often there going to be exceptions to this type of procedure. As I mentioned before, perhaps one has a collected tree, and does not need to grow it out, the size is already there. Perhaps one is wanting to create a shohin or mame, and the size is already there. Perhaps one wants to wire some of the branches as they grow to position them, or add movement. Perhaps one already has lower branches the size they want and wants to start the next process of beginning to define smaller branches. Perhaps one is concerned about what size pot they would want to get the tree in and would purposely want to grow it in a smaller pot, so they can restrict the space with which the roots are allowed to grow in.
And the list can go on and on... and what one often finds is that you might be overlapping the two... growing out and refining at the same time. Often you will see folks doing a first style on a tree wiring and bending large branches, finer ones, establishing pads, etc. all while the tree is still in nursery soil.
On the flip side, one might go to see a demonstration at a convention or show, where the individual cuts off every branch, hollows a trunk, maybe puts up a leader and this is considered styling a tree. I bring this up not trying to insult the process... for I personally think it is a very valuable process, for what the demonstration is showing one is how to find and established a trunk line within the tree. With this said, I personally would not consider this process styling a tree... I would instead refer to this process as a continuation of establishing a pre-bonsai. One still would need to grow the tree out, allow for branches to return and trim to a line to help establish more branches within the trunks line.
So, it is my view that creating an instant bonsai, is none of this really. Because it is my view that creating an instant bonsai is styling a tree... One cannot possibly style a tree if the material is not ready to be styled.
Alot of the instant bonsai discussion as of lately has been centered around the box store competition that was recently held. As to not add further insult I will go into my personal thought process behind the selection of the tree and the type if material that I chose and the styling of it.
Since this was a competition regarding the styling of a tree. I knew that I would have to look for a piece of material that did not need to be grown out. That was instead ready to be styled. This meant that the trunk needed to be the size that I needed. The roots that I ended up with were a bonus, seeing that I did not know they were there until I dug down. With that said, I was hesitant towards using them, seeing that for alot of folks, exposed roots are something that is not preferred.
I needed to find material where there was sufficient branching, but with not alot of heavy branching. Seeing that not only are heavy branches hard to bend, but often on young material will have very little branching and foliage, not to mention that the spacing between nodes will be greater, meaning less tight and more space in between. Which would not be ideal for the size tree that was determined by the size of the trunk. Lastly, I needed to find a tree with alot of usable foliage in tight to the trunk. Here again determined by the size of the trunk. In essence, a piece of material that was ready to be styled.
So, because of this, as well as the parameters set forth by the competition, that the tree needed to be purchased from a big box store. I knew that clearly no one has spent years there define material to make a bonsai with... That what I would need to look for would be something I could make a shohin or mame with, seeing that this would be my best chance at finding material that was ready for its first styling.
This for me is what bonsai is. Finding the right material to create a tree from. Whether it cost $9 dollars, a thousand or one collects from nature. Often, one will see the potential in a piece of material and will see a vision for the material that does not support what the material currently has, and will want to grow it out. Often one will go ahead and style a tree, knowing that a portion might need to be still be grown out. This is all just part of creating a bonsai.
One of the things I am noticing is that there seems to be mixed feelings over the subject, as well as possibly different views towards what it entails to make one. And would love to start to get a serious discussion going and get others input on the subject.
I will start off and state my views regarding it, and if you would love to chime in I would love to hear what you have to say! Thanks in advance!
So, for me the whole concept of an instant bonsai, does not really exist. It is my view on the subject that one is just giving a piece of material it's first styling and whether the material is an amazing piece of stock or a big box store special, it does not matter. Regardless of the price, or quality of the material, I approach both as a Bonsai artist in the same way. How can I make the best of the material before me. How can I make the best tree.
Before I go further though, I would like to address the issue of growing out a tree. Often one will buy a piece of material with the intention of enlarging the trunk size, working the nebari, regrowing all new branches where they want etc... I do this all the time. And I might put some wire around some of the branches, pull a couple down with Guy wires to help position the branches where I want them as they grow.
However, it is my view and perhaps this is where I might differ with some one else's, that a tree in this state is still just stock and what I am doing is not for the most part styling a tree. That what I am doing is still in the beginning stages of creating a pre-bonsai.
My reasoning behind this would be the following...
Let me start with that often bonsai nurseries both here in the states and in places abroad will spend years working stock defining it, growing it out, cutting it back to a line to promote new branches on the trunk etc. Preparing it for their customers to purchase and begin it's transformation into a bonsai. Even still the customer might consider to continue this process after the purchase, further getting it ready to begin work on the tree.
