Three Bonsai Styles and How to Make Them: Exposed Root, Forest, and Miniature

Exposed-root bonsai

(1) Shallow planting and root lifting. Grow in a shallow pot, choosing a semi-finished stump with well-developed main roots that is easy to shape. Arrange the lateral roots at the base in an attractive way so they are exposed above the potting soil. For stumps whose basal lateral roots are not suitable for direct exposure, use the root-lifting method to lift the roots above the soil surface, and cultivate the exposed roots sensibly in keeping with the form of the stump. (2) Raising roots to expose them. Grow in a deep pot. By repotting and other measures, raise the roots year by year until they stand above the potting soil, achieving the ornamental effect. You can also first expose part of the roots above the soil surface and then earth them up; after a period of growth, scrape away the soil to bring the shape to completion sooner. (3) Layering and cuttings. For stumps not suitable for having their roots exposed directly, if shoots grow from the base of the stump, wait until they are semi-lignified, then ring-bark the shoots and layer them into the potting soil; once they have rooted, cut off the shoots promptly to achieve the goal of exposed roots.

Forest bonsai

(1) Choose a shallow pot; it can bring out the wild charm of the woods and the feel of the open country, make the trees look larger and give a greater sense of depth, and you can also build up mounds of soil, add stones and create scenes within the shallow pot, making the bonsai more lively and vivid. (2) The material chosen for forest bonsai is generally small shrubs; when planting, they should differ in size and be staggered in height, otherwise the scene will look stiff and lifeless. (3) In making forest bonsai, the stumps should advance and retreat, the spaces should be open in some places and dense in others, and the composition should rise and fall; it should feel like a “forest” and not make people feel suffocated. (4) If the trees in the bonsai are not pruned for a long time, branches tend to grow in all directions and become tangled. Therefore, prune at any time to maintain the spatial structure and the open-dense relationships, and raise the 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 establish in a pot, with curious roots and trunks, showy flowers and fruit, and easy to shape, such as five-needle pine, small-leaf podocarpus, fine-leaf holly, serissa, asparagus fern, and Japanese bush cherry. You can also dig up suitable stumps in the wild, shape them, and then plant them. In shaping, methods such as tying with palm fiber, wrapping with lead wire, and bending branches are commonly used. (2) Potting and care. While shaping, the tree must be moved from the clay pot into a purple clay (zisha) pot or a glazed pot. Generally, tall, deep cylindrical pots suit cascade style; oval or shallow rectangular pots are suitable for formal upright or slanting styles; multi-angled shallow pots are for tall-trunk styles; round pots can be planted with low, twisted plants. Care after planting: keep the potting soil regularly moist, maintain a suitable temperature in winter, and place it in shade in midsummer. During the growing period, apply light fertilizer frequently, generally once every 10 days. You can apply decomposed soybean cake, hoof-piece water, etc., or a complete-element compound flower fertilizer.

Getting Started with Bonsai: Three Basic Bonsai-Making Methods

Potted plants are surely something many people grow. That is because potted plants not only fill our lives with vitality, but can also decorate our homes, making them a very versatile plant. But potted plants alone are generally not enough; only the upgraded version of potted plants, bonsai, can truly satisfy our everyday needs for appreciation and play. That is why many people have also begun to take up growing and keeping bonsai. So next, let me tell you some introductory knowledge about bonsai.

I. Exposed-root bonsai

1. Shallow planting and root lifting: grow in a shallow pot, choosing a semi-finished stump with well-developed main roots that is easy to shape. Arrange the lateral roots at the base in an attractive way so they are exposed above the potting soil. For stumps whose basal lateral roots are not suitable for direct exposure, use the root-lifting method to lift the roots above the soil surface, and cultivate the exposed roots sensibly in keeping with the form of the stump.

2. Raising roots to expose them: grow in a deep pot. By repotting and other measures, raise the roots year by year until they stand above the potting soil, achieving the ornamental effect. You can also first expose part of the roots above the soil surface and then earth them up; after a period of growth, scrape away the soil to bring the shape to completion sooner.

3. Layering and cuttings: for stumps not suitable for having their roots exposed directly, if shoots grow from the base of the stump, wait until they are semi-lignified, then ring-bark the shoots and layer them into the potting soil; once they have rooted, cut off the shoots promptly to achieve the goal of exposed roots.

II. Forest bonsai

1. Choose a shallow pot; it can bring out the wild charm of the woods and the feel of the open country, make the trees look larger and give a greater sense of depth, and you can also build up mounds of soil, add stones and create scenes within the shallow pot, making the bonsai more lively and vivid.

2. The material chosen for forest bonsai is generally small shrubs; when planting, they should differ in size and be staggered in height, otherwise the scene will look stiff and lifeless.

