BONSAI STYLES

Apart from being beautiful, an outstanding Bonsai must look entirely natural. It should look as if Nature itself had spontaneously created it - like a marvelous accident of Nature.

When you have chosen the bonsai style you desire, first, imagine which branches you would like to trim using bonsai trimming sheers. When you trim any branches, trim the branches as flush to the tree trunk as possible and apply pruning paint to the newly trimmed branch. Then, you can begin trimming away the unwanted foliage. We remove all the foliage from the underside of each branch so the foliage is not so thick as to obscure the branches, tree trunk, or general design of your bonsai tree.

Wiring techniques can be used to train the branches of your bonsai tree to grow in virtually any direction you desire. You should first anchor the end of the training wire in the soil. Then start using the training wire in back of the tree trunk and wrap the training wire in a diagonal direction up the trunk and out to the branch to be trained.

Wrap the training wire snug, but not so tight as it causes any harm to the growing limb. Now begin to bend the limb in the direction you desire. Only a partial bend is used for the first month. Then you may bend the limb more until it has reached the position that you desire. In this manner you can begin positioning two or three branches at a time without putting undue stress on the tree. The training wire should be checked often to ensure that it is NOT growing into the wood.

In some cases, removing the training wire takes great care and must be performed slowly and delicately. You will sometimes need to use trimming shears to clip off pieces of the training wire as you are unwrapping it to avoid damaging the limb.

Chokkan Style

The formal, upright style, the trunk in this Bonsai style is straight with branches growing just above the roots continuing to a tapering point at the top of the tree. This is the ideal shape for pines, junipers, and cypress.

Shakan Style

The slanting style. The trunk in this style is cultivated at a slant, imitating trees found growing along mountaintops or windswept beaches. Junipers and pines are readily adaptable to this shape.

Sokan Style

This style has two trunks of differing diameters growing from a single root. It is also called a parent and child bonsai. Junipers, pines, blue moss cypress and most deciduous tees can be grown in this style.

Ikada Style

This is often called the raft style. In this style, the trunk is buried horizontally in the soil with the branches arranged vertically so they will grow like trunks.

Yose'ue Style

This bonsai style is a group of trees planted and arranged to resemble a small forest. This is a very popular style because it reminds people of a miniature forest scene. Almost any group of trees can be used for this style.

Kengai Style

This is the cascading or hanging bonsai style. The trunk and branches are styled to hang down over the edge of the container, which is usually placed, on a pedestal. This style is designed to look like a tree growing out of the side of a mountain. Pines and junipers are ideal for this style.

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