Pruning Bonsai Tree

23
Aug  

Pruning the bonsai tree effectively 

 

Bonsai trees are decorative trees that you can have at the entrance
of your home and the yard. However, the tree needs to be pruned
regularly so that it maintains its shape and the style that you desire.
There are two types of pruning. One is the style pruning that enhances
the aesthetics of the plant and the other is maintenance pruning, which
maintains the shape of the tree. Maintenance pruning also ensures that
the tree does not overgrow.


The growth of the tree is concentrated near the tips of the tree so
that it grows higher and helps the tree compete effectively for sunlight
especially in the forest setting. This is called the apical dominance.
This often leads to disappropraite growth on the lower branches. Regular
pruning takes care of this problem

 Best time for pruning

It is good to avoid pruning your Bonsai during the hot afternoon sun
and rather do it in the mornings and the evenings. This is because the
tree loses lots of water in the process and the sun scorches the cut
edges giving them a burnt appearance. The tree may also look wilted.


The growth season for the Bonsai trees is usually between March and
September. This is the best time to prune your Bonsai trees. However,
the Ficus Bonsai variety has a different timing than Juniper Bonsai.

Consider the canopy size

The canopy size is the size of the outgrowth shoots and branches. You
can use a normal cutter or the twig shears. In small plants, you can
remove leaves by pinching them out of the tree at the bud.Ensure that
the top areas are pruned to force even growth. Pruning also assists in
the development of dense foliage below the tip.

How to prune right

Remove one branch if your find two branches at the same height of the
tree. Moreover, every vertical growing branch that is too thick to be
bend should also be removed. The same should be done on  branches that
conceal the front parts of the trunk as well as branches that come with
unnatural turns and twists.


To prevent creating ugly scars on pruning thick branches, consider
using a concave cutter. Its indentation it makes reduces the effect of
the branch removal significantly on the tree. You can also use wound
paste to conceal wounds created on the trunk by removal of the large branches. It also protects the wounds against several tree infections.