From its beginning to the present, the art of bonsai has continuously evolved and branched out into many different techniques and styles. If you look closely enough, you just might find the basic form from which several styles evolved from.
• The Chokkan Art of Bonsai
The Chokkan Art of Bonsai or Formal Upright is the simplest of forms in the art of bonsai. The style of chokkan follows the path of natural growth which allows the bonsai to retain a resemblance to their full grown counterparts. As its name suggests, the Chokkan art of bonsai is erect with a seemingly symmetrical outline. It may look like a Christmas tree but can also have a rounded crown.
The branches of a Chokkan bonsai are trained to be horizontal. The lowest pair of branches point at the observer. Smaller branches are trimmed from the base and the first branch from the base should be at a third of the height of the plant. The best tree species to use in the Chokkan art of Bonsai are those that would naturally grow straight. Pine, Larch or Spruce bonsai will produce different aesthetics.
• The Moyogi Art of Bonsai
The Moyogi Art of Bonsai or Informal Upright is similar, though less symmetrical in form, to the Chokkan bonsai. Training of the branches is the same with the exception of the top where they are made to bend toward the observer. The trunks of Moyogi bonsai plants may also be made to slant, but not curve.
Slanting the trunk is possible by selecting a tree species that naturally slants during growth. Artificial slanting can be done if the roots of the plant can be made to stretch forward. Plant your bonsai so that it is set back from the front or the pot. Keep watering the front of the pot. This will make the roots stretch forward as the source of water is there. In order to balance itself, the tree will slant backward. To further encourage slanting, wiring can be added to shape the slant.
Some ideal tree species to use for the Moyogi Art of Bonsai are the Japanese Maple or beeches. Crab Apple and Pomegranate can also serve as suitable Moyogi bonsai plants.
Regardless of the style used, bonsai plants are an investment in terms of care and patience for many years. The Chokkan and Moyogi arts of bonsai are two styles that are best suited for novice bonsai enthusiasts.
Shakan or slanting style bonsai is just one of the many forms and styles of bonsai artistry. In Shakan, bonsai tree trunks are slanted at a moderate angle ranging from 30 to 75 degrees. The slant is somewhere between an upright and cascade bonsai.
In natural settings, trees form a slant because of several factors. It could be that a tree stretches its roots towards a water source. As the roots stretch, the tree slants to balance itself. In a windy environment, a young tree would feel the full effects of strong winds which would induce the slant. If there is shade over a small tree, the small tree would slant towards space where sunlight can fall on its leaves. Gravity also affects tree trunks depending on location, the ground itself and the presence of water.
Those using the Shakan bonsai style try to induce this natural phenomenon onto their plants. Another distinguishing feature of Shakan bonsai is the way the lowest branch points in direction opposite the slanting direction of the trunk. This serves as some kind of balancing or symmetrical factor that satisfies the creative soul of a bonsai artist.
When starting out with the Shakan style of bonsai, you might want to consider using a tree species that has a tendency towards slanted trunks. In reality, most trees can have slanted trunks. The only problem for Shakan bonsai artists is to induce those slants and make them more prominent. It takes only care and patience until you can finally see the fruit of your labors.
The most important thing to remember is that the trunk is slanted and not curved. The trunk must be straight as a pencil. However, bonsai, as with all art has degrees of expression. It is up to the artist to interpret the boundaries of his/her creation. However, the bonsai plants that look similar in nature to their bigger counterparts are some of the most prized. Artists should take into account the way a tree a will grow naturally to perfectly copy nature's works.
In most bonsai styles, balance is also of the utmost importance. In shakan bonsai, short branches are grown in the direction of the slant while long braches should point away from the slant. The roots must also point away from the slant. This is balance for the tree and balance for bonsai artistry.
Shakan bonsai has several styles or sub-classes. Dai-shakan is a style that spreads the branches in a direction away from the trunk while Chu-shakan makes it so that the branches are trained toward the trunk.
Some ideal tree species for use with Shakan bonsai are conifers. They bend rather easily. The best way to display the shakan bonsai is to use a rectangular pot with the tree planted directly in the center of the pot.
• Kengai Bonsai (Cascade)
Kengai or cascade bonsai is one of the harder bonsai styles in existence. The trunk is grown twisting down from the container. The effect is quite beautiful. Kengai bonsai plants are often desired above other bonsai plants made in other styles.
The downward growth of a trunk is possible in natural settings. A tree on a cliff that is constantly being subjected to winds or a tree laden with snow may possibly develop this attribute. To a bonsai artist, recreating these conditions can be very tedious and impractical. Patience and wires can take the place of nature if the artists are adept at what they do.
Since Kengai bonsai results in unbalanced tree growth, the base or container should be of enough weight to counter the tendency of the plant to tip over. The pot must be placed near the table top edge so that the trunk can be grown downwards without any impediments. The plant itself should be situated in the center of the pot. Even as the trunk continues to grow, the branches sprouting from the trunk must spread in a horizontal manner.
Most of the time, the tree trunk is directed in such a way that it crawls toward the edge of the pot, climbs the edge of the pot and goes down the side of the pot. The tipping takes place immediately at the base of the trunk. If the branches of the tree are trimmed correctly in a stair step pattern, the tree aesthetics will acquire a meandering river-like quality.
Because parts of the tree can be lower than the roots, regular watering is inadequate. A solution of water and fertilizer sprayed onto the leaves and branches will help the tree in acquiring needed liquids and nutrients. This technique is known as foliar feeding where the leaves absorb the liquid and nutrients.
• Han-Kengai Bonsai (Semi-Cascade)
Han-Kengai is a stand alone style of bonsai gardening. Unlike Kengai bonsai, Han-Kengai bonsai plants do no grow below the surface of the soil. This is a loose rule though since some Han-Kegai bonsai plants dip below the soil surface level to some degree.
For both Kengai and Han-Kengai bonsai styles, there are plenty of availabe tree species suitable for bending. Junipers and cherry trees are a flexible enough species of tree that they will survive the twisting and bending that Kengai and Han-Kengai bonsai will demand of them. Weeping willows, cedar and chrysanthemums are also Kengai bonsai regulars due to their flexible properties.
Since the growth of trees in Han-Kengai and Kengai bonsai are somewhat smilar, the administration of care is also the same. Foliar feeding for Han_kengai bonsai plants is necessary as it is with Kengai bonsai plants.
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