Do you know all the methods for making bonsai?

To create a beautiful bonsai with a trained trunk, the key is choosing a good tree stump. The most ideal tree stump is a plant with a full shape, upright branches, green leaves, and fibrous roots that have not yet dried out. Let's take a look at some methods for making bonsai!

Methods for Making Several Types of Bonsai

Exposed-Root Bonsai

① Shallow planting and root lifting. Grow in a shallow pot, choosing a semi-finished tree stump with a well-developed main root that is easy to shape. Arrange the lateral roots at the base of the trunk so they are exposed above the potting soil in an attractive way. For lateral roots at the base of the tree that should not be directly exposed, you can use the root-lifting method to lift the roots above the soil surface and, according to the style of the tree stump, reasonably cultivate exposed roots.

② Root raising and root exposing. Grow in a deep pot. Through repotting and other measures, raise the roots year by year until they are above the potting soil, achieving the ornamental effect. You can also first expose part of the roots above the soil surface and then add soil; after a period of growth, remove the soil again to encourage the shape to form early.

③ Layering and cutting insertion. For tree stumps that are not suitable for directly exposing roots, if branches grow from the base of the stump, wait until they are semi-lignified, then girdle the branches and press them into the potting soil. Once they have rooted, promptly cut off the branches to achieve the goal of exposing roots.

Clump Bonsai

① Choose a shallow pot, which can show the wild charm of a grove and the feel of the open countryside, make the trees appear larger, and give a deeper visual impression. You can also build mounds of soil, add stones, and create scenery in the shallow pot to make the bonsai more lively and vivid.

② The materials generally chosen for clump bonsai are small shrubs. When planting, they should differ in size and be staggered in height; otherwise, the landscape will look stiff and lacking in vitality.

③ In the making of clump bonsai, the tree stumps should have both advancing and receding elements, the space should have both openness and density, and the composition should produce undulating changes. It should have the feeling of a "forest" and should not make people feel suffocated.

④ If the trees in a bonsai are not pruned for a long time, branches often grow crisscross and become tangled. Therefore, they should be pruned at any time to maintain the spatial structure and the relationship between openness and density, and to improve ornamental value.

Miniature Bonsai

① Material selection and shaping. For miniature bonsai, generally choose materials with fine branches and small leaves, that are easy to keep alive after potting, have peculiar roots and trunks, have bright flowers and fruits, and are easy to shape, such as five-needle pine, small-leaf Buddhist pine, fine-leaf holly, serissa, asparagus fern, and Chinese plum yew. You can also dig up suitable tree stumps in the wild, shape them, and then plant them. When shaping, methods such as palm-fiber tying, lead-wire wrapping, and branch bending are commonly used.

② Potting and care. While shaping, the tree should be transplanted from a clay pot into a purple clay pot or a glazed pot. Generally, tall deep cylindrical pots are suitable for cascade style; oval or shallow rectangular pots are suitable for growing upright-trunk or slanting-trunk styles; multi-angled shallow pots are for growing tall-trunk styles; round pots can be used for low, twisting plants. After planting, care: the potting soil should often be kept moist, maintain a suitable temperature in winter, and place it in a shaded spot in midsummer. During the growing period, apply thin fertilizer frequently, generally once every 10 days. You can apply decomposed soybean cake, hoof pieces water, and so on, or you can apply a complete-element compound flower fertilizer.