Bonsai cages - is it a myth?

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
I keep hearing this story of young plants growing in factory-like nurseries in Chine being potted inside flat-topped aluminium cages, so they get the most unlikely movements as they have this growth restriction.
Fact is , even searching a lot I couldn't find any imagens of this "technique".
Is it really true?
 

Anthony

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,290
Reaction score
8,388
Location
West Indies [ Caribbean ]
USDA Zone
13
Clicio,

look at the Mallsai, elms in particular, imagine the trunk thickening and where those
curves go.

The Chinese dig the plants out, from the clay type soil, with the shape needed to fit
into the pot.
For easy shipping to the ignorant West.

Think about it, with such a large population conditioned to growing tree penjing in China.
What do you do with the extras and not worth it plants?

What we discovered with ground growing, is that you can produce for sales in 1 to 4 years.

Folk in the West actually keep themselves back by insisting on using growing boxes.
Most trees only respond to trunk thickening with ground growing.
Adding in the colander in the ground growing stage, makes it even more efficient.

Grow boxes should be called ----------- refinement boxes [ for branchlets etc.]

The Chinese are masters at sales.
Good Day
Anthony
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
I keep hearing this story of young plants growing in factory-like nurseries in Chine being potted inside flat-topped aluminium cages, so they get the most unlikely movements as they have this growth restriction.
Fact is , even searching a lot I couldn't find any imagens of this "technique".
Is it really true?

I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but I would very much doubt mass producers of bonsai material are investing all the money it would take to put individual metal cages around a $2 plant. There are many, hugely less expensive ways to get the "mallsai" result. Twisting flexible seedlings around a pole and tying them down, then letting them grow in a field, drastic cutbacks and subsequent shoot selection...etc.
 

Starfox

Masterpiece
Messages
2,602
Reaction score
5,317
Location
Costa Blanca, Spain, zone 10b
USDA Zone
10b
In Spain we have our own factory producer and no cages in sight.

Mind you, this pic is likely to give anyone the shivers.

Mistral-Bonsai-en-TBMCatSur-2.jpg
 

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a

Aha! Pictures finally!
So, there are people doing it, and apparently it works.
@rockm Yes, I agree it could be expensive with cages, but have you followed the links @Brian Van Fleet has just posted? Perhaps the myth was born with the meshes, not really cages.
@Anthony thanks for your sharing your experience with ground growing!
 

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
Twisting flexible seedlings around a pole and tying them down, then letting them grow in a field...

Yes, but I think it is easier (for them) to throw a wire mesh on top of many seedlings than tying one by one down.
But I really don't know, that's why I have started the thread.
 

Vance Wood

Lord Mugo
Messages
14,002
Reaction score
16,911
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
5-6
I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but I would very much doubt mass producers of bonsai material are investing all the money it would take to put individual metal cages around a $2 plant. There are many, hugely less expensive ways to get the "mallsai" result. Twisting flexible seedlings around a pole and tying them down, then letting them grow in a field, drastic cutbacks and subsequent shoot selection...etc.
The most abundant resource available to people in countries that grow these mallsai bonsai is labor. If you have a method and can pay these kids and old men to twist a tree around a stick, which is the way a lot of this is done, the cost is not so extravagant as to make it a problem.
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
Aha! Pictures finally!
So, there are people doing it, and apparently it works.
@rockm Yes, I agree it could be expensive with cages, but have you followed the links @Brian Van Fleet has just posted? Perhaps the myth was born with the meshes, not really cages.
@Anthony thanks for your sharing your experience with ground growing!
the screen is a simple weight that smooshes down growth. Hardly a dedicated cage for each seedling. It works, sure, but the results mostly suck. It's a cheap, easy way to get unnatural movement that will sell to beginners...
 

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
It works, sure, but the results mostly suck. It's a cheap, easy way to get unnatural movement that will sell to beginners...

Well, I guess they want exactly that: mass produce twisted trees that suck, and sell to as many people as possible!
 
Top Bottom