How to prune a Chinese sweet plum bonsai? A full breakdown of the latest methods
For bonsai, its shape is its very core and heart. The whole point of a bonsai existing is to be viewed, so if its appearance grows out and becomes unattractive, it needs to be pruned. If you want to shape a Chinese sweet plum bonsai that has already grown into form, you need to do regular pruning. For any branches that have wounds, you must wait until the wounds have healed before pruning. Pruning is a highly skilled task, so below Shuashuai will tell everyone how to prune!
1. Pruning old Chinese sweet plum trees of many years
For bonsai that have been cultivated for many years, every plant has a lifespan, so the Chinese sweet plum also has a lifespan. When it grows to a certain age it will grow old, and to prevent its branches and flowers from aging we need to regularly repot and turn the soil, then remove its old roots and old branches. Its branches, buds and roots all have very strong growth capacity and can quickly grow out again in a short time, so the Chinese sweet plum is a plant that is very tolerant of pruning. After pruning, its roots are just like a man's beard - the more you prune them, the longer and more vigorous they grow.
2. Pruning newly collected stumps
If what you need to prune is a newly dug-up stump, the best planting time is from the end of each year to March of the following year, and once the branches have grown to 10 to 20 cm, you can cut off the branches that exceed that length and any unwanted branches, then cut the remaining branches to a suitable length. This is because too long increases the consumption of nutrients and water, while cutting them short can reduce water consumption. In addition, nutrients can be drawn out from the branch portions to supply the growth of the stump, which lets the stump grow more robustly.
3. Pruning with wounds present
If careless handling or other factors have damaged a Chinese sweet plum branch and there is a wound, you must not cut off its buds or cut off the branch too early. You should first let it grow for a period of time so the wound heals naturally. The Chinese sweet plum grows very quickly and has strong self-healing ability. Once the wound has healed you can cut off the branch, and this way you will not cause a second injury.
4. Points to note when pruning Chinese sweet plum
1. Choose a suitable time for pruning; it is best to choose late spring or early autumn. Why these two periods? Because the sprouting ability of the Chinese sweet plum stump differs at different times, and its sprouting ability is strongest in late spring and early autumn, when it grows most vigorously, so the branches will shoot up wildly. At this time we need to cut off the wildly growing branches and the branches that have grown to cross each other. There is another thing to note here: never prune under the refracted sunlight when the weather is very hot, otherwise the wounds left where you cut will be scorched, which will make the leaves curl up. So after pruning, move it to a shady place and let the wounds heal before moving it back to its original spot, so it can get light without suffering a second injury.
2. You can choose to give it a pruning once every autumn, cutting off the branches and leaves that have grown too dense and cutting off the wildly growing and messy crossing branches, so it keeps its original posture and the branches and leaves grow more densely. Also remember to pinch the tips regularly, because its sprouting ability is very strong, so you need to remove the apical dominance effect.
The above are the pruning methods for Chinese sweet plum bonsai. After reading this, have you learned how? If there is anything the editor wrote incorrectly, everyone is welcome to point it out. Beginners can refer to the editor's methods for pruning. The main targets for pruning are broken branches, old branches, diseased branches and stray branches, and then by paying attention to handling some details you can complete the pruning.