Why Shohin Bonsai?

In recent years, Shohin sized bonsai have experienced a rapid increase of popularity across the globe.  This is more so than any other area or size of bonsai. The reason for this is due to the limitations of time, space and finances that enthusiast’s encounter. It is understood that to grow bonsai well you must have at least one of the following, time, space or money. These are the main contributing factor to the rise in popularity of these sizes of bonsai.

Space

Unlike their larger bonsai counterparts, Shohin require very little space. A small balcony can easily home over 100 Shohin and Mame sized bonsai, giving the occupier a variety of colour, shape in interest through every season.
 
Time

As we can now see that space or lack of it doesn’t make growing Shohin bonsai impossible as it would with larger bonsai, time also plays a less critical role. In order to grow a large bonsai, you need to grow a suitable tree in the ground for many years or buy an expensive piece of collected material. Starting from seed and cutting would be an extraordinarily lengthy process requiring many years of field growing if we wanted a big bonsai. Yet seed, cutting and layering are exactly the methods employed and attractive little Shohin bonsai do not take that long to develop and there is so much enjoyment in nurturing your own collection that isn’t found in restyling a purchased specimen. Time is not only a consideration when developing bonsai but also when carrying out the day-to-day maintenance. Our busy lives never allow us enough time to do all the things we want and as a result, bonsai are often the first things to suffer, coming way down on the list of priorities. Individually, Shohin bonsai need only minutes to prune, shape and repot and are easily brought indoors to make working much more comfortable.
 
Cost

A quality bonsai will be expensive. High class Shohin bonsai often command prices more than a similar, larger tree. The material to start a Shohin bonsai however can be obtained very reasonably. Shohin bonsai can be obtained by sources not always applicable to larger trees such as growing from seed, cutting and air-layer.
The costs of all the consumables involved in bonsai cultivation are also a factor. Soils, wire, feeds etc all have to be bought, Shohin naturally due to their size use less of everything!

Displaying Shohin

This is where the fun and the art really start, more so
than with larger trees. In a bonsai exhibition you are
usually given a set space say four feet. One Shohin
would look lost, so Shohin are presented in a composition with others, an accent plant, maybe a scroll and other accessories. It’s not a case of displaying your entire collection in one four-foot space but selecting Shohin bonsai that complement each other in terms of size, shape, direction, species, colour, pot choice and seasonality. Seasonality is very important in any bonsai display and is even more so in Shohin bonsai. Many Shohin displays are based around a topographic landscape. A rugged tree on a tall stand symbolising a tree clinging to a cliff, a deciduous tree below, a tree in the valley and the accent plant showing the undergrowth. A scroll could be used too, with a sun, moon or waterfall.
 
Sizes of Shohin
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​This is often a much-discussed subject where displays have been scrutinised with a tape measure. Much more Important than the height is the proportion of the tree. A 12cm Maple seedling is not a Shohin bonsai, even though it fits the height criteria as it does not possess any of the attributes of a bonsai. Shohin are not sticks in pots. A Shohin bonsai needs to display the key attributes of the specie, mature bark, jin & shari, a beautiful nebari etc, just like their bigger counterparts.
Generally speaking, mame are under 10cm and Shohin under 20cm. But visual mass and proportion are much more important. Larger Shohin (trees that have outgrown shohin classifications are often referred to as Kifu sized and will be displayed with a smaller number of elements, maybe one other tree and an accent.  Don’t get too hung up on the sizes. Use them as a guide only.