What are the common pruning methods for flowers and bonsai?

1. Pinching and tip pruning: Pinching and tip pruning are common pruning methods for flowering plants. If the tree grows too vigorously and you want to suppress it, or to promote the sprouting of axillary buds to increase the number of branches, you can use your fingers or scissors to remove the growing point of the tender shoot.

2. Bud removal: Bud removal is also a common plant pruning method. On the base or trunk of flowering shrubs, adventitious buds often appear, and these adventitious buds need to be removed in time. If not removed, they not only consume nutrients but also disrupt the tree shape, so they should be rubbed off by hand before the tender buds become woody.

3. Flower and fruit thinning: Flower and fruit thinning is also a common pruning method. For young flowering shrubs or weak-growing flowering shrubs, in order to reduce nutrient consumption and promote their vegetative growth, they are often prevented from blooming, or the number of blooms is reduced by removing part or all of the flower buds. For some flower varieties with large blooms, sometimes in order to concentrate nutrients and promote vivid flower color and large flowers, excess flower buds can be removed, as can be done for Chinese rose, camellia, tree peony, herbaceous peony, chrysanthemum, dahlia, and so on.

For some fruit-viewing plants, if there are too many flower buds or young fruits, part of the young fruits should be removed early. This not only enlarges the fruit but also promotes the growth of new shoots, laying a good foundation for fruiting the following year.

4. Leaf removal and leaf pruning: Leaf removal and leaf pruning are common pruning methods for flowering plants. For evergreen flowering shrubs and when transplanting flowering shrubs during the growing season, part of the leaves must be removed, or one-third to one-half of each leaf must be cut off. Flowering plants often pruned in this way are mostly foliage plants, such as the common Japanese maple (Acer palmatum). Cutting off old leaves can instead promote the growth of new leaves and make it more beautiful. Maples can also have their old leaves removed once a year, generally after the spring leaves age in summer.

Goji (Lycium chinense) can generally have its leaves removed twice a year, the first time in early summer and the second time in early autumn each year. Generally, fertilizer and water should be applied before leaf removal. For conifers, leaf removal is not suitable.

5. Branch pruning: When pruning branches, besides considering that the normal sprouting of the flowering shrub must not be affected, you must also take care not to damage the shape of the flowering shrub. The method of branch pruning is generally to saw off thicker ones and also cut off thinner ones.

The pruning cut should be smooth, and the cut surface should face downward as much as possible. The lower end of the cut should be level with the bud on the back side. The wound should be wrapped well with plastic film to prevent moisture and pathogens from entering and causing rot. Regardless of whether the branch is thick or thin, the cut should be flush with the branch it grows from, and no stub should be left.

6. Root pruning: Root pruning is generally done for bare-root transplanted flowering shrubs. Before transplanting, the main root can be cut off, which can promote the growth of lateral roots. For some damaged roots, old roots, and dead roots, they should generally be cut off, and the cuts should be smooth.

Generally speaking, root pruning for potted flowers is mostly carried out together with potting and repotting.