Still Searching for the Perfect Nebari

This Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) presents a number of striking features, not the least of which is its powerful nebari (surface roots). The photo originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 35.

Yesterday we featured a post on nebari, part of a long history of posts on the topic. Today we’ll go all the way back to April 2009 (our infancy) for our third ever nebari post. It was titled In Search of the Perfect Nebari – part two (Part one was comprised of An Ingenious Technique and An Ingenious Technique part 2 taken together).

Continued below…

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This post is part of an article that originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 23. It was later revised and republished in Bonsai Today issue 102.

Improving a Nebari
by Oishi Kazo

Nebari are often under-appreciated, especially in the west. In Japan, bonsai artists will sometimes talk about nebari as though it is the most important feature when looking for bonsai material. If you think about it, this is not far-fetched, as excellent naturally occurring nebari are harder to come by than excellent naturally occurring trunks.

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I doubt it is even worth mentioning, as everyone knows this—but because bonsai are grown in very confining containers, regular transplanting is absolutely necessary.

What is frequently forgotten is that transplanting is a time to elevate the quality of your bonsai. In this short article, I would like to share with you some thoughts and advice about nebari (surface roots) and tachiagari (lower trunk, from the nebari to the first branch).

Quality bonsai start with the roots. How many bonsai on exhibit have you seen? Whether live or in photos, have you ever seen one with a bad nebari? Assuredly, the answer is no (the author is referring to exhibits in Japan).

Two defects that will not correct themselves over time

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