Page 219 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

Glossary 219

Desiccation Drying out through lack of water. not only adds depth to the display, but also introduces
May refer to leaves, roots, or the live vein. a sense of mystery, movement, or simplicity.

Dieback Fatal branch or trunk damage caused by Node The point on a plant stem from which buds,
disease, damage, or, most likely, hard pruning. leaves, and branches form. A fundamental concept
in bonsai is to avoid having too many branches
Foliage The green leaves or needles on the tree. coming from one node; on deciduous trees the ideal
The foliage type is an important consideration for maximum is two.
bonsai: small, compact foliage is very desirable.
Pinching A form of pruning in which tender growth
Grafting Propagation technique that joins plant tissue is removed by hand, pinched off by the fingers and
together. In bonsai this is more often done to improve thumb. It should not be performed across an entire
branch placement: buds and branches can be grafted tree the way a goat grazes. For best results with many
into ideal positions, and foliage may be developed on species, especially junipers, pinching is not advised.
leggy branches. Approach, bud, and thread grafting
techniques are used. Potbound A situation where the roots have filled
the pot, the soil surface has become very hard,
Internode Distance between two nodes. On deciduous and there is no room for new roots to grow. For a
trees internodal distances should reduce as you move mature bonsai, the stage just before this is ideal
out along the branch to the tips. for restricting growth and reducing leaf size—
however a tree should never become so potbound
Juvenile foliage Usually seen only on juniper species. that it weakens beyond recovery.
Young shoots have a spiky, needlelike structure;
the more desirable softer, fleshier mature foliage is Ramification A structure formed of branches.
known as scale foliage. Juvenile foliage grows when Generally refers to the finer twigs that form the
the tree is in quick need of energy generated by tertiary branching at the ends of deciduous trees.
photosynthesis. Excessive pruning or root stress The ideal structure is for branches to split into
often triggers a significant burst of juvenile growth. two, then again in two, then into two again... and
so on, including changes of thickness and direction.
Leader The strong apical shoot, either at the top of
the trunk or at the tip of a branch. Soil Generic term for the growing medium used in
bonsai. This is not the same as soil from your garden
Lime sulfur Used in a dilution of one part lime sulfur but is usually a specialized mix of inorganic
to two or three parts water in order to lighten up substrates that serve different purposes (see p.41).
white deadwood and also to help preserve it by
killing bacteria or fungi in the wood. Systemic In reference to pesticide or fungicide,
a chemical that is absorbed by the plant, either
Mycelium, mycorrhizae A symbiotic beneficial through the roots or foliage, and kills pests from
relationship between a fungus and the roots of the inside out when attacked. The other type is
a plant, most commonly seen on pines but present a contact killer, which works when it makes direct
in almost all species. The fungi need an aerobic contact with pests.
environment to thrive, so the balance between
oxygen and water inside the pot is important. Taper To reduce in thickness toward one end. Trunks
or branches without taper can appear very young and
Negative space The space around and in between the uninteresting. Taper is generally achieved by cutting
subject or subjects in the image. This an important back to a thinner branch and allowing that to grow
element in the composition of bonsai: empty space out and become the new leader.