I don't know if you think about prior health, but to me, you nail the prior health necessary for this and any actions.
Nice.
Sorce
I am pretty sure he does...lol
I forget I must include the context of how I've been speaking about it.
Like, specifically much more important than the ridiculousness that is "aftercare".
When your general system creates it, it omits the necessity of thinking about it.
The main point being, even other "professionals" speak about aftercare as if it matters. Which to me, says their trees aren't as healthy as they could be.
Sorce
must be accounted for accordingly.
Everything "accordingly" comes before and directly during the action.
It's the same way nature works.... naturally.
Root reduction that needs aftercare was too severe. Too impatient. That's the largest problem leading to the belief that "aftercare" matters.
Sorce
I agree with @sorce ’s aftercare comment, even though the only thing I’ve ever completely defoliated was a ficus (which is basically a weed) I just dumped it outside again exactly where it was and gave it the same treatment as all my other trees, and it was fine.
And that’s because of that prior health thing, don’t massacre a tree that looks poorly, we all know better than that
Also, I respect Walter as some sort of bonsai deity, so whatever he does, he has a Midas touch and I’m sure he knows what he’s doing
If aftercare means doing nothing, I do tons of aftercare.Did you also repot, wire and prune the ficus after you defoliated it? Of course not, because one or more of those other things might be too much. Aftercare doesn't have to be anything other than doing nothing else to the tree besides being patient and letting it recover which is what you did.
Ficus is a perfect example of what I was referring to with my comment about species differences. Ficus can handle defoliation with ease if done at the right time of year and healthy. But you still have to let it recover and grow new leaves before doing much else.
You wouldn't take a pine a couple of weeks after repotting it and start wiring it or doing massive pruning. You will probably just leave alone and water it when it needs it. I call that aftercare. I don't care how healthy a tree is, most are not bulletproof and if you do too much in too short a time, you are going to probably kill it.
Yes health matters but that is true of anything we do in bonsai. Someone that does work on a tree when it is not healthy or is stressed is asking for a dead tree. People, particularly new people who don't know any better yet do this more often than you think. We see it all the time.
If aftercare means doing nothing, I do tons of aftercare.
May I ask...what are the deciding factors when you choose between hedge pruning, and a full defoliation?I do not pinch after the buds brake open and let the trees grow freely for six to eight weeks before I hedge prune and sometimes fully defoliate.
I always do hedge pruning on all broadleaf trees, deciduous or evergreen, whether advanced or not advanced - everything is in development in my collection. So there is no option for choosing. In addition I do full defoliation on all that are very vigorous and have rather large eves and not so good ramification. Those that have genetically very small leaves and very good ramification (like Chinese elm, Oriental hornbeam etc.) I do not bother with full defoliation. But I could well apply it.May I ask...what are the deciding factors when you choose between hedge pruning, and a full defoliation?
I take it for granted that a full defoliation is only done on a advanced tree in good health...am I right, or not?
Thank you WalterI always do hedge pruning on all broadleaf trees, deciduous or evergreen, whether advanced or not advanced - everything is in development in my collection. So there is no option for choosing. In addition I do full defoliation on all that are very vigorous and have rather large eves and not so good ramification. Those that have genetically very small leaves and very good ramification (like Chinese elm, Oriental hornbeam etc.) I do not bother with full defoliation. But I could well apply it.