Bonsai Terms – Part 4 (Final)

Here are some Bonsai terms you will need to know.  This list is continued from earlier posts.

61. Potassium – the third essential element of plant nutrition; identified by the chemical symbol K; it encourages strong new growth, development of flower buds and fruit formation.
62. Pot-bound – the adverse state of a container grown plant where the root growth has filled the container to the extent of eliminating all vital air spaces.
63. Prostrate – the characteristic growth habit of a plant that naturally tends to grow along the ground instead of upright.
64. Pruning – the process of controlling the shape and growth rate of a tree by cutting back the shoots, stems and branches.
65. Raceme – a type of elongated flower that is composed of individual stalks all growing from a central stem; ex. Flower type found on wisteria trees.
66. Ramification – the dense branching structure of a bonsai that only develops after years of repeated pruning of the branches.
67. Repotting – the practice of replanting a bonsai tree at regular intervals to perform health maintaining tasks such as: root washing, inspecting, pruning, soil refreshing, and potting in a different or larger pot; all imperative to the health of a bonsai.
68. Rootball – the large mass of roots and soil visible when a tree is taken out of its pot or pulled from the ground.
69. Root pruning – the practice of cutting back the roots of bonsai in order to make room in the container for fresh soil and to encourage new root growth.
70. Rootstock – is the root system and main stem to be used as the base of a new tree when propagating through grafting.
71. Scion – is a small section of a tree, which contains all of the desirable characteristics of the parent tree that will be propagated into a new tree through grafting on top of the rootstock.
72. Shakan – a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called slanting. Where the trees' trunk, appears similar to the formal upright style, but the trunk is slanting to one side.
73. Shari – an area where the bark and cambium have been removed from the trunk to suggest the struggle against fierce weather such as: wind, lightning, snow and ice.
74. Species – the unit of classification for a plant with identifiable characteristics.
75. Suiseki – stones that appear to look like large boulders or mountains and represent the spirit or essence of each; sometime used in a formal bonsai display.
76. Taproot – the large root of a tree that grows vertically downward, anchoring it into the ground; it is usually referred to in bonsai, because of its need to be pruned shorter or removed for container cultivation.
77. Tokonoma – a Japanese tradition of creating a specific area in the home where bonsai, accessory plants, Suiseki, and scrolls are displayed together in harmony.
78. Wound sealant – a number of compounds formulated to seal cuts made on branches or the trunk of bonsai to prevent the loss of moisture and promote heeling.
79. Yamadori – trees collected from the wild, which have been shaped by nature alone and have been collected to be developed into bonsai.
80. Yose-ue – a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called a group or forest. Where the trees are arranged in a container to resemble a group or forest of trees.

I found these definitions at Bonsai Boy of NY
Just Max