American Bonsai Society Article

Tips For Pruning Your Bonsai Tree

Bonsai are beautiful small trees that carry a history of tradition. They are started as ordinary trees and are cut back to retain their small size.

The trees have to be nurtured and the soil and the water have to be monitored to assure that they are properly cared for. Some people view the tree as a work of art.

Finger pruning is a delicate art. The new growth has to be shaped or eliminated depending on how fast the tree is growing. The branches of the tree need to be supported as you pluck the new growth but, be careful not to pull on the branch of the tree.

It will take some practice as you must be very gentle with the tree. You may want to practice on a small bush, so that you are able to do the procedure delicately.

It is recommended that you use scissors to prune other types of trees such as Maple and Elm trees. You prune them by removing the leaves so that the growth is cut back.

Pruning the roots and leaves back give the tree its basic shape. Be careful, because this does affect the overall nature and health of the tree.

If you have less leaves and branches this will affect how nutrients are received by the tree. The roots absorb the nutrients and water and if they are cut back too much, the tree will not receive these necessary nutrients and it will die.

Keep a watchful eye over your tree at all times. Make sure you are checking the root growth at least every two years. Roots can become bound in the pot and stuck, unable to obtain nutrients and unable to give nutrients to the tree.

The roots should be trimmed with scissors. It is recommended that you trim them back about ½ an inch. This will help eliminate the older roots so that there can be new growth. You should re pot the tree as it grows so that it will not become stunted and stagnant.

Once you have successfully pruned the tree to your satisfaction, take a break. Don't get carried away and prune too much. Wait a week or two and look for new growth and take some time to look at pictures of other trees to get ideas. You may decide that you are satisfied with the tree as it is.

After pruning and observing the trees growth you may notice that the top of the tree grows faster than the trunk. So you will need the top branches more than the bottom.

You will soon discover that once you have pruned back the tree, it will begin to take shape and then it is just a matter of maintenance pruning.