Premna Styling help

[Scrogdor]

Pretty new to bonsai, but I picked up a Premna pre-bonsai that looked like a fun project. Never really been interested in buying ready made bonsai ( there's no fun in that).

When it arrived, I got pretty overwhelmed with what to do with it shaping, pruning and growing wise. Looking for some inspiration on here! It's about 10" tall with a 1-1 1/2" trunk, currently in a 10" pot. Some pictures from all angles below.

 

[Carol 83]

I assume it was shipped. Let it get settled in to it's new home before getting into a hurry styling, etc.

 

[Scrogdor]

I assume it was shipped. Let it get settled in to it's new home before getting into a hurry styling, etc.

Of course, I'm just excited and looking to start planning while it's settling in.

 

[Forsoothe!]

When it has been there about a week you can begin to shape it by imagining a shape you like and pruning off anything that sticks out beyond that shape. If a branch/twig is too long cut it back to a pair of leaves within the image in your mind's eye. You can scribble a drawing or two to become familiar with the possibilities and give yourself a plan to follow. Google photos of Tigerbark bonsai. If a branch/twig is too short and you want it to grow longer, leave it be. When you cut back, more leaves will emerge on that stem back towards the trunk (origin). There is a bud in the axil of each leaf. The axil is the joint between the petiole and the stem that it grows out of it holding the leaf. The petiole in this case is very short, almost non-existent. The buds are pointed in the direction the new stem and pair of leaves will grow towards. You can see that there are very few stems that go sideways from the long stems on the plant. That is a sigh that it has been trimmed very little, if any. That will change as you trim it back. Ideally, to form a dense canopy or foliage cloud, you trim a stem back to 4 leaves and it sends out 4 new stems sideways with 8 leaves. So, you can control where it will grow and where you will not allow growth.

We make space between clouds of foliage to make something look more like a tree rather than a bush. We make clouds of foliage around a branch, so that if you have 6 branches, you develop 6 clouds of foliage. Foliage grows up, pointed at the sun (light). We trim the foliage growing from a branch in a flat, horizontal plane following the branches that are horizontal. Main branches that are vertical are referred to as trunks or minor trunks. The clouds surrounding trunks are more equilateral with foliage growing out in all directions. Try to trim the foliage with these guidelines. Remember, if you screw something up it will grow back, so don't worry about mistakes. You own bonsai so you can work on them. If you don't want to work on them you just buy pictures.

Begin this adventure by trimming all stems back to 4 leaves. Watch the growth and keep it in bounds by trimming back to 4 everywhere it gets to 6 leaves.

 

[Scrogdor]

When it has been there about a week you can begin to shape it by imagining a shape you like and pruning off anything that sticks out beyond that shape. If a branch/twig is too long cut it back to a pair of leaves within the image in your mind's eye. You can scribble a drawing or two to become familiar with the possibilities and give yourself a plan to follow. Google photos of Tigerbark bonsai. If a branch/twig is too short and you want it to grow longer, leave it be. When you cut back, more leaves will emerge on that stem back towards the trunk (origin). There is a bud in the axil of each leaf. The axil is the joint between the petiole and the stem that it grows out of it holding the leaf. The petiole in this case is very short, almost non-existent. The buds are pointed in the direction the new stem and pair of leaves will grow towards. You can see that there are very few stems that go sideways from the long stems on the plant. That is a sigh that it has been trimmed very little, if any. That will change as you trim it back. Ideally, to form a dense canopy or foliage cloud, you trim a stem back to 4 leaves and it sends out 4 new stems sideways with 8 leaves. So, you can control where it will grow and where you will not allow growth.

We make space between clouds of foliage to make something look more like a tree rather than a bush. We make clouds of foliage around a branch, so that if you have 6 branches, you develop 6 clouds of foliage. Foliage grows up, pointed at the sun (light). We trim the foliage growing from a branch in a flat, horizontal plane following the branches that are horizontal. Main branches that are vertical are referred to as trunks or minor trunks. The clouds surrounding trunks are more equilateral with foliage growing out in all directions. Try to trim the foliage with these guidelines. Remember, if you screw something up it will grow back, so don't worry about mistakes. You own bonsai so you can work on them. If you don't want to work on them you just buy pictures.

Begin this adventure by trimming all stems back to 4 leaves. Watch the growth and keep it in bounds by trimming back to 4 everywhere it gets to 6 leaves.

Thanks for all the insight! I think you’re right with giving it a big trim everywhere to see what I’m working with.

