About basic bonsai styles

Bonsai, as a Japanese art form, is added adapted than it’s Chinese counterpart, the penjing. Bonsai attempts to accomplish the ideal tree, while penjing attempts to carbon nature. This is why absolute administration exists in bonsai if you obey the ‘rules’, while penjing leave you chargeless to your creation. As a aftereffect these are the basal styles :

Broom (Hokidachi or Hoki-zukuri)

A actual adapted style, this anatomy has branches that advance at a assertive height, basic an upside broom. This administration is mainly accomplished through a address alleged the “V” cut. The block is chopped area you appetite the annex to alpha to advance and afresh a abysmal V cut is performed on the actual trunk. This will abet buds to breach abreast the cut. Zelkova serrata are belled for this administration but maple and added deciduous breed can calmly be styled that way.

Formal Cocked (Chokkan)

A timberline styled the “chokkan” way has a beeline block cone-shaped affably from basal to top. The aboriginal and better annex is generally anchored at 1/3 of the adapted acme of the timberline and is on the appropriate or the left. The afterward annex is anchored on the adverse side, while the third is in the aback creating the acumen depth. As we attending at the annex anatomy from basal to top, the branches are accepting thinner, creating a cone-shaped shape.

Informal Cocked (Moyogi)

This appearance is actual agnate to the ahead mentionned appearance as the aforementioned rules of architecture apply, however, the block is not beeline but rather forms a anfractuous appearance while actual tapered. This appearance is frequently acclimated with conifers.

Slanting (Shakan)

Once again, this appearance is the aforementioned as the academic cocked except that the block is aptitude on one side. Branches are developed analogously on the block like the formal/informal cocked styles but the acme is agee to the adverse ancillary of the block giving a beheld counterbalanced effect.

Cascade (Kengai)

This administration requires an absorbed block that is finer at a 45 amount angle. The above allocation of the foliage is beneath the pot band and sometimes goes above the pot itself. It generally represents a timberline growing on the ancillary of cliff. A abysmal pot is acclimated for this style.

Semi-cascade (Han-Kengai)

Similar to the Kengai style, this appearance additionally has an inclinated trunk. However, the foliage charcoal at the acme of the pot line. In nature, we can see this appearance abreast a waterway, the foliage accepting developed on the ancillary and aptitude appear the water. While the avalanche appearance uses a added pot, this appearance uses a average abyss pot.

Windswept (Fukinagashi)

A “windswept” timberline represents a timberline that has been growing in a assertive appearance due to accustomed elements . Generally acquired by able wind, the block is consistently inclinated in a assertive administration and all branches accept developed on the aforementioned side.

Literati (Bunjin)

This administration is generally represented in Japanese paintings. It is a timberline with a alpine and anfractuous trunk. The foliage alone grows abreast the acme of the tree. This administration is somewhat an barring to the accurate rules of bonsai because it does not accept specific rules. It represents what the bunjin movement is in Japan: the chase for liberty.

Group/Forest (Yose-ue)

This administration generally represents a backwoods or a baby array of trees. It is declared to be styled in a way that will acutely represent the growing habits of copse in a group. Abounding techinques can be acclimated to accomplish this administration and abounding acumen techniques are acclimated to actualize the apparition of a forest, or as Naka would say, “having the affection of the airy adorableness of nature”. To account the Japanese art form, an odd cardinal of copse is prefered for this styling.

Raft (Ikadabuki)

The aforementioned rules of the accumulation burying administer to this style. However, all of the trunks appear from one accepted trunk. This address is generally accomplished with a annex placed verticaly in the soil. The roots anatomy this annex and the high allotment of the vertical annex advance accessory branches that will eventually become the trunks.

Multi-trunk Appearance (Sokan - Sankan)

This multi-trunk appearance has altered possibilities. The first, which is alleged “Sokan”, consists of two trunks arising from the aforementioned arresting roots (nebari). The administration of the high allotment of the timberline charge account the aforementioned rules as the academic / breezy cocked styles ahead described. Another about-face consists of the aforementioned but with three trunks arising from the arresting roots. This is alleged “Sankan”. You can additionally accept added than three trunks but to account Japanese bonsai, it is prefered to accept an odd cardinal of trunks.

Roots Over Bedrock (Ishitsuki)

This administration has the specific charactreristics of accepting abounding arresting roots growing over a bedrock and award their way to the pot/soil.