Learn these 5 bonsai shaping techniques now!

(1) Direct dry type

Bonsai trees have only one main trunk, and the trunk is basically upright or slightly curved. Those that are straight but with a hint of curve are called straight trunk style. For straight-trunk bonsai trees, the best root performance requirement is to have thick roots extending in all directions, making the tree look solemn and stable, with an imposing manner that stands tall and upright. The branches extend in all directions, with rich layers and strong branches. The branches should be about 1/3 or 2/3 of the height of the trunk. There should not be too many branches and leaves so as not to block the trunk. The main trunk should be exposed as much as possible to show the uprightness and vigor of the potted tree. The flowerpot should be shallow, and the planting position should be determined by the shape of the tree. Pay attention to an asymmetrical balance between the tree and the pot. If the tree crown is an isosceles triangle, the planting position should be in the middle and slightly back; if the tree crown is a slightly unequal triangle, the planting position should be slightly biased to the short side of the triangle.

Straight-trunk tree bonsai should be made into a tall "vertical" work, and the branches should be short. Tree species suitable for expressing straight-trunk works include black pine, five-needle pine, golden pine, metasequoia, ginkgo, elm, etc. Most of these materials are taken from forest nurseries, and some are dug from the mountains and wilds.

(2) Curved dry type

The curved trunk bonsai trees require the main trunk to have a certain degree of curvature, but not too many curves, one or two curves are enough. The music should avoid being too monotonous and repetitive, otherwise it will sound artificial. The value of music lies in its liveliness, and the liveliness lies in the changes in the main lines, which are both hard and soft, and the combination of hardness and softness. The lines are both smooth and graceful and upright and strong.

The curved trunk materials collected from the mountains are unpredictable, vigorous and natural, which is very valuable, but there are also unsatisfactory changes in lines, so you must be careful in choosing them.
For artificially cultivated curved-trunk materials, the main trunk must be slightly tilted during planting so that the roots on the other side can be cultivated into thick and strong roots that are half exposed on the soil surface, and the direction of the roots and the connection with the main trunk have a smooth and coordinated feeling. This is the most important ornamental part of the curved-trunk tree bonsai and must be taken very seriously.
The part above the base of the trunk can be shortened by pruning, allowing the trunk to choose another direction of development. In the future, you can also use a combination of pruning and tying to cultivate the trunk until it meets the aesthetic requirements of the bonsai.

Cypress is the most typical curved-trunk bonsai material. Other trees such as pine and some miscellaneous wood species are also suitable for making curved trunk bonsai.

(III) Slanted dry type

In nature, the leaning of tree trunks is mostly caused by strong winds, landslides, and other factors. Therefore, the changes in the inclination of the tree trunk are also very complex, but one thing is that its trunk lines are not straight lines, but various deformations of "S" shapes. This posture of reflecting the tilted trunk in nature in tree bonsai is called the slanted trunk style. The main trunk of the slanting trunk bonsai material must have various "S"-shaped deformations. If the main trunk leans to the right, there should be thick roots on the left side, and the tip of the main trunk should turn upward, which looks like a bonsai material with a slanted trunk that has been tilted for many years. If the trunk is tilted and the main line is straight, it will lack charm and not conform to the laws of nature. Because there is no day when the wind is strong and the trees will always continue to grow upwards.

The key point in making a slanted trunk tree bonsai is how to ensure that the tree does not lose its center of gravity and achieves balance. The methods include: making use of thick roots in the opposite direction, making use of branches in the opposite direction, and letting large branches that incline in the same direction as the main trunk fall down, giving people a sense of support.

In order to enhance the tilt of the potted tree and make the composition more active, it is advisable to use a round shallow pot, a square shallow pot or a half-high round pot to allow the tilted trunk or branches to extend beyond the pot.

Coniferous trees and some miscellaneous woods are suitable as materials for slanting-trunk bonsai.

