Bonsai Rules

To create a Bonsai, you must follow certain rules. While you can add a little of your own creativity, the fact remains that the guidelines are set in place for a reason. When learning how to grow and train Bonsai, these “rules” will be invaluable. The great thing is that with so much historical information passed down from China and Japan, you already have much ofthe guesswork done for you.

TRUNK RULES
To help you understand these rules, you can use the Nebari and trunk rules as outlined below. Just remember that by following these simple rules, you can create a stunning Bonsai of your own.

• The trunk should lean slightly and when displayed, be leaning in the direction of the viewer
• The Trunk should have a slight flare at the base, which helps visually to anchor the lookof the Bonsai
• The overall height of the Bonsai should be six times the height of the trunk’s caliper
• The roots should radiate from the trunk’s flare
• The apex should also lean, again toward the viewer
• As the trunk ascends, it should begin to taper
• No roots should be poking out at the viewer’s level
• Any grafts should match the scion and under stock, which will keep them from being from being obtrusive
• Any curves in the trunk should not be rounded at the viewer’s level
• The apex should always finish in the same direction as the base and that particular flow should then be maintained
• The trunk line should never move back onto itself – although a little hard to understand, it has to do with the flow and balance of the tree. If the trunk should move back onto itself,you would see a “C” shape.
• For the Informal Upright style, keep the “S” to a limit or the tree will be toooverwhelming
• For the Information and Formal Upright styles, the apex should be grown over the base
• The Bonsai tree should have just one apex
• Any twin trunks should be divided at the base and no higher
• As the tree ascends, curves should grow closer together

BRANCH RULES
In addition to the trunk, the branches play a very important role in the overall appearance of the Bonsai, as you will see from the rules listed below:

• Branches should not cross the trunk
• Branches should not be crossed
• Any branches poking out should not be pointed toward the viewer’s angle
• All branches should be on the outside of the curves
• The first branch should be located about one-third up the height of the tree with any succeeding branches at one-third the rest of the distance to the top of the tree
• Any branches should be on the outside of the curves
• The first branch should be to the left or right and then the next branch, on the
• opposite side. In other words, the branches would be left, right, left, right, etc.• The branch caliper must be in proportion to the tree trunk
• Any branches that are thicker than one-third the caliper of the trunk would beconsidered too thick
• There should be no parallel branches, only visually alternate
• Branches should reduce in size and caliper, as they ascend
• The branches should have space between them to give the visual that birdscould fly through.
• The first and second branches should be forward of the midline
• There should be just one branch per trunk position. In other words, nowhorled, bar, or wheel and spoke branches
• The first, second, and third branches should be 120 degrees apart, makingsure the branch at the back is not directly behind the tree
• Any secondary branches should alternate left and right, following the rules ofthe main branch placement. This will help create foliage pad.
• The branches should create a scalene triangle with the apex, which is arepresentative of God, the middle corner is man, and the lower corner is the earth
• The branches for the Cascade style will typically follow the same rules as that
• of the Upright style, with the exception that the trunk will move down
• The goal with Bonsai is to make the tree look old. To do this, you will need to
• wire the branches, training them in the style you want.
• With twin trees, you do not want branches between the trees to cross the trunks
• Make sure no Jin is hidden in the foliage

POT RULES
Even the pot in which the Bonsai is planted needs to follow certain rules.

• The pot’s depth should be the same as the trunk’s caliper, with the exceptionof the Cascade style
• The tree should be planted in the midline section of the pot, then to the left orright of the center line
• If you are using a fruit or flowering tree, then you want to choose glazed potsthat have colors to enhance the Bonsai
• The pot’s width should be two-thirds that of the tree’s height. If the tree isshort, then the pot should be about two-thirds of the tree’s spread
• The style of the pot should always match the tree. For example, if youchoose to train your Bonsai in the Upright style, then you might want to consider a rectangular pot. If the style were an Informal Upright, then the potshould be round or oval.

CULTURE RULES
The culture of the Bonsai is extremely important for both appearance andgrowing.

• When fertilizing, you want it to be at full strength (although there is somecontroversy among Bonsai growers on this)
• The soil should be uniform and never layered (another controversial subject)
• To help increase the level of humidity, place a tray of small pebbles coveredwith water by the base of the tree
• While an occasional misting is not necessarily a bad thing, you do need to becareful in that it can cause a salt buildup on the leaves
• Rather than water your Bonsai on a fixed schedule, pay attention to itsmoisture level, watering when needed
• The fine particles from soil should be removed, using just the coarse particles• Tropical and subtropical plants should be considered for indoor Bonsai whiletemperate climate plants do best outside. To keep temperate climate plantsinside, you will need to provide them with a certain time of cold dormancy.