Bonsai Ireland » pruning

Pruning a Bonsai

Paul Masterson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:05:05 +0000

Bonsai trees as discussed can be tiny, ranging in size from a few inches to two feet tall, but they can make a nice addition to any garden or outdoor setting.

If you want to grow these miniature trees yourself, you can purchase bonsai seedlings or you can also buy wood cuttings that can be transformed into a bonsai tree. Other tips for growing this type of tree include making sure it gets sufficient sunlight and humidity (You can place the bonsai pot in shallow water to ensure it gets adequate humidity), and only use potted bonsai soil.

To ensure success in growing bonsai trees, pruning these trees correctly is very important. First and foremost, make sure you are pruning them in the right season. You can do research or contact someone who specializes in bonsai to find out the appropriate season that you can prune your particular tree in. For deciduous types of bonsai trees, such as maples, prune by trimming unnecessary growth with scissor tips. When trimming outward, trim back the shoots but only to the point that is just after the following series of leaves. For the conifer types, such as Spruce, prune them by gently twisting the growth using your thumb and forefinger, while supporting the branch with your other hand.

When pruning, make sure you balance everything out, both above and below ground. This means if you do too much pruning of the leaves and branches, but you do too little or no cutting back of the roots (or vice versa), you will later on either have too much or too little growth as the bonsai tries to balance itself out. The roots should be no more than 30% ahead of the foliage.

Branches, such as those growing from the underside of the main branches, growing back sharply toward the trunk, or those that are crossing one another, should be removed. Extra branches growing on any weak area of the trunk should be left alone to allow more growth, so the particular area(s) can become sturdier. Another great tip is to cut approximately 60 to 80% of the larger-sized leaves in mid-summer, so all the leaves stay smaller throughout the year and will thus give off more noticeable and radiant colors in autumn (This is also known as leaf pruning, which can be used on both conifer and deciduous trees).

Also, remember to leave your bonsai with enough time to recover in between prunings and focus the majority of your attention on the trunk, which will give the illusion of a mature size and age.

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

April Bonsai Update

Paul Masterson — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 21:40:40 +0000

The April newsletter was just sent to all subscribers, aptly named ‘April showers, no snow please’ after the the snow showers we had over the past few days. It should disappear by morn!

In this months newsletter we are offering two competitions, one for members offering a selection of Bonsai books and meditation CD’s from Damascus Acoustic Meditations. For non-members we have a great prize if you are a collector of Bonsai books and that is a specially signed copy of one Craig Cousins Bonsai books. To enter see competition page for more details.

Other news:

A prominent Irish Bonsai collector passed away last September and I have been asked by his family to sell off his collection of over 200 trees. The range of trees is mainly outdoor trees, including a selection of Yamadori. More details to follow in the May newsletter.

Bonsai Activities for April:

Your main focus of activity for April is trimming. As spring has finally started the growth on your Bonsai tree will become elongated and out of form from your preferred design. Trim back the leaf growth and remove unwanted suckers from the base of the tree. The following video will show some pruning techniques as well as showing you how to create a Bonsai from nursery stock.

The subject tree is a Juniper. For more information on Juniper for beginners see the following post.

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

Pruning Techniques

Jarret Cade — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:17:34 +0000

With the growing popularity of keeping bonsai and perfecting its art form over the past decade, many people may own or want to own a bonsai. Many people see beautiful pictures of bonsai that have been shaped and pruned into works of art. They themselves want to have a tree as magnificent in the photos so they buy a bonsai tree only to find out it takes special care.

Pruning Your Tree The Right Way

When it comes to caring for your tree and keeping it attractive, having the right knowledge in how to correctly prune and maintain its appearance can make all the difference. While some types of bonsai require more or less care there are some general guidelines that you can follow for all species.

Make sure to use flush cuts rather than concave when removing twigs and branches
Species such as the Jade Bonsai don’t require sealing when cut while most others do
Proper drainage of the soil is essential before removing large branches

Refining Your Bonsai Tree

Refining is the art of shaping the bonsai into the form that you want it to grow in. This is what the bonsai is famous for because of it’s ability to grow into different shapes and forms.

Removing the terminal bud is one of the best ways to stop a branches growth along with pinching buds and branches in key areas. Aluminum wire is the most common method used to refine bonsai because of it’s flexibility while still remaining strong. Aluminum wiring can be found at your local garden shop or hardware store and is relatively cheap. Smaller bonsai can be refined with wire down to 1mm thick while continuously increasing the thickness of the wire as the tree goes.

During the growth season a bonsai tree can grow quite quickly. Constant pruning and maintenance is required to keep things in order. During it’s smaller phases, bonsai may require pinching twice a week while larger trees can do just fine with pinching only once a week.

Bonsai Tree Pruning Tools

There are quite a few tools that master bonsai artists use to refine their trees. However, for the beginner only a few are required to make your life easier.

For most of those just getting into bonsai 2 tools are recommended when you start out. The concave pruner and the bud scissors.

Concave Pruner – The concave pruners unique shape and design allow you to cut the branches in a way that promotes proper healing of the wound.

Bud Scissors – The bud scissors are useful for trimming leaves, branches and buds. It’s design and shape allow you to efficiently and safely refine your tree without causing damage to adjacent areas.

As you grow your collection you are going to require more tools in order to fully develop and maintain your bonsai.

Wire Cutters – Essential for cutting the wire that is used to shape and refine the bonsai. Their small short blades safely remove wire that is already up against the bark and branches without harming the tree.

Root Hooks – Most people don’t realize that they also need to maintain the roots of the bonsai to keep it healthy. Root hooks allows for easy removal of tangled roots and soil.

Knob Cutter – While not always needed the knob cutter is used to remove protruding stubs. It can also be used to efficiently shape and contour the branch and trunk and while quickly removing unwanted wood.

It is said that caring for a bonsai can be a great stress reliever. People have been perfecting the art form for hundreds of years as tools and information is passed from generation to generation.

Article Source

This post was written by Jarret Cade

Find out more about how to care for, maintain and keep a jade bonsai over at http://jadebonsaitree.com