Beginner Basics Creating A Bonsai For The First Time

Beginner Basics Creating  A Bonsai For The First Time

greenery from which they most often work.   A firm grasp of the fundamentals is of paramount to enhancing your ability to identify usable and non-usable elements of the plant material.  Once you have that, the ability to “see” becomes gradually clearer with more and more practice.   For this exercise, we have selected a Dwarf Japa- nese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procurement nana).   We have done so because, junipers are particularly good specimens for beginners to practice on and because they are extremely vigorous growers with flexible branches and trunks.  They like full sun, but will grow happily in a wide variety of locations and conditions.  They also have the added advantage of being a bit  “forgiving” when newcom- ers make mistakes.   Since you are learning, we assume you will be mak- ing a few mistakes along the way.  Its good to have plant material which is willing to work with you.  Junipers (par-
This step-by-step pictorial is designed to guide begin- ners through the mechanical process of cutting, shaping and transplanting fairly simple bonsai material for the first time.  It makes the assumption that the reader has already done some research and has a basic understanding of the fundamental shaping concepts used in the art of bonsai such as: 1.  Triangulation and asymmetrical composition. 2. Primary, secondary and tertiary branch identifi- cation and placement. 3.  Selection of primary viewing angle based on  trunk movement and rootage . If you do not understand the three concepts outlined above, you would be well advised to invest in a little more research time before beginning this exercise.  This is be- cause the single most difficult thing for beginners to master is the ability to “see” the bonsai hiding inside the mass of

(The photo at left shows the uncut nursery stock exactly as it was purchased from the vendor. The photo on right was taken approximately two hours later and  shows the finished bonsai which was made from this material.  Not all bonsai are as “instant” as this example.  In fact, truly quality bonsai may take years to develop.)

ticularly procurement nana) are usually willing to do so.  The juniper selected is a one gallon tree, about 5 years old.  Commercial nurserymen would normally sell this tree as a low growing ground spreader.  However, we chose this one from a group of about 75  at a local nursery, because the main trunk had been tied to a bamboo pole, causing it to grow vertically. This “pre-training” made it a good candidate for bonsai cultivation.
view of the trunk.  At the same time remove green growth from the interior of each branch an inch or so thus allowing you to see the position of each branch as it relates to the trunk. Once you have completed this task you will be able to clearly see the shape of the trunk and where each of the branches emerge around it.  Next, dig gently at the base of the trunk and remove soil until you find the point at which the roots begin to flare outward.  This will be the base of your new bonsai.