Creating different bonsai styles. Composition on stone. Ishitsuki (石付) and Seki-joju (石 上 樹)

Compositions on stone can be divided into two types: Ishitsuki (石付), where the roots are entirely in the stone, and Seki-joju (石 上 樹), where the tree’s roots wrap around the outside of the stone. Like every style, a composition on stone should look natural. When choosing a tree, bear in mind that the first branch should be close to the roots. In other styles, the distance from the roots to the lowest branch is 1/3 of the tree’s height; in Ishitsuki and Seki-joju, that space should be filled by the stone. The proportion between stone and tree depends entirely on the taste of the artist. To get a good grasp of this style, it is best to study carefully examples created by experienced bonsai masters. The stone should have holes, ridges and hollows; it should be clear that natural forces played a large part in “shaping” it. In short, the stone chosen for this style should remind us of a cliff in some way. A river cobble or an artificially worked, smooth-surfaced stone is no use at all for this bonsai style.

Ishitsuki (石付)

To create this style, the stone needs a hollow into which soil will later be placed and the tree planted. Finding such a stone is somewhat difficult. If there is not enough room to plant the tree, we will have to make the hollow ourselves, which is quite laborious work. If you find that the tree cannot be anchored securely on the stone, you will need to make extra holes, through which you can then pass copper wire and fix the tree firmly in place. The stone must also be given a drainage hole. At the lowest point of the hollow, drill right through the full depth of the stone.

The stone must stand stably on its surface; if some ridge on the bottom of the stone keeps it from sitting properly on its stand, be sure to break it off. A bonsai in this style is placed in a low container wider than the stone. The container is filled with washed sand, fine gravel or sea pebbles. The container can also be filled with water, in which case the composition gives the impression of an “island”. If the shape of the stone allows it, this style can be displayed without a container at all. Sometimes it is impossible to carve a hollow in the stone large enough for the tree to grow normally. In that case an extra hole is drilled right through the stone for the roots to pass through.

When repotting, all the soil is removed from the roots. Carefully, with the help of some thin stick, thread the roots through the hole. The hole must be filled with soil. Use a very fine fraction (small holes are easier to fill with dry soil); sprinkle it into the hole a little at a time and, with the same thin stick, try to fill the void completely. In this case the stone is set in a low container filled with soil. The tree will then draw its nutrients from the soil in the container.

Seki-joju (石 上 樹)

This style needs a tree with long roots. Remove all the soil from the roots and place the tree on the stone. Spread all the thick roots as evenly as possible around the stone. It is good if the roots are longer than the stone is tall. Try to lead the roots along the grooves and ridges in the stone. Then tie the roots spread around the stone in place by winding string around them. Next, nail together a box of thin boards around the stone, slightly larger than the stone. Then fill the box completely with soil. Kept in these conditions, the roots will in time cling tightly to the stone. A year later, in spring, remove a third of the wooden box. As you water, the soil will gradually wash away by itself and the roots wrapped around the stone will come into view. After another year remove another third of the box, and after one more year free the tree and stone from the box entirely. Then set the tree in a pot. A shallow pot is best for this style. When setting it in the pot, try not to let fine roots get trapped under the stone. Trim off all the fine roots left on the soil surface, keeping only the well-developed thick roots.

Newly exposed roots must be protected from the sun. Water is added to clay loam to make a paste, and the roots are covered with it. Watering and misting wash this paste off the roots, so you will need to repeat the procedure several times over a season. After a while the roots will thicken and become covered with bark. Unlike Ishitsuki, this style requires the exposed roots to be fairly thick. The roots may thicken while they are enclosed in the wooden box, but it is better to choose a tree that already has 3–4 well-developed, thick roots. With such a young plant you will reach the result you want in less time. Also bear in mind that some conifers do not tolerate having all the soil removed from their roots.

A bonsai in this style needs special attention during winter frosts and on hot summer days. In summer, if direct sunlight falls on the tree, the stone can overheat and cause the roots to dry out. If you cannot keep the tree out of direct sun, provide shade. It is a good idea to cool the roots and stone by misting them several times a day. Once all the soil has been removed, be sure to wrap the roots in winter for a season or two to keep them from freezing. Use deciduous trees for this style; with conifers it is not advisable to remove all the soil from the roots.