I’ve seen the picture of an apple bonsai tree with a single apple on it and I want to know how that happened.
In: Biology
I’ll give this a shake. Bonsai has been a lifelong interest of mine. First to settle some misconceptions and lay some groundwork for understanding bonsai.
* Bonsai translates to “tree in pot” or “container tree” in Japanese. As many of us know it today bonsai is a Japanese art form that was adapted from a Chinese art form known as penjing.
* Bonsai trees are almost always outdoor plants.
* Bonsai trees are often quite large, but they are categorized into different sizes. Typically, what a layperson would consider bonsai is quite small. (My trees for instance are tiny).
* Bonsai trees are not a specific species or type of tree. They are regular trees that are trained over time to appear small. If you planted a bonsai in the ground it would eventually grow to be a regular tree provided the right conditions. As a result, if you are growing a fruit tree it will produce normal sized fruit given the opportunity.
Now, to answer your main question. There are many methods for producing a bonsai tree. Some trees are grown from seed (pine is a good example), although cuttings are more commonly used. These trees are typically allowed to grow naturally, either in the ground or in a large pot. After several years the tree is cut down to a stump for lack of a better word. From this “stump” new growth is trained over time to appear natural albeit stylized. The scars from the cut of the previously tall tree are promoted to heal, hidden by the foliage, or incorporated into the design as deadwood (this is common on conifers). In fact, if you look at many trees with deadwood you can see that the tree was indeed larger or at the very least had much more mass than the final product. This is a natural tendency of many trees that you may have noticed in passing. If you cut a tree down in your yard, the stump may still grow branches the following year. This website has a pretty useful diagram near the bottom of the page (http://www.phutu.com/care-of-japanese-black-pine/)
Another method is called air layering. This is a common horticultural practice that is also used in bonsai. With this technique you may select a particularly attractive branch, or the canopy of a desirable tree that is too tall, cut a ring around it and tie a bag containing soil to the wound to promote root growth. Over the course of several months the branch or canopy grows its own roots at which point it is separated from the tree and put in a pot.
Yet another method is to go out into nature and select a tree that has been naturally dwarfed by an extreme environment. Commonly conifer trees (e.g. pines, cedars, junipers) that have grown in the crevices of rock in the mountains are selected as they are naturally dwarfed due to poor growing conditions. Here are some good photos (http://bonsai-misadventures.blogspot.com/2016/03/yamadori-bonsai-in-nature.html)
It is also important to note that bonsai are grown in varying types of inorganic soil that promotes the grown of very small fine roots. A tree does not survive off old wooden roots, but small hair-like roots that grow continuously. With proper care and conditioning the trees grow thousands of tiny root hairs that can accept nutrients in one small space instead of a being spread out over a large area as they would be in nature.
Generally speaking, bonsai trees are not small as a result of any sort of nutritional deficiencies. Even bonsai that are dwarfed due to stress in nature tend to go through a period of rehabilitation to ensure that the tree is healthy and vigorous. In fact, well-tended bonsai probably receive more fertilizer and specialized care than a typical plant (and that’s likely an understatement). If you look at enough photos of bonsai, you will often notice small baskets in the bonsai pots. These are filled with fertilizer. When a tree is reduced to such a small growing container it is important to ensure that they have an abundance of nutrients so that it doesn’t die. If the trees were on the edge of dying at all time sit would be quite difficult to keep them alive for hundreds of years as is sometimes the cases (https://www.bonsaiempire.com/inspiration/top-10/oldest-bonsai-trees).
Edits for formatting
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