How to make a Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai

  A Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai is made by planting multiple specimens together in one pot, so that they set each other off and form an artificial natural community, recreating the beautiful scenery of a sea of trees. It wins by the overall beauty of the natural combination, rather than displaying the individual characteristics of each tree. A Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai is generally composed of three or more Fraxinus hupehensis trees of different forms and postures, usually first grown in pots; some trees can be appropriately shaped so that among the different trees there are large and small ones, tall and short ones, thick and thin ones. Selection must be made when potting them, so that they combine into a coordinated and unified whole.

  The Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai made by Wuhan Lulin Horticulture is generally used to express natural mountain forest scenery, with a relatively broad and vast scene and gentle, stretching slopes, suitable for expressing a horizontal, long picture. For a Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai, it is best to choose a pot with a relatively large opening and a relatively low rim; a rectangular or long oval shallow pot is most suitable, to express an open and far-reaching scene. Commonly used pots include stone pots, ceramic pots, purple clay pots, cement pots, etc. The colors are mostly plain and elegant, such as white, purple clay, brown, etc.

  For the layout of a Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai, the method of sparse in front and dense behind, bright in front and dark behind, light in front and heavy behind is generally adopted, using contrasts in form, color and density among different plants to highlight the main scenery. After removing the selected Fraxinus hupehensis plants from their pots, remove part of the soil, branches, leaves and roots, and arrange and combine them in the pot to form a winding forest green line and a three-dimensional outline with rises and falls and clear primary and secondary relations, until an ideal layout is formed. Commonly used planting methods include the three-tree style, four-tree style, five-tree style and multi-tree style, etc. The specific steps for making a Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai:

  1. Selecting trees: In a forest-style bonsai, it is not required that every tree be very beautiful, but rather that the postures be natural and the style unified. Some trees are not attractive when appreciated individually, and may even have obvious defects, but after combination they can make the best of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, producing an excellent ornamental effect. The selected trees are best plants that have been cultivated in pots, because such trees have good root systems and are easy to keep alive after being planted into a new ornamental pot. The trees should include large and small ones, tall and short ones, thick and thin ones, so that an ideal composition can be designed.

  2. Selecting a pot: For forest-style bonsai, shallow rectangular pots, waist-round pots, oval pots, etc. are often chosen, which help reflect the breadth and depth of the scenery. The bottom of the pot generally has drainage holes, but extremely shallow pots may be an exception. The texture and color of the pot should harmonize with the bonsai tree species. Commonly used pots include stone pots, glazed ceramic pots, purple clay pots, etc.

  3. Potting: To tidy the root system, take the selected trees out of their pots and carefully remove part of the soil with a bamboo stick, so that they can be planted into a new ornamental pot. For roots that hinder combined planting, appropriate pruning may be done if it does not affect survival; for those that hinder planting but should not be cut off, they may be bent and bound with palm fiber or metal wire, and then planted into the pot.

  4. Overall layout: The layout of the trees is the key to the success or failure of a forest-style bonsai. Try arranging several trees that have had their soil removed in the pot, and by observing and deliberating, adjust the positions of the trees so that there are primary and secondary ones, sparse and dense ones, tall and short ones; the trees should yield and contend with due measure and echo one another, forming a beautiful layout.

  5. Pruning: After the layout is determined, each Fraxinus hupehensis tree should be pruned and tidied one by one according to the composition requirements. Cut away branches that affect the overall effect, overlapping branches, overly dense branches and excess leaves, etc., simplifying the complex to achieve an artistic effect with a clear picture and distinct rhythm.

  6. Planting in place: Before planting the trees, first cover the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot with plastic mesh or thin tile pieces, then spread a layer of soil, place the trees according to the positions determined during the trial arrangement, and try to let the root systems spread out. Next, add soil and firm it, planting the trees steadily; the soil surface can be made with some rises and falls, appearing more natural

  7. Adding scenery and stones: Forest-style bonsai are often dotted with mountain stones to add wild mountain forest charm, and at the same time make the picture more vivid. The type and shape of the stones chosen should resonate with the spirit of the Fraxinus hupehensis in the pot, making the artistic conception deeper and further embodying the vast grandeur of the Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai.

  8. Adding scenery and laying moss: After placing the stones, green moss also needs to be laid on the soil surface. The emerald green moss is like green grassland, adding vitality to the scenery. With moss as a transition between the Fraxinus hupehensis trees and the stones, it appears more natural and harmonious.

  9. Placing figurines: In order to enrich the artistic conception and highlight the theme, sometimes figurines such as people, animals and houses need to be placed in the bonsai. The size of the accessories must match the overall proportions of the bonsai, and the placement positions should be appropriate.

  10. Watering to settle the roots: For a newly completed Fraxinus hupehensis forest-style bonsai, use a fine spray pot to spray both the trees and the pot until the pot soil is completely saturated with water. Doing so allows the root systems of the newly planted trees to combine closely with the soil, which is beneficial for survival, and at the same time washes the entire bonsai, making it clean and tidy.

  Fraxinus hupehensis is diverse in shaping style and broadly learns from many sources in technique. Learn from and draw on the Lingnan bonsai "storing branches and truncating trunks" technique to cultivate framework branches, and according to the ecological habits and artistic shaping requirements of Fraxinus hupehensis, adopt cultivation "promotion and control techniques" to overcome disadvantages such as long internodes and cultivate its form and growth trend and small leafy branchlets. Create bonsai works that are "though made by human hands, seem naturally formed."