Bonsai Pruning Basics

It takes precise work to properly prune a bonsai and it is necessary to make certain types of cuts to minimize damage to the tree and ensure scars are nearly invisible when healed.

Bonsai pruning basics. Informal upright informal upright shares the same basic bonsai pruning methods as formal upright. Bonsai maintenance pruning the goal of maintenance pruning is to maintain and refine the shape of a tree. Structural or hard pruning is intended to give an initial form to virgin material reducing the length of the trunk and accentuating the taper if this is part of the design conceived for the bonsai or removing unnecessary branches. It also includes twig pruning leaf pruning and pinching.

Every 2 3 years your bonsai will need to be repotted and have its roots pruned. Maintenance pruning to maintain and refine the existing shape of a bonsai and structural pruning which involves more rigorous pruning to give a tree its basic shape or style. Replacement pruning is used to reduce the height of a bonsai or the length of its branches. Essentially there are two different techniques.

To do this remove your tree from its current container and using a root hook or a chopstick try to remove as much soil as possible while detangling the root mass. Figure 1 before pruning front of the tree. Spring and summer are the seasons to proceed with significant pruning. The goal is to create a bonsai that resembles nature as close as possible.

Maintenance pruning is all about keeping the design of your bonsai tree and distributing the foliage in a healthy way. This one clearly isn t and needs to be pruned. When looking down from the top the tree should also be roughly triangular shaped. Pruning bonsai without doubt the most important way to train a bonsai is to prune it on a regular basis.

However the trunk is slightly bent to the right or left and branch positioning is more informal. As explained above trees will concentrate most growth on the top and outer parts of the tree. It is important to prune these growth areas regularly in order to encourage growth closer to the inner parts of the tree. Though this will depend on the type of tree you have.

A bonsai should be roughly triangular shaped. Pruning is crucial in keeping trees miniaturized as well as to shape them. Prune carefully and minimally to keep your bonsai in good shape. Bonsai pruning is very important in all the stages of bonsai development as well as upkeep.

It is also the most common and can be used for most species including japanese maple beech and various conifers. For this tree the front of the tree is on the right side of the picture so the base of the triangle is there as well. If you want to use a bonsai tree as a component of your landscape you require to find out the basics of bonsai pruning to shape and keep the form of your trees.