I’ve been pruning and wiring my young quince twice a year – once in spring and once in fall or winter. I’ve been doing this work to set the shape of the trunk before I let the trees grow on and thicken up. Five year-old Chinese quince Reducing sacrifice branches early keeps wounds small so […]
Chinese Quince
Cutback on Chinese quince
A few months ago, I brought a small Chinese quince into the garden. Chinese quince The tree is relatively refined, but the branch structure has a ways to go. The best way to fix it is to cut the branches back to short stubs. Before doing this, however, I want to make sure the tree […]
Bonsai Development Series #9: Evaluating sacrifice branches mid-season
For my young trees in development, I tend to focus on a single question during the growing season: do I prune now or wait until fall? Chinese quince – four years old from seed The goal at this stage is to develop the trunk as fast as possible. Because the sacrifice branches are well-positioned, I’ll […]
Fall cutback on young Chinese quince
Several years ago, I started some Chinese quince from seed. They grow rapidly and have proved to be a fun variety to grow. Young Chinese quince I’m cutting them back this fall to remove branches that lack curves. This will encourage the remaining branches to thicken. Here’s a close-up of the tree above. Straight branches […]
When not to use colanders for developing young bonsai
I’ve been using colanders and perforated pots like pond baskets for years to grow pines. They’re great for developing roots, they allow for frequent watering and they’re easy to find. What they aren’t great for are developing deciduous bonsai – at least, not without proper watering. Most deciduous trees want a lot of water. Colanders […]
