According to the cultural landscape and the characteristics of local pine and cypress, old stems and coarse branch vegetables should be cut down to reduce the trunk and crown. Then the method of coarse binding and fine trimming is adopted to make the crown follow the natural shape and stagger layer by layer. There are small changes among the major levels, which have a sense of integrity, are not messy, and have the beauty of natural formation. The dwarf wild stump resources are fully utilized, and grafting methods such as butt joint, high branch belly grafting and bud grafting are adopted, and the crown is replaced by five-needle pine. Using abundant arborvitae stump resources, the crown of cypress bonsai such as Jackie Chan and Bai Cui was replaced by docking method, forming its own unique style of cypress bonsai.
On the basis of the original technique, we also learn from the advantages of other places, adopt the method of wire binding and shaping, select the wire with corresponding thickness according to the thickness of branches, and hang the branches with inappropriate angle position to meet the needs of shaping. Before shaping, you need to check the situation of the tree repeatedly, and look at the straightness of the trunk and the position of the main branches. You need to make a plan first, and the shaping can be carried out from bottom to top. The vertical planes between layers should not overlap too much, which is conducive to the growth of light transmission, otherwise the blocked part will naturally lose control and die for a long time.
The pines and cypresses in famous temples in Shan Ye are generally past their prime, that is, they stop growing when they reach a high place. The lateral growth of branches increased, and the branches extended densely. Because of the weight and rain and snow, the branches droop and the branchlets on the branches grow horizontally. Therefore, in plastic surgery, the vertical branches and branches should be kept at a horizontal or drooping angle, and the angle depends on their needs, and the branches can be bent horizontally. If the branch at the top of the knot can droop, it will be older. Because of the shape, it is not excluded that the lower branch and the upper branch coexist, but it should conform to the growth law in the natural environment.
The length of the upper and lower branches is generally long at the bottom and short at the top. From the front of appreciation, the front branches are short and the back branches are long, and the trunk and main branches should be exposed. The proportion of main branches below the trunk should be coordinated. Trunks and thick branches that are not easy to bend by wire and suspension can be bent by finger insertion method which has been successfully tested for many years. If it is a big and thick branch, you can cut the upper part of the part that needs to be bent to half the depth of the diameter with a knife, and the length depends on the need. Cut several strips in this way, cut off the heads of the separated strips horizontally, and turn the other ends around. If you bend hard, the transverse decapitation will tilt upward, just like inserting your hands diagonally. After the main branch or trunk is fixed, the upturned part can be embedded in the groove and wrapped with adhesive tape, and it can heal after two or three years.
Because cypress leaves are different from pine trees, the level of cypress modeling should not be too clear. The wood of cypress is rot-resistant, and it can create dead branches and shapes. Dead branches can be peeled, dead branches can be shaped with live branches, and peeled after shaping. Platycladus orientalis is often used in cypress bonsai, but its branches and leaves are rough and messy, and its general shape is monotonous, which gives people a messy feeling and affects the ornamental value. This is its shortcoming. The branches of Platycladus orientalis are old and changeable, and the big branches are easy to shape, which is the strength of Platycladus orientalis. In the creation of Platycladus orientalis bonsai, if we can foster strengths and avoid weaknesses and return to simplicity, we should adopt the natural form of ancient cypresses in Qufu and Lingyan Temple as green trees and highlight the old trunk. In the cultivation of main branches, the use of scattered modeling can make the proportion of dry branches coordinated and the twist varied, reduce the number of messy branches and leaves, overcome the shortcomings of rough leaves and improve the ornamental value of Platycladus orientalis.
Appreciation of Cypress' Award-winning Works