Page 173 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

Making a juniper cascade 173

Create the overall shape

1 Examine the tree from all
angles and orientations, then
choose the one that offers
the best balance between the
trunk and branch lines as
well as holding the nebari on
the side opposite the cascade.
You can set a temporary new
planting angle by balancing
your tree on another pot
that is empty.

2 Assess the tree at its new
angle. Aim to remove any
branches that appear to be
growing against the flow of
the cascade, and gradually
thin out the structure. Here,
the secondary shoots from
a small branch are removed
one by one.

3 Frequently stand back 1 2
to check your work. In this
case, with all the secondary
shoots removed, the small
stump that remains is
perfectly placed to create
a new deadwood feature.

4 Continue to thin out the
structure. Here, a few more
branches have been removed
from the cascading branch,
and you can clearly see
the line of the branch and
trunk. The initial idea was
to reduce the upward-
growing trunk that forms
the apex—however this is
impossible to do without
cutting back to a very thin
branch, and may have an
adverse affect on the health
of the tree.

3 4
Stump will be stripped
back to make a jin or shari