(IV) Cliff Style

On the cliffs in nature, it is common to see trees growing in various postures, which look dangerous but still lush. Trees with this posture are collectively called cliff style in bonsai.

Cliff styles generally include semi-suspended, fully suspended and inverted types.

Semi-hanging style: The entire bonsai tree grows out of the pot, but the tree body is not lower than the surface of the pot. It is possible that the main trunk extends horizontally, or the main trunk is shorter and the first branch is thicker and longer, thus taking advantage of the air.

Full hanging style: The entire bonsai tree extends out of the pot and extends downward in a cascading manner with branches extending horizontally.

Inverted style: The entire bonsai tree protrudes from the pot, with the exposed trunk hanging vertically upside down and the branches still extending horizontally.

The production of cliff-style bonsai focuses on material selection, which requires that the base of the main trunk of the material has a certain degree of curvature so that the main trunk or large branches can extend horizontally or droop downward. Although cliff-style bonsai is popular, it is also necessary to consider the material conditions and follow the modeling principle of "adapting to the material".

Cliff bonsai were often planted in pots in the past to highlight the momentum created by the trees falling from a great height. Nowadays, half-high square or round pots are often used for planting, and high racks are used to create the impression of a cliff when arranging exhibitions. Its advantage is that it can improve the cultivation and management of trees caused by the high trunk being too deep; in terms of viewing, it can make the scenery, pots and frames a trinity, and show them vividly, making the picture transparent, coordinated and vivid.

(V) Double dry type

The double-trunk tree bonsai appears in the form of two trees combined together, embodying the artistic beauty of humility and coordination, mutual response, proper density, and mutual generation of virtuality and reality between the two trees, thus showing the realm of the work with both form and spirit, and the fusion of emotion and scene.

The following points must be paid attention to when making double-trunk bonsai.

When selecting the two trees for material, there must be a primary and a secondary distinction. The main tree should be taller and the secondary trees should be shorter.

The posture is based on the main tree, and the posture changes of the secondary tree's trunk should be roughly similar or close to that of the main tree's trunk, so as to form a certain tacit understanding. If the postures of the two tree trunks are completely different, such as one straight and one curved, it will be difficult to create a harmonious beauty and should be avoided.

When planting two trees, they should be planted one behind the other, not parallel to each other. Who goes first and who goes later depends on the specific situation. When planting, the bases of the two trunks should be close to each other, and the roots of the trees should be in basically the same direction, not facing east and west. The angle between the extension directions of the two tree trunks should not be too large, and it is generally ideal to be within 45°. If it is too big, the two tree trunks may lose their response and gaze to each other.

The selection and adjustment of branches for double-trunk trees is more complicated. The two trees should be treated as a unified whole in order to achieve overall balance and stability, coordination between the virtual and the real, and orderly competition and concession.

The large lower branches of the two trees should extend outwards on their own, and the thicker branches between the two trunks should be cut off to avoid the thick branches and the main trunk from crossing. The branches between the two trunks should be filled by the branches on the front and back sides to avoid going straight, which is the most natural.

In addition, the branches of the main tree should be high, while the branches of the secondary trees can be slightly lower to avoid the branches of the main tree affecting the growth of the secondary trees.

Double trunk planting can also be of two different tree species, but the best combination is still one tree species.

The double-trunk style is the planting of two trees together, and the double-trunk style can also be incorporated, collectively known as the double-trunk style. Because from a styling perspective, the treatment of their trunk and branches is the same. A tree with two trunks may have been one originally, but later split into two due to external forces. The height, thickness, straightness, and exposure of the two main trunks all conform to the expressive requirements of bonsai art. The sarira stems are also natural, with some minor modifications to remove the decay. The sacred branches are indispensable, but they are man-made. It is ideal when both waterlines are wide and extend along the outside of the trunk. The tree crown is composed of two crowns tightly combined, and its momentum is unified with the two trunks. The whole tree has a good balance of movement and stillness, and a compact structure, with a beauty of stability, calmness, unity, and harmony.