Complete Guide to Yamadori Stump Killing Methods and Techniques: A Must-Read for Bonsai Styling Beginners

Note: This product is not suitable for shaping pine and cypress stumps.

Yamadori stumps are the main raw material for bonsai styling. Generally speaking, yamadori stumps are old in age, have good root flare, and good trunk form. After collecting, you begin training and styling in one, two, or three years, so they take shape faster. However, there are rules for the timing of stump killing, the height of the cut, and the branches and trunk sections left on the stump. Here, we will summarize stump killing techniques.

1. Timing of stump killing.

The so-called "first foster, second let grow, third kill the stump" means that after the stump material arrives, you should first ensure its survival; after survival, do not carry out any treatment on the material, so as to restore its growth. Before they are killed, the branches will grow to a certain degree of thickness. The "third kill" does not necessarily have to be fixed at 3 years. It should be determined according to the growth rate of the tree species. After the conditions for stump killing are met, generally choose the concrete stump killing time before early spring budding, and pay attention to sealing with wax or plant wound sealant after cutting to prevent drying and shrinking. Otherwise, it may cause water loss and death of the branches below.

2. The height at which the stump is killed.

Generally speaking, the height of stump killing is not fixed at the 2/3 level reserved online. The stump killing height should be determined according to the trunk style. For a straight trunk style, you can retain 2/3 of the height in the bonsai (measured from the pot); for other trunk styles of stump, according to the turning points of the trunk, it should generally be killed at a slight turning point at the starting point. The upper space after stump killing should be the height of the bonsai. As follows.

3. How to set up the stump.

First, repeatedly consider and examine the stump body; you should not cut it down easily. Otherwise, it may be cut into a stump that needs to be rebuilt in time. During the stocking period, we often repeatedly observe and design the plan. As the idea settles, the future display face of the bonsai will be determined. When the time is right, the stump will be cut.

The truncation of stump material generally follows the principle of "take more from the cut sections, take less from small sections." It refers to the tree sections between the original branches. The top is the reserved part of the tree head. As follows.

The stump above is a double-trunk bonsai material. The requirements for the two trunk styles of bonsai are basically the same. Then, considering the principle of taking more points and taking small points, B and E are taken as the tree tops. Remove A and D, remove C or F, or cut them short, to be used as side branches in the future.

In fact, it takes into account the curvature and side branches of the bonsai tree. There are many twists and turns, and the tree's twists and turns are full of vitality. Overall, among the branches there are more branches and more small branches, which can be used to select more branches. For the top lift, the main considerations are the taper and direction of the stump body. Using a smaller branch as the top will give the body taper. The choice of "small" here is not only the smallest branch, but should be based on the changes of the whole stump to adopt the most natural and excessive fulcrum, so that the taper changes of the whole tree are natural and smooth, and will not give people a sudden and stiff feeling.

4. Determination of the potential.

The potential of the bonsai should be chosen to give people the most vitality. It mainly includes two aspects: 1. The planting of the potted bonsai in the pot. 2. The inclination of the bonsai tree.

Plant a round pot in the middle, so that the whole bonsai will give people a solemn and stable feeling.

A square pot should be planted to one side.

The selection of the bonsai tree should choose a posture with a strong sense of movement.

In this pile there are more positions. Upright, straight trunk, and cascade. Among the various potential positions, the cascade type is the best. This is because cascade-type stump material can be selected within a smaller range, and the cascade shape should meet the following conditions: 1. There are more nodes and more than 3 sections. 2. There is a sharp turn near the tree top to show the possibility of the cascade falling. 3. The root flare is better, and there is a dragging root (opposite to the tilt direction of the tree). Therefore, the above stump materials can meet these conditions, and cascade is rarely chosen.

5. The surface.

The surface of a bonsai refers to the most beautiful side in the artistic conception of the bonsai, that is, the display face. The selection of the surface includes several aspects: 1. Roots. The roots can show the beauty of the bonsai; the roots protruding, concise, reasonable, and expressive. They should be regarded as the connoisseur's view of the bonsai. 2. Trunk. The best way to show the beautiful texture and quality of the trunk is to view it as an appreciation. If it is a spiraling trunk style, the concave side should be chosen as the display surface, because this can show the main upward movement of the trunk, giving the strongest visual impact and making it easiest to create beauty. 3. Branches. The richest aspect of the pot is the display surface. For example, the floating branches, branches, and twigs of the bonsai.

Of course, the selection of the bonsai surface should be considered comprehensively, and the best one should be chosen. Because the several conditions for the selected surface are not completely coordinated, and are sometimes contradictory. This requires that, when choosing, we must combine the needs of bonsai styling and choose the face that best represents its theme as the display surface of the bonsai.