Wednesday 3 March 2010

Bonsai Tree Care Tips - Pruning

Pruning serves two purposes in bonsai tree care. Firstly, pruning removes branches that clutter and hinder the aesthetic design of the tree. Secondly, pruning directs and controls the growth of the tree. There are pruning forms such as Branch pruning which include pinching (finger pruning) and leaf pruning to help encourage branching. There is also root pruning where roots are pruned.

Here are some Bonsai tree care tips on pruning:

Branch Pruning

o   Pick the branches that you wish to keep and carefully remove the others.

o   For new plants, allow the trunk to develop before pruning. Pruning branches from a developed trunk will increase the chances of survival of the tree.

o   Always have a hand-sketch or image of what you want your tree to look like, at your disposal. This will help you to identify and remove branches that clutter the chosen style and obstruct the basic design.

o   You should start with a light pruning then give it two or three weeks and wait for the bounce back to decide if you need to do more.

o   If you need to redirect growth, then prune one area heavily and another much less. Thus, growth will be directed to the less pruned area.

o   Always remember when you are pruning your bonsai that you can always remove something later but it is very difficult to put it back after you have cut it. So if in doubt leave it for now.

Root Pruning
o   Select the roots you want to keep and get rid of the bad ones.

o   When pruning you need to keep the branches and roots balanced for optimum results.

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