Bonsai Tree Pruning

Bonsai Trees can be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species.  The Bonsai Tree Pruning and Cultivation techniques used to prune the trunk, branches and roots are what give Bonsai Trees their distinct features.  A few techniques are favored because they can quickly produce a relatively mature-looking trunk with well-placed branches.

Cuttings:  In taking a cutting, part of a growing plant is cut off and potted to develop roots.  If the part that is cut off is fairly thick, like a mature branch, it can be grown into an aged-looking bonsai more quickly than can a seed.  Conversely, thinner and younger cuttings tend to strike roots more easily than thicker ones.  In bonsai growth, cuttings usually provide source material to be grown for some time before pruning.

Layering:  Layering is the technique in which rooting is encouraged from part of a plant, usually a branch, while it is still attached to the parent plant.  After rooting, the branch is removed from the parent and grown as an independent tree.  The point at which rooting is encouraged can be close to the location of side branches, so the resulting rooted tree can immediately have a thick trunk and low branches, characteristics that complement bonsai aesthetics.

Special tools are available for the maintenance of bonsai.  The most common tool is the concave cutter, a tool designed to prune flush, without leaving a stub.  Other tools include branch bending jacks, wire pliers and shears of different proportions for performing detail and rough shaping.  Books are also available to learn different pruning techniques and tool use.

March 1, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Pruning Techniques