Usually a tree in this state, will be in a typical nursery soil, by this I mean dirt, or even still in the ground. The reasoning behind this is that at this state one is still trying to put on faster growth to help increase the size of the material, or help transition it from the ground. This is also true obviously with alot of collected material, but not all... In some instances where folks are collecting material, the tree itself is already there, but because of the location it was growing in or environment, when the tree was removed it was lacking in roots as well as possibly foliage, so instead to begin this development, the tree has been potted in more of a bonsai soil.
Bonsai soil, why do we pot it in it?
Once one has grown out a tree, and has achieved what they were hoping to achieve in the pre-bonsai state. It is now time to begin to define the tree. Bonsai soil helps us slow down the trees growth. Which is what we want when we begin to transform pre-bonsai into bonsai.
At this point, we are purposely trying not to grow large roots that help hold and add structure to support the tree, because we don't need them. We wire the material into the pot, which solves this problem. Instead we are looking for the fine feeder roots, which draw in and feed the tree. The more fine feeder roots one has, the more the tree is able to produce more finer branches, and more foliage. They go hand in hand, and this is what we want in bonsai. We want large amounts of branches to be able to work with as well as foliage.
Now, by slowing the growth of the tree down with our soil, not only do we produce these roots, which produce the branches and foliage, but we reduce the size of the spacing between them.which allows for them to be tighter in towards the trunk of the tree. Which is what we want as well. Tight spacing between nodes.
Now for alot of folks here, I know they already get all this... just throwing it in for those who are newer! Now, the reason I am going into all of this is to define what is considered the most common process in how one creates a bonsai tree out of a piece of stock.
However, often there going to be exceptions to this type of procedure. As I mentioned before, perhaps one has a collected tree, and does not need to grow it out, the size is already there. Perhaps one is wanting to create a shohin or mame, and the size is already there. Perhaps one wants to wire some of the branches as they grow to position them, or add movement. Perhaps one already has lower branches the size they want and wants to start the next process of beginning to define smaller branches. Perhaps one is concerned about what size pot they would want to get the tree in and would purposely want to grow it in a smaller pot, so they can restrict the space with which the roots are allowed to grow in.
And the list can go on and on... and what one often finds is that you might be overlapping the two... growing out and refining at the same time. Often you will see folks doing a first style on a tree wiring and bending large branches, finer ones, establishing pads, etc. all while the tree is still in nursery soil.
On the flip side, one might go to see a demonstration at a convention or show, where the individual cuts off every branch, hollows a trunk, maybe puts up a leader and this is considered styling a tree. I bring this up not trying to insult the process... for I personally think it is a very valuable process, for what the demonstration is showing one is how to find and established a trunk line within the tree. With this said, I personally would not consider this process styling a tree... I would instead refer to this process as a continuation of establishing a pre-bonsai. One still would need to grow the tree out, allow for branches to return and trim to a line to help establish more branches within the trunks line.
So, it is my view that creating an instant bonsai, is none of this really. Because it is my view that creating an instant bonsai is styling a tree... One cannot possibly style a tree if the material is not ready to be styled.
Alot of the instant bonsai discussion as of lately has been centered around the box store competition that was recently held. As to not add further insult I will go into my personal thought process behind the selection of the tree and the type if material that I chose and the styling of it.
Since this was a competition regarding the styling of a tree. I knew that I would have to look for a piece of material that did not need to be grown out. That was instead ready to be styled. This meant that the trunk needed to be the size that I needed. The roots that I ended up with were a bonus, seeing that I did not know they were there until I dug down. With that said, I was hesitant towards using them, seeing that for alot of folks, exposed roots are something that is not preferred.
I needed to find material where there was sufficient branching, but with not alot of heavy branching. Seeing that not only are heavy branches hard to bend, but often on young material will have very little branching and foliage, not to mention that the spacing between nodes will be greater, meaning less tight and more space in between. Which would not be ideal for the size tree that was determined by the size of the trunk. Lastly, I needed to find a tree with alot of usable foliage in tight to the trunk. Here again determined by the size of the trunk. In essence, a piece of material that was ready to be styled.
So, because of this, as well as the parameters set forth by the competition, that the tree needed to be purchased from a big box store. I knew that clearly no one has spent years there define material to make a bonsai with... That what I would need to look for would be something I could make a shohin or mame with, seeing that this would be my best chance at finding material that was ready for its first styling.
This for me is what bonsai is. Finding the right material to create a tree from. Whether it cost $9 dollars, a thousand or one collects from nature. Often, one will see the potential in a piece of material and will see a vision for the material that does not support what the material currently has, and will want to grow it out. Often one will go ahead and style a tree, knowing that a portion might need to be still be grown out. This is all just part of creating a bonsai.
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