Such A Thing As Too Much Trunk?

Will_Heath

I'm a advid reader of bonsai forums, books, and magazines, lately I have noticed a trend that seems to lead to a primary focus on trunk size alone.

It may be just me, but I have noticed alot of super developed trunks lately that have little or no branch development and seemily lacking in any grace what-so-ever. "A stump with a few suckers," as I heard one described before.

I also seen a demo that took a nice pine and sawed it off about 6" above ground level, leaving one thin branch for the apex that would never catch up in size. In fact the instructor knew this and said that he would wire a future branch across that area to hid it.

I realize that a bonsai should have a trunk width in proportion to it's height and I have seen some very nice bonsai that were reduced in size to match the trunk. I also realize that a trunk should have a taper, gradual from roots to apex, this is what seems to be missing in these trees.

However, there is a awful lot of bonsai lately that have way to fat of trunks for the height of the tree and some of these "sumo" are very nice. Yet, some of these border on the bizarre as they do not have branches in proportion to the trunk and they lack in the grace that only well defined branching can bring. I have seen some that you would be hard pressed to point out a branch at all.

My question is if I am the only one noticing this trend, or if it has always been like this?

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DavidN

I believe the idea of 'sumo' bonsai is fairly new. The emphasis on large trunks is obviously to portray age in bonsai. I doubt however that the fat trunks with little amount of branching would ever be displayed or on show. Show/Exhibition quality trees would need detailed branching to bring out their best. The fat trunks that I have been seeing lately are usually still in development and need time to become show quality. Once developed and with detailed branching these trees would look very special.

In Australia, I haven't seen too many of these types of 'sumo' trees however, online, I have seen this trend starting(IBC,bonsaitalk). I like the idea of 'sumo' trunks but they do need to have the detailed branching and refinement to make them special.

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Attila

My impression is that we can see more of these trees lately. I also think that most of them come from the Far East, although you could find them everywhere.

To me it emphasizes the technical bravado of the grower, it is supposed to be the pinnacle of technical accomplishment. There is so much focus on the taper, that pushing the limits of the material in this respect becomes an art in itself.

Enjoying the sight of it is an acquired taste (like who produces the most bitter-tasting pickled olive, or the stinkiest cheese) and has little to do with trying to achieve an artistically balanced composition. I see it more like craft, not too rich in artistic qualities, sometimes too loud in striving for attention.

To me, it's little more than an interesting curiosity, which occasionally I would find entertaining.

Regards,
Attila

Will_Heath

On this point the way it is stated, I'd have to agree. However I was leaning more towards the recent trunk in a pot trend. No real taper and likely it would take many years for a branch to achive the thickness to make a graceful taper, with many chops of that branch. This is understandable and one way to achive a nice trunk. Yet, many of these trunks with little or no branching are displayed in bonsai pots, leading me to believe that the artist considers them to be a "showable" bonsai and is not overly concerned with growth of the unpoportioned branches or creating a graceful taper.

RonMartin(deceased)

No you are not the only one noticing it an it definitely hasn't always been like this.
Seems like a lot of us (mostly Americans) have confused a nicety formed trunk with a LARGE trunk. Large and good are not necessarily the same. In bonsai at least ;o)
The quality and balance of the trunk. How it relates to the branching and foliage matter. Size is only a small consideration.
And this rant is brought to you by one whose taste runs toward the larger bonsai.
But then I, like others, do them mostly for the shock value. But then even I know that good is always more important than big.

Carl_Bergstrom

My thoughts exactly.

Well, not exactly. I didn't use quite as polite of language when I thought it.

Here's something I wrote about the subject in this contentious thread maybe two years back, as oart if an effort to explain why I don't like "oil slick" roots for their own sake:




Cheers,
Carl

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In love with trees

Carl_Bergstrom

Ah, I see. In my opinion, that's two parts amaturism and one part e-bay salesmanship, with a pinch of overcompensation tossed in for good measure.

(Mentally going through my own trees, now that I've mentioned this, hoping I haven't posted any offending specimens in the recent past. Because Bonsaial or Treebeard will be sure to keep me honest if I have! )

With my best regards,
Carl

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Will_Heath

I think that some may be in such a rush to get a "thick trunked" bonsai, that they will hack a tree down to a stump and put it into a bonsai pot, with a few small twigs growing off of it. Some may hide the obvious with some foliage, but that gives the tree a stumpy drawfed look and without foliage, looks comical.

It takes a very long time for the new apex on a trunk chop to thicken up and become part of the trunk taper when planted in the ground. In a bonsai pot, your grandchilden may see it. Yet, a number of well timed trunk chops while growing in the ground is the quickest way to achive a good trunk that also has gentle taper.

Gentle taper is what most of these trees are missing, they tend to look like upside down drinking glasses and the branches never look quite right on them, if you can see any branch structure at all. Most of the thick trunked trees I've seen lately are all trunk and foliage, no branch structure visable.

Al started another thread where he gave the ratio to strive for with trunks vs height, excellant and informative. I believe that this ratio should also be applied to branches. I do think that a gradual taper should be worked in there somehow.

David Chauvin

A well done, well proportioned "sumo" is a thing of beauty...one poorly done is just that....poorly done. This goes for any bonsai form. To condemn the entire genre is silly. A well made bonsai can stand on it's own merit.

Regards,

david

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