Article - bonsai garden and bonsai tree - UsBonsai.com

Pruning bonsai

Pruning is one of the most essential parts of growing bonsai. Pruning bonsai is necessary for the tree to maintain the desired shape while promoting growth. Just as there are different bonsai styles so are there different ways to pruning bonsai. Learning the right way to prune your specific bonsai is crucial to create a beautiful and healthy tree.

In pruning bonsai, the first thing to consider is whether it is the right season for your bonsai to be pruned. Some tree species can be pruned any time of the year but there are also many that must be pruned only at a particular time. It is best to seek a bonsai expert for advice to find out when you should prune your tree.

After pruning bonsai, allow the tree sufficient recovery time. Some tree types recover faster than others. Proper caring along with maintaining the right pruning schedule will ensure that your tree will stay healthy for many years. When pruning bonsai, the tree trunk is the primary focus. Working on the tree trunk more than the other parts of the tree will make create a mature and ancient look to the tree. If there are any areas on the trunk that is not growing as much as it should, leave a few extra branches to stimulate growth.

You need to makes sure that you remove all problematic branches when pruning bonsai. Problematic branches are those that are crossing each other or growing on areas that will ruin the aesthetics of the tree. It is also important to note that pruning the roots may also be necessary especially if you have done some heavy pruning on the bonsai trunk and branches. This is to prevent a sudden incredible growth spurt, which may result from imbalanced pruning.

One technique in pruning bonsai is called finger pruning, which is applicable to evergreen coniferous trees such as cedars and junipers. In this method, new shoots that appear on areas where there should be no branches are pinched out to maintain the look of the bonsai and to promote thicker foliage.

For pruning deciduous bonsai such as maple trees or elm trees, make sure to use sharp scissors but cut only using the scissors’ tip. Pruning bonsai leaves is done on both deciduous and tropical plant and tree species to remove leaves that are unsightly and to maintain the right leaf size for the bonsai.

As you will find, there are different aspects to pruning bonsai from its roots to leaves and it is necessary to learn the proper way of pruning each part of the tree to ensure balance, beauty and health.