Bonsai Gardening Basic Styles - Shakan

Shakan (Slanting)
There are a number of intricate and complicated bonsai styles. One of these is the shakan style, in which each element of the tree is positioned very specifically in the pot. You can appreciate the intense details that go into this bonsai style.

The tree is slanting, thus giving the bonsai its name, and is usually slanted at a moderately high angle somewhere between an upright and cascade style. You will see the slant is anywhere between 30 degrees to as much as 75 degrees. The lowest branch will point away from the trunk of the tree and lend a unique visual balance to the tree. This balance is very important to the bonsai artist.

In Nature, a full-sized tree will acquire these characteristics due to the environment they grow up in at an early age. Typically, this happens when the wind is blowing more frequently and harder in one direction than another. In addition to these outdoor effects, the amount of shape in the young tree’s location is another influence.

Gravity acts on the trunk that is weaker on one side than the other. Other contributing factors include the shape of the ground surrounding and holding the tree, the location of the tree and the amount of water present. As a bonsai artist, you can imitate these effects to cause a similar look for your bonsai piece.

You will want to start with a species that is able to enjoy this style naturally. Many trees in Nature can have this effect occur, however, which is beneficial to the bonsai artist. You can bring out this state in the species in a dramatic fashion through training and patience.

The trunk of the bonsai tree with a shakan style will be slanted straight, but not curved. You will see that there are a number of variations to this apparently rigid detail, but the artistry of bonsai always leaves room for interpretation. You will want to be careful to see a result that you plan and maintain balance in the tree. The longer branches will want to be distributed away from the shorter branches that are slanted in the same direction. You will want the longer roots, also to be slanted away for balance.

There are a number of sub-styles within shakan, including the dai-shakan and the chu-shakan. Each sub-style refers to the way the branches are trained in relation to the angle of the tree. For the chu-shakan style, for example, the branch is to be trained away towards the back from the tree trunk. Dai-shakan, conversely, will spread the branches away from the trunk.

White Pines and other conifer tree species are good choices for this style since they are like modeling clay with this style. You can display them at their best advantage when you put them in the center of a rectangular pot. This way, the branches and trunk are best situated to show off the artistry, care and patience involved with all bonsai trees and their styles.

         

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