 

[Scrogdor]

When it has been there about a week you can begin to shape it by imagining a shape you like and pruning off anything that sticks out beyond that shape. If a branch/twig is too long cut it back to a pair of leaves within the image in your mind's eye. You can scribble a drawing or two to become familiar with the possibilities and give yourself a plan to follow. Google photos of Tigerbark bonsai. If a branch/twig is too short and you want it to grow longer, leave it be. When you cut back, more leaves will emerge on that stem back towards the trunk (origin). There is a bud in the axil of each leaf. The axil is the joint between the petiole and the stem that it grows out of it holding the leaf. The petiole in this case is very short, almost non-existent. The buds are pointed in the direction the new stem and pair of leaves will grow towards. You can see that there are very few stems that go sideways from the long stems on the plant. That is a sigh that it has been trimmed very little, if any. That will change as you trim it back. Ideally, to form a dense canopy or foliage cloud, you trim a stem back to 4 leaves and it sends out 4 new stems sideways with 8 leaves. So, you can control where it will grow and where you will not allow growth.

We make space between clouds of foliage to make something look more like a tree rather than a bush. We make clouds of foliage around a branch, so that if you have 6 branches, you develop 6 clouds of foliage. Foliage grows up, pointed at the sun (light). We trim the foliage growing from a branch in a flat, horizontal plane following the branches that are horizontal. Main branches that are vertical are referred to as trunks or minor trunks. The clouds surrounding trunks are more equilateral with foliage growing out in all directions. Try to trim the foliage with these guidelines. Remember, if you screw something up it will grow back, so don't worry about mistakes. You own bonsai so you can work on them. If you don't want to work on them you just buy pictures.

Begin this adventure by trimming all stems back to 4 leaves. Watch the growth and keep it in bounds by trimming back to 4 everywhere it gets to 6 leaves.

So I did some pruning. Was hoping to try and use each of the two major branches as their own cloud of foliage in a twin/split trunk type of deal. Struggling to figure out how to do it though. Do I need to cut back branches even more?

If anyone has some ideas with graphics would be appreciated.

Here’s an update!, From all angles, first two are what I’m considering the face right now.
Left all of the lower branches Incase I end up doing some kind of trunk chop.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Good job! You can do some modest wiring of the sub-branches to give them some movement. One or two zig-zags, keeping leaves or stems at the outside corners will subtract the glaring rigid look of straight branches that catch the eye. Don't go wild and break any, just a little zigging will do it. You don't need any growth to the trunk, so only allow branches to grow that you can see is part of your design. The several twigs emerging from the lower trunk would add to taper on a smaller trunk, but won't contribute to that here because the % of increase will be insignificant. Concentrate on picturing where on the trunk you need branches to get to a spiral staircase winding it's way up the trunk and eliminating all other twiggy growth from the trunk. All that you prevent growing in the wrong place can stay on the branches that you are keeping. That verses chopping off stuff after letting it grow in the wrong place. That's wasted wood, and time, too. Let these new branches grow just a little longer than you like and from there continue to clip end buds, leaving 4 leaves. Force the plant to fill in the clouds by limiting growth via clip & grow, again, remove the tip when you can leave 4 leaves. Everything wants to grow to the light, normally straight up, and that will fill in the cloud. Encourage sideways growth via wire and C&G. Allow nothing growing up from one cloud to interfere with the air space of the cloud above, and nothing growing down below the main branch.

 

[Scrogdor]

Good job! You can do some modest wiring of the sub-branches to give them some movement. One or two zig-zags, keeping leaves or stems at the outside corners will subtract the glaring rigid look of straight branches that catch the eye. Don't go wild and break any, just a little zigging will do it. You don't need any growth to the trunk, so only allow branches to grow that you can see is part of your design. The several twigs emerging from the lower trunk would add to taper on a smaller trunk, but won't contribute to that here because the % of increase will be insignificant. Concentrate on picturing where on the trunk you need branches to get to a spiral staircase winding it's way up the trunk and eliminating all other twiggy growth from the trunk. All that you prevent growing in the wrong place can stay on the branches that you are keeping. That verses chopping off stuff after letting it grow in the wrong place. That's wasted wood, and time, too. Let these new branches grow just a little longer than you like and from there continue to clip end buds, leaving 4 leaves. Force the plant to fill in the clouds by limiting growth via clip & grow, again, remove the tip when you can leave 4 leaves. Everything wants to grow to the light, normally straight up, and that will fill in the cloud. Encourage sideways growth via wire and C&G. Allow nothing growing up from one cloud to interfere with the air space of the cloud above, and nothing growing down below the main branch.

Should probably get rid of that big sucker branch at the bottom then huh.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Not necessarily, it depends upon where you want to go. If you wanted a mixed-bag of broom with a more formal upright lower regions, it could be done. This will grow fast enough for you to grow the lower branches you need, the existing one is not that far ahead of the two or three more you could grow to be the more horizontal formal upright branches. In five years it could all look pretty good.