I’ve set a simple goal for a group of cutting-grown plums: avoid straight growth. The idea is to produce trunks with undulating movement. Each year these plums produce new shoots in spring. I typically wire these shoots in summer and then shorten them in fall. If I find anything straight, I shorten it or wire […]
Plum
Bonsai Development Series #8: Removing unnecessary branches
When developing material for bonsai, it’s best to avoid creating straight trunks and branches. Many varieties, however, naturally produce straight growth. This gives us two options: cut or wire. Cutting is often preferable to wiring as cuts can be used to create taper and angular movement. Wiring has its place too as it’s a quick […]
Where do roots like to grow? A look inside the pot
For as important as roots are to healthy bonsai, we don’t often get a good look at how they grow in the pot. Few containers offer a view at what’s going on inside and we often disturb the roots with sickles or chop sticks when removing trees from their containers. I got a particularly good […]
Fall cutback on young Japanese plum bonsai
One of the first bonsai under my care was a Japanese plum. As I really like the way it grows, I decided to make some cuttings a few years ago. Young Japanese plums grown from cuttings The work is simple at this point – remove or wire anything that lacks movement. Young plum with two […]
Spring cutback
When deciduous varieties get shaggy in Spring, it’s often a good indicator that it’s time for cutback. To keep these trees strong, I generally cutback to 3 or 4 buds and only remove growth in strong areas. A small number of cuts can make a big difference in appearance. Plum – early May Plum – […]