bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Trunk thickening and when to style

Quote:

Originally Posted by Collin

I'm new to this hobby and have a general question not related to any particular species or style.

My question is about the trunk height to width ratio which I understand should be about 6:1. I have read about seven books about bonsia and most have pictures of bonsai at various stages of development. I regularly see pictures of trees in bonsai pots where the height to trunk ratio is clearly more than 6:1.

I've purchased some nursery stock and performed some basic techniques such as pruning, wiring, trunk chopping, and creating a new apex from a branch. I think I understand the basic techniques. I envision most of my trees to be around 12 inches tall and have pruned them accordingly. However, a height of 12 inches requires a trunk width of 2 inches at the base. None of my trees have a 2-inch trunk at the base although a few have about a 1-inch trunk at the base. I am worried I am creating funny looking shrubs as opposed to creating bonsai.

My question (finally) is how much should I expect the trunk to thicken after I start styling it? I planned to do some pruning and height reduction while leaving the trees in the 1 or 3-gallon containers in which I purchased them. I assume the trunk won't thicken much once they are in a bonsai pot. Will planting them in the ground make the trunk thicken more rapidly than leaving them in a full-sized pot? Also, what affect does height reduction have on the rate of trunk thickening?

Thanks in advance,

Collin

Once you start styling a tree the rate at which a trunk will thicken dramatically decreases for a number of reasons. You have been given some ideas about how the trunk can be thickened but not a direct answer to your question.

Due to the fact that most of the trees most of us are likely to come across are not natural dwarfs, aka Yamadori trees, with large trunks to begin with, it becomes necessary that we learn about proportion, reduction of large material and in ground planting for development. Many of the above mentioned processes are in many cases a precursor to producing material that can then be styled as a bonsai. So really we are talking about two seperate disciplines; development and styling. But until we achieve the trunk proportions we are looking for we concentrate on the process of fattening up a trunk. Referring back to my original answer to your question; once you start styling a tree the rate at which a trunk will thicken dramatically decreases.