A classic style for elms, especially Zelkova serrata, is the broom style. This style is characteristic of many trees in nature and when done well conveys a realism of miniature nature to an extent seldom found in bonsai.
Broom style Bonsai
Hokidachi
The broom style is suited for deciduous trees with extensive, fine branching.
Broom
Broom style follows the basic root rules for formal upright as in figures 3 & 4.
Figure 3. Broom style with weak rootage.
Figure 4. Broom style with nicely balanced roots.
Broom Style (Hokidachi)
Trees in this style have upright trunk with branches and foliage radiating outwards in the shape of a Japanese fan or an Umbrella.
Literati Style (Bunjingi) ...
For broom styles to work well, they must be perfectly symmetrical and meticulously trained and pruned to ensure an even and gradual transition from trunk, through heavy branches, to the finest terminal shoots.
The broom style, or Hokidachi is employed for trees with extensive, fine branching, often with species like elms. The trunk is straight and upright. It branches out in all directions about 1/3 of the way up the entire height of the tree.
Tachiki - (Informal upright, the style I feel suits most beginners), Hokidachi - (Broom Style),
Sabamiki - (Split Trunk), ...
The illustration below shows a tree (broom style)in three different pots, the pot on the right is wrong, it's only suited to a cascade style tree. The one in the middle is better, a more appropriate width, length but a bit to deep.
Discover the difference between cascading style bonsai, and broom style bonsai (not to mention over a dozen other styles).
Think you can't grow indoor bonsai? With this detailed bonsai care guide...you can now! ...
One of the trees on display was this magnificent Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia). It is shaped in the broom style.
The second gallery was by John Trott of Mendip Bonsai Studio. His display won a Gold Medal and included some wonderful specimens.
The field maple bonsai is naturally inclined in the informal broom style, but it can also be trained in most other styles. The exception is the literati style.
After studying the trunkline, she decided to aim for a broom style bonsai; this would require removal of the branches indicated in the picture so that the lowest branches would start at a point 1/3 of the final height of the tree.
- Your bonsai elm will look spectacular in a Formal or Informal Upright style. However, Elms also suit broom styles. The great thing about the elm is that you can do almost anything with them.
So what are you waiting for? Go and start one! ...
broom style - A training form for bonsai which resembles an inverted broom with a single trunk dividing into many symmetric branchlets which subdivide into twigs and so forth. See Hokidachi ...
upright or informally upright trunk bare of branches except at the top, characterized by a tasteful simple elegance. hokidachi broom broom style trees have an upright trunk, with branches evenly fanned out.
Select a style that suite the type of tree that you have selected. For example, you will not find an Azalea in a windswept or cascade style, so it is best not to select these styles. Rather use a broom style, or other appropriate style.
 See also: Style, Broom, Bonsai, Trunk, Tree
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