3. In making forest bonsai, the stumps should advance and retreat, the spaces should be open in some places and dense in others, and the composition should rise and fall; it should feel like a "forest" and not make people feel suffocated.

4. If the trees in the bonsai are not pruned for a long time, branches tend to grow in all directions and become tangled. Therefore, prune at any time to maintain the spatial structure and the open-dense relationships, and raise the ornamental value.

III. Miniature bonsai

1. Material selection and shaping: for miniature bonsai, generally choose materials with fine branches and small leaves that are easy to establish in a pot, with curious roots and trunks, showy flowers and fruit, and easy to shape, such as five-needle pine, small-leaf podocarpus, fine-leaf holly, serissa, asparagus fern, and Japanese bush cherry. You can also dig up suitable stumps in the wild, shape them, and then plant them. In shaping, methods such as tying with palm fiber, wrapping with lead wire, and bending branches are commonly used.

2. Potting and care: while shaping, the tree must be moved from the clay pot into a purple clay (zisha) pot or a glazed pot. Generally, tall, deep cylindrical pots suit cascade style; oval or shallow rectangular pots are suitable for formal upright or slanting styles; multi-angled shallow pots are for tall-trunk styles; round pots can be planted with low, twisted plants. Care after planting: keep the potting soil regularly moist, maintain a suitable temperature in winter, and place it in shade in midsummer. During the growing period, apply light fertilizer frequently, generally once every 10 days. You can apply decomposed soybean cake, hoof-piece water, etc., or a complete-element compound flower fertilizer.

Summary:Above, I have introduced some basic knowledge about bonsai, including some methods of classifying bonsai. Generally speaking, bonsai fall into three major types, and different bonsai types can be classified by different bonsai materials and different bonsai arrangement methods. So above I have introduced the classification of bonsai and the characteristics of different bonsai. You can use the introduction above to choose the bonsai type you like, and treat it as introductory knowledge about bonsai.

Several Bonsai-Making Methods

Several Bonsai-Making Methods

I. Exposed-root bonsai

1. Shallow planting and root lifting

Grow in a shallow pot, choosing a semi-finished stump with well-developed main roots that is easy to shape. Arrange the lateral roots at the base in an attractive way so they are exposed above the potting soil. For stumps whose basal lateral roots are not suitable for direct exposure, use the root-lifting method to lift the roots above the soil surface, and cultivate the exposed roots sensibly in keeping with the form of the stump.

2. Raising roots to expose them

Grow in a deep pot. By repotting and other measures, raise the roots year by year until they stand above the potting soil, achieving the ornamental effect. You can also first expose part of the roots above the soil surface and then earth them up; after a period of growth, scrape away the soil to bring the shape to completion sooner.

3. Layering and cuttings

For stumps not suitable for having their roots exposed directly, if shoots grow from the base of the stump, wait until they are semi-lignified, then ring-bark the shoots and layer them into the potting soil; once they have rooted, cut off the shoots promptly to achieve the goal of exposed roots.

II. Forest bonsai

1. Choose a shallow pot; it can bring out the wild charm of the woods and the feel of the open country, make the trees look larger and give a greater sense of depth, and you can also build up mounds of soil, add stones and create scenes within the shallow pot, making the bonsai more lively and vivid.

2. The material chosen for forest bonsai is generally small shrubs; when planting, they should differ in size and be staggered in height, otherwise the scene will look stiff and lifeless.

3. In making forest bonsai, the stumps should advance and retreat, the spaces should be open in some places and dense in others, and the composition should rise and fall; it should feel like a "forest" and not make people feel suffocated.

4. If the trees in the bonsai are not pruned for a long time, branches tend to grow in all directions and become tangled. Therefore, prune at any time to maintain the spatial structure and the open-dense relationships, and raise the ornamental value.

III. Miniature bonsai

1. Material selection and shaping

For miniature bonsai, generally choose materials with fine branches and small leaves that are easy to establish in a pot, with curious roots and trunks, showy flowers and fruit, and easy to shape, such as five-needle pine, small-leaf podocarpus, fine-leaf holly, serissa, asparagus fern, and Japanese bush cherry. You can also dig up suitable stumps in the wild, shape them, and then plant them. In shaping, methods such as tying with palm fiber, wrapping with lead wire, and bending branches are commonly used.

2. Potting and care

While shaping, the tree must be moved from the clay pot into a purple clay (zisha) pot or a glazed pot. Generally, tall, deep cylindrical pots suit cascade style; oval or shallow rectangular pots are suitable for formal upright or slanting styles; multi-angled shallow pots are for tall-trunk styles; round pots can be planted with low, twisted plants. Care after planting: keep the potting soil regularly moist, maintain a suitable temperature in winter, and place it in shade in midsummer. During the growing period, apply light fertilizer frequently, generally once every 10 days. You can apply decomposed soybean cake, hoof-piece water, etc., or a complete-element compound flower fertilizer.