Will_Heath

The principle of Yin and Yang is as old as time itself it would seem and existed long before bonsai has. I am quite positive that the Chinese and Japanese practitioners of bonsai recognized the balance that is inherent in trees and plants when they first started practicing bonsai.

As with all living things, trees have a natural balance that they depend on for survival. We often hear references to this balance in such statements as "The top of the tree mirrors the bottom" "as the roots grow, so does the foliage" and other such words. I do not believe that most of us use this knowledge to it's full potential in regards to bonsai.


Cutting Back and Root Pruning

If you prune back foliage on a bonsai the tree will be out of balance and will respond by stopping root growth and put all energy into creating new foliage until balance is once again achieved. The opposite is also true when you root prune, the tree will stop foliage growth and divert energy into root growth until balance is restored.

Often we are informed to cut back the foliage on a tree that we just root pruned to restore this balance but I believe that we can not ever know precisely how much to cut back and may end up cutting too much back reversing the unbalance to the other extreme or not cut back enough accomplishing nothing. By cutting back foliage on a recently root pruned tree we only create wounds that now also be healed, taking valuable energy away from the trees attempt to balance itself.

With collected trees (in Michigan zone 5/6) I have found that by not cutting back the foliage at all the tree responds quite well and new root growth is maximized. After a year from the time I potted the tree I start cutting back the branches. At this point the tree is once again out of balance, but now it responds by pushing out new growth in order to archive balance again. I have had good success getting pines to back bud on old wood using this thought process.

There is a saying in bonsai that hits upon this very thing, we have all heard it used. “Never cut the top and bottom at the same time.”


Shaping The Tree

Every leaf, branch, root, and twig on a tree knows it’s rightful place. The tree grows in a precise pattern that it has evolved to in order to receive maximum sunlight, nutrients, and water. The tree is hard wired to do this and every single tree of the same species without outside influence would look exactly alike if allowed to.

When an outside influence acts upon a branch be it snow, it’s own weight, another fallen branch, wire, guy wires, strings with weights, a eagles nest, whatever, the tree will be out of balance. The tree will respond by creating cells and tension that are designed to bring the tree back into balance.

The tree is patient and will always strive to be in balance. Even after many years of snow on the end of a pine branch, the tree stills tries to lift itself up, maybe only succeeding with the very tip, but it never gives up.

When wiring we find that we are always rewiring the same branches throughout time. We cheat and make wounds that will cause the tree to self graft to itself, holding the branch down and with other methods, but the tree will keep on trying.

I have given only two examples of a trees need for balance here, there are others. I am sure we all can see this need for balance in plants; I hope we can start seeing how to use it better for our advantage in bonsai. I am very interested in hearing others thoughts on this.



Will Heath

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