Bonsai and the rules of art

Bonsai is an art of growing ornamental plants originating from Japan, loved and passed down through generations. Bonsai art is not only about planting and caring for trees, but also the art of shaping, creating beautiful and unique ornamental trees. In the process of playing Bonsai, growers need to follow some basic rules to be successful in this art. Let’s find out together through the article below.

What is a Bonsai tree?

A Bonsai tree is a type of ornamental tree that is shaped and planted in a small pot to create a miniature tree that resembles a tree in nature. The word “Bonsai” in Japanese means “plant grown in a small pot”. People often use trees such as Japanese pine, peach tree, willow tree, eucalyptus tree and many other types of trees to create shapes. The Bonsai shaping process includes branch pruning, trunk shaping and root shaping techniques. Bonsai artists often use small tools such as scissors, knives, wooden sticks and brushes to perform these techniques.

Rules

Tree trunk and base

• The trunk should be tilted slightly forward toward the viewer’s right.
• The roots should be allowed to protrude from the base of the plant spreading out over the pot base.
• Bend the tree trunk so that the bends on the stem do not have a “pigeon breast” shape (the bends should be curved toward the viewer).
• A tree should only have one top.
• The trunk should be kept tapered from bottom to top so it appears to be growing upward, but should not taper back from top to bottom.
• For two twin tree trunks, they should be separated at the base of the tree, not letting one tree grow taller than the other.
• The scions should be grafted in sufficient numbers to create a harmonious tree shape, or they should be grafted low enough so that the nebari (root) joints are not visible.
• The height of the trunk should be 6 times the diameter of the roots.
• Do not let the tree grow back on its own. This is one of my rules and it’s hard to explain why. It is related to the bend of the stem. If a tree trunk grows back on itself, it will create a “C” shaped bend.
• On normal straight tree trunks, if there are too many “S” shaped bends, it will make the tree look very heavy and lose its natural appearance.
• The top of the tree should be slightly tilted forward towards the viewer.
• The base of the tree should be spread out and raised above the base of the pot, so it looks like it is clinging to the soil to keep the tree upright.
• For trees that grow pointedly upward, the bending points should be close to each other (pay attention to the position of the branches).
• The top of the tree should be shaped in the direction of the base of the tree. The bending of the tree needs to be guaranteed.
• Do not let knots grow on the tree roots (because viewers will pay a lot of attention to it).
• For normally straight and abnormally straight tree trunks, the top of the tree should be kept so that it grows higher than the base of the tree.

Branch

• Create tree branches so that they do not grow horizontally, or do not let the branches grow across the trunk.
• No knobs should be visible on the branches (making viewers pay attention to them).
• The first branch should be placed about 1/3 of the trunk height from the base.
• As for successfully grafted tree branches, they should be placed in positions within about 1/3 of the remaining tree trunk to the top of the tree.
• Branches need to grow from the outside of the bends (so as not to cause the branch to bulge).
• Branch diameter should be proportional to the trunk. Tree branches considered oversized are those with a diameter thicker than 1/3 of the trunk diameter.
• The tree branches should grow alternately, not parallel. If the 1st branch grows on the left, the 2nd branch will grow on the right and vice versa (then the 3rd branch should grow behind).
• The size and diameter of tree branches should be reduced otherwise they will look like they are climbing. You should leave enough space between the branches.
• The first or second branches (also known as the left and right branches) should be facing forward, towards the midpoint of vision to attract viewers.
• The tree branches should be shaped so that they form a skewed triangle with the top of the tree representing the sky, the middle corner representing people, and the bottom corner representing the earth.
• In general, we should shape the tree so that falling branches follow the rules for straight trunks, with the exception of slanting trunks.
• For double trees, branches should not be placed between the trees because they will stick horizontally into the trunk. Then the branches near the outside of the trees will create a “leaf” triangle.

Pot

• The bonsai tree should be placed behind the center line of the pot, and to the left or right of the center line.
• The depth of the pot should be equal to the diameter of the tree trunk, except for trees with a drooping shape.
• You should use pots with enamel colors suitable for irrigation and plant care. Those enamel colors need to be in harmony with the color of the flowers.
• You should choose pots that are 2/3 the width of the plant’s height. For dwarf trees, the pot width must be 2/3 of the trunk width.
• The pot style also needs to match the style of the bonsai tree. Rectangular pots are suitable for straight plants that do not bend much, and for unusually straight plants, plants with many bends on the trunk, oval or round pots are most suitable. For large bonsai trees, we should plant them deep in rectangular pots.

The above rules are the basic rules about growing Bonsai trees. In addition to decorative effects, Bonsai art also has spiritual meaning to the Japanese. Bonsai trees are seen as symbols of life and existence, and taking care of Bonsai is considered an act of respect for life.