Cryptomeria – six year update

Somehow six years have passed since the last update on the cryptomeria below. It’s a great example of how slowly development moves along when the work is irregular.

Here is the tree after its first wiring in 2020.

First wiring – September, 2020

For the next few years the tree grew freely.

November, 2021

August, 2023

Around that time I was working on the Essential Bonsai Book. After several years of neglect, the tree made a great case study for for the book showing the difference a single session of pruning and wiring can make.

After pruning and wiring – October, 2023

Although the tree had grown shaggy between wirings, it cleaned up well as the basic structure was in place. Then the next three years happened.

July, 2026

I’d left the branches long in the previous styling to avoid cutting too much at once. Now that the tree had grown out again, it was clear that the silhouette needed a big trim.

The first step was pruning. Nicole and Gianne (volunteers at the garden) did most of the work.

Front

Right side

Back

Left side

Looking at all four sides makes it easier to get an idea about the shape of the trunk and the depth of the branches. Looking closer at the left and right sides, you can see where three large branches were removed.

After removing a branch from the left side

After removing two branches from the right side

When pruning was complete, it was time to wire. Here’s the tree from all four sides again.

Front

Right

Back

Left

Although the silhouette looks OK from the front, it’s easy to see that a number of branches need to fill in around the tree to give it a more attractive shape from all sides.

Ideally, cryptomerias are pruned one or two times a year depending on how much they grow. When done regularly, the work is simple, but it can be tedious. Over time, the results can be beautiful.

News & Updates

[Regional Event]

• Submissions for the 2027 Pacific Bonsai Expo open next week! We’ll be launching our online submission system on October 15th. If you’re thinking of submitting, check out the Call for Entries for bonsai and suiseki on the Expo website.