Twin Trunk Theme (Sokan/Soju)

1. Twin Trunk Theme(Sokan/Soju) Claude Sciberras

2. Why do we use styles? There are several reasons for identifying a bonsai by a named style: • Naming a style provides a graphic description of the tree. • When one person is talking to another about a bonsai and identifies its style, a mental-visual image of that style is evoked in the mind of the listener. • A style provides a direction of purpose when structuring a bonsai. • It is a shortcut to understanding.

3. Bonsai Styles • Upright Styles • Cascade Styles • Multiple Tree/Trunk Styles • Bonsai With Special Characteristics

4. Multiple Tree or Multiple Trunk Styles • Two-Trunk or Twin Tree • Multiple Trunk / Clump • Forest • Raft • Straight Raft • Sinouous Raft

5. Sokan vs Soju • The difference between a Twin-Trunk (Sokan) and a Twin-Tree (Soju) is in the roots. A Twin-Trunk tree is one tree with two main trunks, a twin tree is two trees which live side by side but which act as one tree – a single composition. • Trees must always be of the same species • They may be created in most any primary style: formal upright, informal upright, windswept, literati however all trees must have a single rhythm or style • It is very important to keep all trunks and trees in harmony and balance paying special attention to the height and girth ratios

6. Two-Trunk (Sokan)

7. Two-Trunk (Sokan) • Trunks split above the root • Trunks can follow most of the primary styles however both trunks must complement each other • For a twin trunk tree to be in equilibrium trunks must have the same height to girth ratios even though one trunk is normally taller and thicker than the other • Trunks must split and remain close to each other creating an interesting ‘V’ between the two trunks

8. Twin-Tree (Soju)

9. Twin-Tree (Soju) • Although twin trees have different root balls they should be as identical to each other as possible, ideally they should be taken in seed or as cutting from the same tree • Although we have two trees in the same pot these need to act as a single unit when selecting and placing branches and when forming the overall silhouette. • The two trunks must complement each other. If one is straight, both should be straight. If one is curved, the other should be curved, etc. The direction of the curves or slants of the trunks should complement, and to some degree, mirror each other.

10. Height to Girth Ratio • Although it is always important to understand and apply the concept of height to girth ratio to any tree, with multiple trunks and trees this becomes even more important • If one tree or trunk is 30cm high and is 6cm thick at the base then its ratio is 30:6 or 5:1 • Applying this same ratio to the second trunk, if its thickness at the base is say 2cm then the tree or trunk should not be more than 10cm high

11. Height to Girth Ratio

14. Two trees acting as one

20. Creating your own Sokan/Soju • The two trunks should be of different height and girth. • The shorter trunk should be either one third or two thirds the height of the taller trunk. • The shorter trunk should have a proportionally smaller girth. • The shorter trunk of a twin-trunk composition should be grown from the base of the larger rather than from a position higher up on the larger tree. • The first branch should come from the smaller trunk or tree as it is younger and still retains its lower branches. It normally is the longest branch. • When choosing the front of the tree(s) consider both trunks simultaneously when making decisions.

21. Creating your own Sokan/Soju

22. Creating your own Sokan/Soju • You can create a twin trunk from seed, cutting, air layering or even by putting two grown trees together • One can also form a Twin-Trunk by training branches which grow from the very bottom of a tree’s trunk • To control the height and the girth of the trunks one must compensate accordingly with the amount of foliage – the more you want a trunk to thicken and grow the more foliage you need • When trying to create a twin trunk from cuttings or seeds one can hard-prune to just above the soil to force new shoots to emerge, then one can choose the best trunks • With air layering one should choose branches which are already well-adapted to the style

23. Potting your twins • The base of the shorter tree should be as close to the base of the larger tree as possible. This is accomplished by removing a wedge of roots from the larger tree’s root ball and fitting the smaller tree’s into the opening. • The shorter and smaller trunk/tree should be planted to the rear of the larger trunk for better perspective of depth. If this is an unsatisfactory arrangement, then the lesser tree should be planted forward of the larger tree. Their bases should not be equal distance from the viewer. In the case of twin trunks one should avoid having the two trunks un a straight line • The placing of the tree in the container depends on the overall silhouette created by both trunks. The rule usually applies that the greater soil space is located under the greater spread of foliage mass.