Bonsai tree:Trident maple reworking

A trident that has grown too vigorously tends to have the thick, youthful branches that this tree shows. In June, a day before the juniper styling shown in the last post, this tree was pruned for a new structure. It will be defoliated several times a year to develop a more delicate branch ramification.

Before pruning, with wildly growing, thick branches.

A primary feature of this old tree is the fused root base.

The top was cut out, lowering the tree by about 8 inches. The remaining branches will soon be flushed with new shoots, which will be defoliated in about 40 days. This will bring more shoots, so that in one year's time ramification can build exponentially. I will post future photos of this tree as it progresses.

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Bonsai tree:Ezo spruce

spent some time pruning and refining this bonsai, the lower branches were very weak when I got this bonsai tree, but a few years of giving them more light and foliar feeding specific branches seems to be working, they are slowly getting stronger, I’m pleased with progress so far.
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Bonsai tree: Developing Ramification on Deciduous Bonsai: 3

The third and final set of illustrations in the series (first set, second set). This one deals primarily with shaping with wire after the pinching and pruning has been completed. I suspect that where it say RESTRAINING NEW SHOOTS (top left corner), it should say TRAINING NEW SHOOTS.
The final step in our series is on training the new shoots. Notice how it is suggested that you do it sooner rather than later after the shoots have started to harden. Shaping with wire is almost always the best way, though sometimes just pruning is enough. Once the shoots have been shaped, you need to continue pinching and pruning to keep them under control.

This calendar is probably for around Tokyo. You’ll need to adjust for the climate where you live. To give some idea of how much difference there can be; here in northern Vermont, trees usually don’t leaf out until around mid-May.

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Bonsai tree: Prune or Wire? How About Both?

The instructions are geared for beginning bonsai enthusiasts.
You can grow decent bonsai without wiring. However, I know of no bonsai that doesn’t require some pruning. If just pruning without wiring works to achieve a desirable effect, then just prune. Trunks and branches that grow without wiring tend to look more natural.
Not all trunks and branches that grow on their own look good. In the top drawing above, the branches are too straight and uninteresting, so wiring is appropriate. Most bonsai artist use wire. Some use it a lot, some more sparingly.

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Azalea - Ramification

This is an old Satsuki azalea, with its massive trunk and wild display of mixed up flowers.
Ramification just means branching. More specifically in bonsai  it is sometimes used to mean branch development or branch refining.
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Controlling Conifer Growth

These simple tips on triming and pinching are from an extensive article entitled ‘How to Train Coniferous Bonsai’ from Bonsai Today issue 42.

Books on the subject
Two of the best books on training conifers are part of our Masters’ Series: Growing and Styling Juniper Bonsai, and Growing and Styling Japanese White and Black Pines.




Here is another piece from the same Bonsai Today article. Pruning and pinching excess foliage are always a good idea when transplanting. Less foliage means less work for stressed roots.

We transplant all summer
As far as the until June part, here in Vermont we can transplant conifers all summer long because it seldom gets very hot. If you know what you are doing, you can transplant conifers all summer in all but the hotest and driest climates. Read more!

Pruning Tips

This is a young deciduous tree before pruning. Notice that the tree’s energy moves primarily upward. It is forming a more or less inverted triangle. In order to control this growth and move the energy down, prune to form the tree into a triangle with tip pointing up.

The right part of the picture shows the same little tree a year or two later. Now your goal is to control growth and keep the tree’s basic shape by continuing to prune back vigorous upward growth and to eliminate unsightly and unhealthy growth. Read more!