|
|
|
|
|
Glossary of Bonsai Terms
 Bonsai Glossary: accent plant - A separate plant or group of plants used to add a subtle element of nature when exhibiting bonsai trees. Small in size, suitable plants include grasses, reeds, herbs, bulbs and many others.
Bonsai Glossary: air-layer - Method of propagation, encouraging branches to produce roots whilst still attached to the tree. Achieved by ring barking an individual branch which is then wrapped in sphagnum moss and sealed within a plastic bag. When sufficient roots have grown, the branch is severed to become a new plant.
Bonsai Glossary: apex - The top growth or highest point on a tree.
Bonsai Glossary: apical bud - A bud at the tip of a shoot.
Bonsai Glossary: bleeding - The loss of sap caused by wounding or pruning.
Bonsai Glossary: callous - Woody 'scar' tissue that grows over a wound.
Bonsai Glossary: candles - The annual new shoots found on pine trees.
Bonsai Glossary: canopy - Upper and outermost portion of the trees branches.
Bonsai Glossary: chichi - Nodules found on the trunks of old Ginkgo specimens.
Bonsai Glossary: companion plant - A separate plant or group of plants used to add a subtle element of nature when exhibiting bonsai trees. Small in size, suitable plants include grasses, reeds, herbs, bulbs and many others.
Bonsai Glossary: crown - Upper part of a tree, formed by the trunk and spreading branches.
deciduous - Tree or shrub that sheds its leaves every autumn and develops new foliage in spring.
Bonsai Glossary: defoliation - Leaf pruning, whereby some or all of the leaves are removed to encourage new shoots and smaller leaves on deciduous trees.
Bonsai Glossary: die-back - The death of shoots or branch tips, caused by drought, insects, disease, lack of light or extreme weather conditions.
Bonsai Glossary: dormancy - Resting period for plants, during the winter months, where little or no growth is produced.
Bonsai Glossary: dwarf - Variety or cultivar of larger plant, that is smaller, with compact, slow growth. Indicated by Latin name 'nana'.
Bonsai Glossary: ericaceous - Describes acidic soil conditions or plant that requires this.
Bonsai Glossary: evergreen - Tree or shrub that retains its leaves throughout the year.
Bonsai Glossary: fibrous root - Fine roots which absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
Bonsai Glossary: ibigawa rock - A type of rock from the Ibigawa region of Japan, with a greyish hue it is often highly fissured and sometimes carved artificially by acid. Ideal for rock plantings.
Bonsai Glossary: internode - The length between sets of buds on plant growth.
Bonsai Glossary: jin - A branch or apex of a tree that has been stripped of bark, shaped and bleached.
Bonsai Glossary: leader - The main shoot at the top of the tree.
Bonsai Glossary: lime sulphur - Used to paint jins and deadwood areas to bleach and preserve.
Bonsai Glossary: mame - A miniature bonsai, which can be held in the palm of a hand.
Bonsai Glossary: mycorrhiza - A beneficial fungus found mainly on conifer roots (most often pines), helping them absorb nutrients.
Bonsai Glossary: N.P.K. - Chemical symbols for main elements found in fertilisers - 'N' nitrogen (for foliage), 'P' phosphorus (for roots) and 'K' potassium (for flowers).
Bonsai Glossary: nebari - The Japanese term for exposed surface rootage.
Bonsai Glossary: needle - A very narrow leaf, often evergreen and usually pointed, being hard in texture, e.g. foliage on pines and spruce.
Bonsai Glossary: node - The area of a plant stem where leaves emerge.
Bonsai Glossary: petiole - The leaf stalk.
Bonsai Glossary: photosynthesis - The process whereby sunlight is absorbed by plant foliage and converted into sugars by combining carbon dioxide and water.
Bonsai Glossary: pinching - A technique used to control and shape soft new growth, by carefully pinching or pulling off small shoots by hand.
Bonsai Glossary: pinnate - A leaf stem that comprises several 'leaflets' on separate stalks.
Bonsai Glossary: raceme - A long flower stem, with many separate flower stalks, e.g. wisteria flowers.
Bonsai Glossary: ramification - Dense, compact growth as a result of pruning techniques.
Bonsai Glossary: ring-barking - Used in air-layering, a strip of bark is removed from a branch to promote root growth at that selected point.
Bonsai Glossary: shari - Bleached, driftwood area of trunk, where bark has been removed.
Bonsai Glossary: shohin - A small sized bonsai tree.
Bonsai Glossary: stratify - Natural process whereby seeds are exposed to freezing and thawing during winter, encouraging germination. These conditions can also be recreated artificially using a refrigerator or freezer.
Bonsai Glossary: suiban - A shallow pot without drainage holes. Used to display individual viewing stones (see suiseki), often being filled with find sand - or for rock plantings, which are usually stood in water.
Bonsai Glossary: suiseki - 'Viewing stones' that suggest a mountain scene or landscape, usually displayed in shallow pots or specially carved wooden stands.
Bonsai Glossary: systemic - Type of insecticide or fungicide that is absorbed into the system of a plant.
Bonsai Glossary: tap root - The main downward growing root of a tree, helping to anchor it firmly in the ground.
Bonsai Glossary: tokonoma - An area where individual specimen bonsai are displayed, consisting of three elements, the bonsai tree (man), a scroll (heaven) and an accessory (earth).
Bonsai Glossary: transpiration - The natural process of water loss from the surfaces of leaves and plant stems.
Bonsai Glossary: tufa rock - A type of soft limestone rock, easily carved and ideal for rock plantings.
Bonsai Glossary: uro - A carved or natural trunk recess area, at the point where a branch has been removed.
|
|
|
BONSAI LINKS...
Bonsai Tree Information
Bonsai Tree Styles
Bonsai Tree Repotting and Root Pruning
Choosing Bonsai Tree Pots
Watering Bonsai Trees
Feeding Bonsai Trees
Bonsai Tree Situation and Position
Bonsai Tree Pruning, Trimming and Pinching
Bonsai Tree Leaf Pruning
Bonsai Tree Tools
Bonsai Tree Wiring
Choosing Bonsai Trees and Sources
Bonsai Tree Pests
Bonsai Tree Diseases
Displaying Bonsai in your Home
Exhibiting Bonsai
Bonsai Accent Plantings
Displaying Bonsai in your Garden
Bonsai Top Tips
Bonsai Season Planner
Glossary of Bonsai Terms
Bonsai Tree Case Histories
Useful Bonsai Links
|
|
