What Are Bonsai Plants?

Bonsai trees are often purchased as house plants, but they are actually an old Japanese art form. Bonsai tree artists spend years studying how to keep the potted trees to stay small, as well as how to prune them, which keeps them healthy.

Harmony

Bonsai trees have to be carefully chosen, and there must be harmony between the dwarfed tree and its pot.

Pruning

Pruning a Bonsai tree has to be done both to the shrub and roots. Pruning roots of a Bonsai tree will produce a dense ball of root, making it easier to plant in small containers, and refreshes the plant, allowing new soil to be introduced.

Training

"Training" a Bonsai tree to remain dwarfed is an interesting process, where strings or wires are used to tie trunks and branches. Wiring can also produce interesting Bonsai tree shapes.

Basic Care

Besides keeping a Bonsai tree pruned and giving it new soil to thrive in, like other plants, it must be watered often. Bonsai trees do not like over-watered soil, but prefer regular watering.

Aging

Proper care of a Bonsai tree can result in a dwarfed plant that can live to be hundreds of years old.

Cost

Small Bonsai plants are available at local hardware or gardening centers and are affordable. Older Bonsai trees that have grown and matured can cost hundreds of dollars.