The majority of the dwarfed potted trees which are called bonsai are developed from ordinary nursery stock or from somewhat dwarfed trees found in a natural habitat. This is where the art of bonsai lies.

Let us consider the second group, the trees brought from natural habitats. From mountains and ragged woods, a tremendous amount of material is dug and brought to the training beds of dwarfed potted trees specialists each year. There it remains for several years to be established, trained and finally “made-up.”

In the ease of naturally occurring, partially dwarfed trees, there is need only for a few wires and a little training. Trees that have lost the greater part of their roots are a more serious problem. Some of them die because of their inadequate root system, particularly if the first summer is hot and dry. To illustrate, I will now describe the collection of Japanese Black Pine.

On the mountain of Shodoshima or Shodo Island which is located in the Seto Inland Sea National Park a countless number of Japanese Black Pine for dwarfed potted trees have been dug by professional collectors.

Many renowned and valuable dwarfed Black Pines were produced from the material collected here.

I am writing this at my home which is situated at the foot of the Shodoshima Mountain. On the islet opposite my house a Black Pine was collected many years ago, which became the most precious and dearest of all dwarfed potted Black Pines. There are still some stories or legends circulated concerning it.

Seeing the spot through Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) and Cypress-Pine (Callitris glauca) in the Acclimatization Gardens as I am writing, I vividly recall the days when collectors came to the island in autumn and spring.

The surface rock is granite. Higher up on the mountain the rocks weather into coarse whitish sand and the layer of soil is very thin; at lower levels there is a greater depth of soil and always some moisture. The district is one of the lowest in rainfall in Japan. The summer is very hot and almost bone dry.

On the upper parts of both sides of the ridge, Black Pine dominates; next comes Red Pine (Pinte densiflora) and in far lesser numbers the Needle Juniper, Rhododendron reticulatum, Rhododendron kaemferi, Bush Clover (Lespedeza bicolor) and Balloon-flower (Platycodon grandijlo-rum). The pines are very dwarfed in size but in most cases they are older than the larger ones seen at the lower levels on the mountain. Three feet is generally regarded as the maximum height of dwarfed potted trees. To keep within the golden rule of the art of bonsai, the larger trees are often sharply pruned.

For example, on discovering a very dwarfed pine five or more feet in height with a trunk five or more inches in diameter, if the lower branches are three feet from the ground and picturesque in form (or promise to be so if trained), the upper portion of the main trunk is sawed off. It is important that when healed the cut surface should be inconspicuous. Undesirable branches are cut off. Then the digging begins.

The trench is dug out carefully, cutting off all the roots outside a radius of a foot all the way around the tree, and to a depth of a foot or often less. Only the tap root remains uncut. First the straw rope is coiled cautiously and rather firmly thrice or more horizontally around the ball and then all around the surface of the ball, so the very porous, coarse, sandy soil ball is firmly held about the roots; the tap root is finally sawed through, and the tree is removed.

You may wonder at the proportionately small size of the ball, but usually seventy per cent or more of the trees collected survive and become well settled as dwarfed potted trees; occasionally in very dry, hot summers, fifty per cent or so succumb. For such collected stock the art of bonsai requires training by wire after a year or two, when the plants are well established.

Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) is an excellent, small, irregularly shaped, pine tree. The plant tolerates dry soil and salt. The dark green, twisted needles are 5 to 7 inches long. It grows approximately 12 to 18 inches per year. It is hardy in zones 5-8. It’s mature height is 30 feet with a spread of 20 feet. It is also an excellent choice for a bonsai tree.

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• Each Kit Includes: Mini Greenhouse, Growing Medium, Perlite, High Germination Seeds, Instructions
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The Japanese Black Pine Bonsai Tree Kit is the easiest and least expensive way to start bonsai trees from scratch. The high quality seed means you always get a tree and don’t have to be a horticultural expert. Everything you need to start a healthy tree is included in this kit.

The Japanese Black Pine Bonsai can be shaped through it’s entire life span as you start it from seed. The Black Pine has many desirable characteristics for bonsai growers and responds favorably to shaping. A must have f

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The bonsai tree isnt ‘just another house plant’ and devotees of The bonsai tradition need to have powers of patience and perseverance because it can possibly take many years for a bonsai to fully grow and flourish. One thing is certain, though, given the time and attention, the end result is a great joy. The actual word ‘bonsai’ is is the merging of two Japanese words, the word ‘bon’, which means shallow container or tray, and ‘sai’ which means ‘plant’ or ‘planting’Whatever the true history, it seems that the dramatic increase in popularity of Bonsai is linked with buddhism as zen buddhism promotes creating works of art as an extension of the self , and the artist’s spirituality Indeed, the development and care of a bonsai tree is seen as a good form of meditation.

How to start – the basicsIt is possible to grow bonsai trees from seeds or cuttings, but that is often quite challenging and it could be a better idea for the absolute beginner to buy a ‘ready grown’ bonsai tree from a nursery and carry on the good work that has already started.Bonsai tools for trimming foliage and roots are obviously important. These tools are small, sharp and often expensive, so think twice before making any rash purchases and it would be worthwhile to consult a good book on bonsai tree cultivation before making any expensive purchases. The choice of pot or container is also essential as it must reflect the sort of tree or plant you have chosen as well as the style of tree you want to cultivate. Whatever you choose, the pot must not be glazed on the inside and should have good drainage.

Some popular choices of Bonsai are the Japanese Maple, Junipers, the Japanese Black Pine and Star Magnolias.