Pruning Bonsai

 

Trees have a natural tendency to distribute growth to the top (and to a lesser extent outer parts of branches) which is called ‘apical dominance’. This natural mechanism encourages trees to grow higher in order to prevent them from being shaded out by competing trees. By distributing growth to the top and outer edges the tree’s inner and lower branches will eventually die, while top branches grow out of proportion; two effects not desirable for the design of Bonsai trees.

This basic background reveals the importance of pruning as a technique to counter apical dominance. Countering apical dominance is achieved by pruning the top and outer portions of a tree more thoroughly, forcing the tree to redistribute growth to the inner and lower parts.

When to prune Bonsai?

Maintenance pruning can be done throughout the growth season, usually March to September.

 

How?

As mentioned previously, maintenance pruning is required to maintain a trees' shape. To do so, simply prune branches/shoots that have outgrown the intended canopy-size/shape using twig shears or a normal cutter. Using the right Bonsai tools will help significantly. Don't be afraid to prune your Bonsai; it is important, especially in the outer and top areas, to prune regularly in order to force the tree to distribute growth more evenly and develop a dense foliage.

Pruning Bonsai trees is one of the topics in our online Bonsai course, made specifically for beginners. For more information and a free lesson, see the Bonsai Beginners Course.

As opposed to deciduous trees, pine trees and some conifers should be pinched by hand. Using scissors to prune some species of conifers would lead to dead brown foliage at the cuttings. To prevent this from happening hold the tip of the shoot between your thumb and pointing finger and carefully pull it away; the shoot will snap at its weakest point and no brown ends will appear. Different species need different maintenance regarding pruning and pinching; some even need a combination of both. Please consult our species guides for information per tree species.

Pruning a pine (incorrect)

Pinching by hand (correct)

Another method of Bonsai pruning is defoliation, which involves removing leaves of deciduous trees during the summer to force the tree to grow new leaves. This technique ultimately leads to a reduction in leaf size and an increase in ramification. For more information check the defoliation page.