Bonsai pruning techniques that beginners can easily master

You may be wondering, why do bonsai need pruning?

In fact, regular bonsai pruning has three benefits

1. It lets the plant's trunk and main branches grow better, so the shape becomes more beautiful

2. It lets the leaves on the branches grow evenly, so some leaves will not grow too large and take nutrients from the other leaves, which would affect the appearance

3. It reduces apical dominance, which helps promote the growth of the lower leaves and branches

Below are illustrated explanations for pruning these four plants. Let's go~

1

Dawn redwood

This is the dawn redwood, as it looked before pruning

Because the dawn redwood grows vigorously and has a well-developed root system, the roots can easily grow too much. So when we prune later, for the sake of appearance, while pruning the leaves we will also clean up the roots at the bottom

This is a before-and-after comparison of the bottom. Because the dawn redwood's root system is well developed, there is no need to worry about damaging the roots

Alright, next we prune the leaves

Because the dawn redwood has a forest-style shape and its branches are straight trunks pointing upward, the leaves at the top grow a bit too vigorously

As shown in the picture, this part needs to be cleaned up to achieve the effect of removing apical dominance (you can search for the concept of "apical dominance" on Baidu)

On the branches near the soil at the bottom, there are many small leaves, and these also have a certain effect, so some of them should be removed too

Alright, let's start cutting!

The first cut will be made at the top, first bringing the height down.

We keep cutting at the top until the height is controlled at the position we want

After pruning, once the height is controlled, then we start cutting the small leaves at the bottom.

These small leaves generally affect the appearance, so these leaves should be cut as much as possible

After pruning, this lower position has become clean and refreshing. (PS: personal habit, I don't like the bottom to be not refreshing enough~~)

After pruning, the basic feel has emerged

However, it seems something is still missing

That's right...

This position is flat-topped, not good-looking..

Then let's make a triangular top

With a little more refinement, it is done

2

Ficus

The leaves of this ficus are already very lush, and there are many weeds on the soil

So when pruning, the weeds must be removed at the same time

Before starting to prune, we first need to judge (or estimate) the shape of this ficus

We can see that the trunk is an

S shape

After parting the leaves, there are several main branches

Key point: the trunk and main branches form the shape of the plant after pruning, everyone should pay attention to this

This time we will prune starting from the bottom

First, the weeds at the soil position

Why remove the weeds first?

Sometimes these weeds are too tall and will block the trunk

The main reason is,They are an eyesore! ! ! !

When pulling weeds, I suggest using your hands, as this makes it easy to pull them out by the roots

After cleaning, the soil surface is much cleaner

Next, we prune the following leaves along the trunk

I will first choose the leaves of this main branch

The principle for pruning the leaves of the main branches is to prune them into cloud-like shapes, in separate clumps, and the leaves and small branches of this main branch after pruning should cluster together, which is what makes it look good

How to make them cluster?

How to make them cluster?

Even after pruning, the junction where the trunk and main branches meet should not keep leaves, so that it looks clean and refreshing

After that, by the same principle, we deal with the other main branches

At this time, I see that on one main branch, some small branches are growing downward

Due to personal preference, I don't like branches growing downward. I want the branches to be "flourishing day by day", so I will cut off this branch

Alright, let's continue pruning the other branches

At the current position, I have finished pruning the main branches facing me

This is the position at the back

This side is also finished pruning

Up to this position, the parts below the head have been pruned, and at this point the shape has basically emerged

There are several things to pay attention to when pruning the head

1. When you encounter new buds, even if the bud is very tender and good-looking, if it affects the appearance, resolutely cut it off

2. The top head cannot be too large. If it is too large, it will create apical dominance and affect the growth of the leaves below the head

So when pruning, make the head as small as possible

And try to prune it into a ball

This way it will look better

Then make appropriate refinements

Done!

In addition, after pruning, the leaves and branches will release sap, so after pruning a ficus, it is best to water the whole plant

3

Elm

The pruning principles for elm are similar to those for ficus

However, the difference between ficus and elm is that elm has a particularly large number of small branches, so when pruning, pay attention to cleaning up more small branches

We also start by pulling weeds

From this picture, everyone will get a sense of the general shape of this elm

ok, let's tackle each main branch one by one

After simple pruning, it becomes like this

ok, next branch

This branch is also done

These are some small branches close to the trunk. Since they affect the overall appearance, I will cut off all these small branches

After pruning the two main branches at the bottom, the bottom begins to take shape

Next are the 3 main branches above

This is how it looks after pruning

Everyone will think, will cutting like this make it bald?

The answer is: don't worry, because elm has strong sprouting ability and can withstand pruning, so cutting makes it healthier

The head also needs to be cut into a roughly round shape, and it cannot be too large

After pruning the head, it is basically about right

Then make simple refinements

Simple refinement means that some small branches and leaves have not been pruned cleanly, so at the end they need to be cleaned up again

After pruning is done, finally take a selfie

4

Camellia

The pruning of this plant is a bit different from the previous two

At the beginning, first prune the overly long branches

Because these are really too! much of an eyesore!

Alright, the troublesome ones are removed

Looking at it this way, this Fujian tea also has too many leaves

ok, we start pruning from the leaves of the trunk and main branches

The leaf circled in red is too close to the trunk, so I will remove it

After pruning, it looks like this

The principle is to keep leaves far from the trunk, and remove leaves too close to the trunk

By the same principle, we remove the leaves close to the trunk on the other main branches

After processing, the trunk and main branches can be clearly distinguished

The head of this plant is not too large, so the head only needs simple pruning

This plant is done being pruned

Some friends may have questions

There was originally a relatively large branch at this position. Isn't it a pity to cut it off?

The answer is: it is not a pity, because it affects the appearance. So just cut it off directly

There is another pruning principle for bonsai:Prune ruthlessly！

The above are the pruning explanations and tutorials for these plants. I hope they help with everyone's daily care.

You can contact us directly with plant care questions