Bonsai tree pruning is a very important aspect of the bonsai training process. This is an activity that you would need to carry out during the entire life of your bonsai plant.
Along with wiring, pruning is an activity which ensures that the bonsai plant remains in proper shape and size. If you want to give your bonsai plant an old and mature look, then you must master the art of bonsai pruning.
If the bonsai trees are left without pruning then they would grow on to gain their full height and form. It’s only through careful and timely pruning that you can ensure your bonsai plant’s good health. This way it will look small yet old and mature.
The first step to bonsai tree pruning is to have a collection of proper tools. Those would go a long way in helping you out.
Here are few points that will be helpful in your pruning activities
Always use sharp tools. Using blunt tools might end up doing a lot of damage to the branches and leaves of the plant.
While pruning avoid making very large cuts on the plant as it exposes the plant to pests and diseases. If at all you have to make a very large cut on your bonsai plant, apply a protective paint on the cut.
If you want to make the branch of your bonsai tree grow in a particular direction, then make a cut just above the bud pointing in that direction.
Cuts should always be made at an angle. This will prevent water logging on the cut parts and there by prevent rotting of the branches.
Pruning should ideally be carried out during the dormant season of the plant. Ideally it should be done during winter, autumn or the early spring season.
Leaf pruning is an important facet of bonsai tree pruning. For pruning leaves use sharp scissors. Plants which do not have very strong leaves should be cut to half their existing size and then the plant should be watered properly to allow new foliage to shoot back. For strong plants it’s advisable to cut the entire leaf, without cutting the stalk.
Knowing how to prune the main branches is important. Ideally any branch that has grown too near to the root of the plant should be completely pruned. Branches that grow directly opposite to each other should also be pruned.
You need to understand the way the plants react to cuts on branches and leaves. It’s only by practicing more of bonsai tree pruning that you can become better at it. So go ahead and try your hands at pruning, giving shape to your imagination.
