system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do bonsai trees survive hundreds of years in such proportionately small pots?

Every time i see a bonsai tree i'm left wondering how it survives hundreds of years, period, but more-so how the plant takes decades to get 'root bound' as in there's not enough room for the roots and the soil becomes hard, which happens more often for usual houseplants.

How do people get around that issue that is prevalent with all other houseplants?
gpt
Bonsai trees basically require two things.

1. Stunting the tree's growth by cutting roots and such. Trees are resilient in that if they can survive, a lack of nutrients will just result in a really small tree
2. A lot of care to keep the tree in the sweet spot where it's undernourished but healthy. That includes frequently refreshing the soil to keep it from becoming hard.