efloraofindia : 20082011MR2 Query What is Bonsai

[Madhuri Raut]

Respected members,

I always wanted to know what exactly is Bonsai after I was introduced to this topic many years ago. It was told to me that it is done by injecting some chemicals to stunt the growth of plants. This put me into total aversion to Bonsaii. How can one go against Nature? Is this not cruelty to plants? Is this ethical and many such questions have lingered in my mind till today and it pains me.

Was I given the wrong information?. I do not want to find on the net to get incomplete information.

Can someone throw light on this subject and give me the correct information. It would help me to put my mind at peace if it is otherwise.

Regards

Bhagyashri

[Dr Pankaj Kumar]

Yes you were given a perfect wrong answer.
For Bonsai they never put chemicals to make it short.
Its just the maintenance of roots and twigs to keep it within the
limitation of nutrition in the pot.
I remember once during my MSc exam I was asked, "isnt making bonsai is
like torturing plants?" and my answer was "no, its a means of ex-situ
conservation of some important large as well as small plants. Japnese
excelled it to decorate their gardens, but they excelled in
maintaining some plants which we cant even work in ground.". To me its
same as cutting a child's hair to make him look more civilized :). But
trust me, if the world looses all its natural trees from its natural
environment, then Bonsai is the only option when we can maintain them
and see them.
Pankaj

[Madhuri Raut]

Thank you Pankajji. Just one question. If we plant these Bonsais in the ground again do they again grow normally?

Regards

Bhagyashri

[Pankaj Kumar]

Yes they can very well grow if they are replanted on ground.
Pankaj

--
***********************************************
"TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"

Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Research Associate
Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
Department of Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Institute of India
Post Box # 18
Dehradun - 248001, India

[promila chaturvedi]

Dr. Kumar,

I want to know that after remaining in pot for few years, they will not become pot bound?

Promila

On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 12:50 PM, Madhuri Raut <iti...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Pankaj Kumar]

No mam, they wont become pot bond. they have to be maintained but
pruning the roots as well as branches and its not matter of years but
every year you have to do this to maintain the plant live, or it can
break the pot too and once the pot is full of roots then obviously
there is no nutrition inside...
Pankaj

--
***********************************************
"Taxonomists getting Extinct and Species Data Deficient !!"

Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Conservation Officer
Flora Conservation Department
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation
Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong

email: pku...@kbfg.org
         sahani...@gmail.com
         pankaj...@rediffmail.com
Phone: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:30pm)
           +852 5431 6094 (mobile)