If you’re not happy with a tree’s structure, you can always hit the reset button and remove any branches you’re unhappy with. This process looks different for different species but the basic idea is the same: remove any portion of the tree that lacks “good structure.” For deciduous and broadleaf evergreen bonsai, this may mean […]
Pruning
Summer pruning young deciduous trees
It’s been a while since I last pruned some young quince and crabapples I’ve been growing from seed. By pruning in summer I can encourage them to produce new growth that I can wire in fall. Here’s a six-year old crabapple that I’m growing to be a shohin-sized tree. Siebold’s crab The trunk is close […]
Developing chojubai – tips from Left Coast Bonsai
Last week John Eads of Left Coast Bonsai was in the garden to help get my young trees into shape ahead of repotting season. As John studied with Michael Hagedorn, he’s a great resource for developing the dwarf Japanese flowering quince known as chojubai. Here are a few of the trees he worked on this […]
Timing for fall pruning when the weather is still warm
Notes about when to hold off on fall pruning.
Cutback and leaf pruning a dwarf wisteria
I’ve been learning this year that doing the same work at a slightly different time can make a big difference. I usually thin my dwarf wisteria, Millettia japonica ‘Microphylla,’ in May, but this year I pruned it in June. Dwarf wisteria before cutback As you can see, the foliage is dense – so much so […]