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What are bonsai?
The art of bonsai is essentially a Japanese gardening technique for cultivating miniature trees. You are growing trees that would normally grow into garden trees of several feet high, but by trimming and pruning, you restrict their growth, and end up with a miniature tree in a pot. There is a whole industry surrounding the bonsai tradition, from the beautiful ceramic pots the trees are planted in, to the specialist tools used to prune the trees. Some people have whole bonsai gardens, and the term kaizen is Japanese for continual improvement or a change for the better. One of the leading experts in bonsai growing is Kaizen Bonsai, a company that publishes expert guides to follow when starting your own bonsai growing.
Choosing a bonsai to start pruning
A beginner to bonsai growing will be bewildered at first as there are so many varieties. The majority of people start with a tree already grown by an expert, but uncultivated, i.e. it needs pruning and trimming to shape. You can grow a tree from seed, if you are willing to spend 12 years to do this and have a lot of patience. The trees supplied from a good bonsai grower, such as Kaizen Bonsai, will be grown from seedlings or cuttings and around 3 to 6 years old, depending on the variety. You should look for a tree that has had its tap roots pruned and has the fine feeder roots visible. The tops should have been pruned, and there should be a basic branch structure in place for the novice to start shaping. Whilst the bonsai pots are beautiful, at the start of cultivation it is best to keep your bonsai in a larger pot, allowing the tree a lot of root space. They can be potted into the ceramic pots at a later stage. These starter trees are often suitable for what bonsai growers call a forest arrangement, or for group plantings. It is often a good idea to buy several starter trees at the same time, as different varieties have different growth patterns, and thus your interest will be held all the time.
Types of bonsai trees available
Once you have become more expert at bonsai growing, you can progress to specimen bonsai but at the beginning, start with the indoor bonsai varieties and choose a selection. The types of tree available are, Maples, Blackthorn, Box, Cherry Plum, Oak, Cotoneaster, Dogwood, Hawthorn, and a variety of Japanese trees, the list at Kaizen Bonsai includes 20 different starter bonsai trees; some are also flowering, so you get flowers as well as beautiful shapes and foliage. Kaizen Bonsai is a UK company that ships to Europe but cannot deliver to the United States or non-European Union Countries due to customs restrictions.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about pruners and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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