The bonsai is no different from a regular tree, except for the fact that it’s a miniature version in a pot. They come in a great variety of sizes and shapes. Some are made to appear like a forest, with a few trees planted within a pot to resemble a grove of trees; some emphasise “landscape”, where artificial or natural rock and wood are arranged together with the plant to mimic vistas of birds, people, mountains and pavilions; some try to recreate the wind-swept look.
The standard bonsai stands between 10cm and 1,200cm — any taller than that, and it goes under the landscape category.
Thousands of years ago, the Chinese were the first to create these miniature landscapes and trees. Later, the Japanese started practising the art, and the rest of the world picked it up from there.
Nurseries in Malacca are famous for their bonsai collections. Enthusiasts are enchanted by the beauty and perfection of these plants, and the fact that they are small enough to sit in a pot for home decor.
There are over 30 species of bonsai available locally such as the Senai, Pemphis Acidula and the popular Wrightia. These plants need ample sunlight, adequate water, fertiliser and just the right level of moisture in the soil — not too different from growing regular plants, really. The grooming and shaping of the plant requires skills, but these can be developed over time, through research, observation and application to learn to care for the plants.
When Malaysians picked up the art decades ago, bonsai was considered a rich man’s hobby for the Chinese and the elderly. Much of that has changed in the past 10 years or so — we now see the younger generation of different races showing interest.
Serious players are willing to fork out up to RM80,000 for a good mature bonsai, but that doesn’t mean people with more modest budgets can’t join in the fun. These hobbyists are in for the personal satisfaction they derive from “sculpting nature.
Beginners can start free of charge. A portion of the trunk or main branch of a mature bonsai can be replanted. You can get it off an owner who’s reshaping his tree. However, this can only be done with certain species, such as the local Wrightia, otherwise known as water jasmine.
Three to five centimetres of the severed tree, planted vertically into a pot, will take only two to three years to sprout into a tree, whereas a seedling can take up to six years.
The smallest and easiest to maintain bonsai are those below 20cm, and medium-sized ones, 20-50cm. Anything above that falls in the large category — you can do that when you’re more seasoned.
Maintenance, however, will incur some costs. Obtaining the right bonsai tool kits is essential to maintaining the good health and shape of miniatures; they include special design tools such as trunk splitters, branch benders, root rakes and cutters, which cost more than the average gardening tool.
For better growth of the plant, hobbyists use pasir malang, an organic soil from volcanic grounds in Indonesia. While ordinary soil costs RM1.50 per 5kg, pasir malang costs RM25 for 15 kilos, but it’s worth the money as it keeps the bonsai healthy.
The bonsai are graded in a point system for several criteria — trunk width must be proportionate to height; sub-trunks and twigs must display maturity of foliage (freshly-pruned trees are merited); depth of root base; and good maintenance of the pot.
Malaysians have done very well in this hobby. PSBK has proposed that the government makes the Wrightia our national bonsai. The rare plant would make a marvelous tourism attraction, and this could boost our agriculture and horticulture industries too.
The MBSS and PSBK hold weekly and monthly workshops, respectively, on bonsai care and design. For more info, visit www.malaysiabonsai.com and www.bonsaikita.blogspot.com
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