How to Style a Bonsai Tree

Training and styling bonsai trees is an enjoyable, relaxing hobby. However, styling a bonsai can seem quite complex at first. By understanding how to achieve the basic bonsai styles you will build your skills and confidence, allowing you to gradually use more advanced techniques to create beautiful works of miniature arboreal art.

Things You'll Need

• Bonsai tree
• Growing pot
• Small pruning shears
• Wire
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Before pruning and tying your bonsai, decide which basic style you want to use. The five basic styles are: formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade and semi-cascade. Each style requires specific techniques you will need to understand before styling your bonsai.

2. A formal upright bonsai mimics the look of a tree that has grown under ideal conditions in the open. Remove branches from the lower third of the tree with pruning shears. Trim the lowest branches to roughly one-third of the total height of the tree. Cut higher branches shorter so that the tree has a conical shape. Loosely tie the top branch with wire, and tie the other end to the trunk so that the top branch bends slightly toward the front.

3. The informal upright bonsai incorporates the same principles as the formal upright, but it is not perfectly symmetrical. Train the tree with wire so that the top branch is directly above the trunk.

4. The slanting style mimics a tree that has grown slanted because of shade or wind conditions. The apex of the tree is not directly over the base of the trunk. Train your bonsai in the slanting style by wiring the trunk to the side of the pot, or by placing the pot on a slanted surface to allow the tree to grow at an angle.

5. A cascade style bonsai spills over the side of the growing pot. The trunk is often irregular, giving the impression of a meandering stream. Choose a tall, narrow growing pot for this style. Wire the tree to the bottom of the pot give it a cascading shape.

6. The semi-cascade style gives the bonsai a horizontal shape. Unlike the cascade style, a semi-cascade bonsai does not dip below the rim of the growing pot. Wire the trunk of the tree and connect the wire to a heavy object placed to one side of the growing pot.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that each tree has a natural growth pattern. Select a style which naturally complements your tree instead of trying to train it into an unnatural style.

• Remove and replace training wires every four weeks to keep the wires from cutting into the trunk of the tree as it grows.

• Remove and trim tree branches cautiously. A single mistake will ruin the look of your bonsai. If you are not sure whether to remove or trim a branch, leave it and come back in a few days.

References

• Simple Bonsai Styles and Techniques