Hello friends, I have here my beni hime japanese maple that I purchased last year, I did some structural pruning last year to correct spots that would have had inverse tape and such. Now looking at it I like the overall shape, but all the branches look too leggy and I am just looking for some feedback on how hard I need to prune it to encourage tighter branching. Just want more eyes to see and probably confirm or come up with different views.
Pruning help/ideas please
- Thread starter Bman7689
- Start date
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Where on this Marble are you located?
And how large are you envisioning your Developed Bonsai Tree?
Cutting back to lowest nodes (repeatedly each season) will taper into the "tightest(as you've said)" branching.
But your exact approach is going to depend on a few things... 2 of them being the questions i asked.
And how large are you envisioning your Developed Bonsai Tree?
Cutting back to lowest nodes (repeatedly each season) will taper into the "tightest(as you've said)" branching.
But your exact approach is going to depend on a few things... 2 of them being the questions i asked.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Also.... Nice Tree!!
I forgot to say that the first time I blew through.
I forgot to say that the first time I blew through.
Thank you! It's a dwarf variety already so it won't get all that much bigger in general.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
5b, gnarly.. I'm in USDA 5a.. and AHS Heat Index of 2 or three.
We'll ask you that stuff EVERY time until you'd like to update your profile to reflect generalized location or zone.. it can be vague.. Mine just says, "NorthEastern Wisconsin."
We'll ask you that stuff EVERY time until you'd like to update your profile to reflect generalized location or zone.. it can be vague.. Mine just says, "NorthEastern Wisconsin."
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
What vision do you have for this tree.. how much thicker (if at all) would yoy like the trunk to be?
Yeah 5b is wild as hell lol. 5a has to be crazier even. Also I'll update my profile lol.5b, gnarly.. I'm in USDA 5a.. and AHS Heat Index of 2 or three.
We'll ask you that stuff EVERY time until you'd like to update your profile to reflect generalized location or zone.. it can be vague.. Mine just says, "NorthEastern Wisconsin."
To me it's where I want it to be. I haven't repotted it yet, and if I'm hard pruning this year I'll probably wait for that until next season.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Ok.. then I have to ask..
Are you going to keep it grafted... or would you be interested in layering above the union?
Often, dwarves are grafted onto non-dwarf rootstock... which can be troublesome..
This MIGHT not be the case..
Buuuut it DOES look grafted... so you have a decision to make.
Are you going to keep it grafted... or would you be interested in layering above the union?
Often, dwarves are grafted onto non-dwarf rootstock... which can be troublesome..
This MIGHT not be the case..
Buuuut it DOES look grafted... so you have a decision to make.
I'm going to leave the graft. They did a really nice job with the graft too.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Cool beans!
That's no issue, if that's what you choose.
If you are keeping the graft, and you'd like it to be about THAT size when complete..
I'd recommend visually (at first) selecting which branches you'd like to eliminate from this process.. I'd focus mainly (at this point, using the outline for your vision) on the "bottom half" (if a harder prune is in the tree's future, as you had possibly said).. selecting which branches you like.
On the branches you like, cut back to the first or second node that you can see budswell on.. repeat a few times (seasons) to develop primary branch taper.. closer, tighter, and more to scale.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
No use in styling or engaging in branch selection ABOVE your intended "hard prune point" .. those're just solar panels... sun-fodder for your plant to make food.
Remember the process I just detailed about developing primary branch taper... well.. This works the same way, on a larger scale, when it comes to the TRUNK, too! Pretty groovy, eh?
So consider the tree's future... before deciding just where to chickety-chizzop.
Remember the process I just detailed about developing primary branch taper... well.. This works the same way, on a larger scale, when it comes to the TRUNK, too! Pretty groovy, eh?
So consider the tree's future... before deciding just where to chickety-chizzop.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
As you like the overall shape I won't bother talking about trunk thickening or taper...
The best way I've found to develop ramification (branch density) is to cut and grow repeatedly. It's not enough to just trim the ends and hope to get new shoots way back along the branch. Most of the time just the last 3 or 4 buds shoot so initial pruning needs to be closer to where you want the first sub branches which usually means cutting most branches hard for a start and gradually building the branch structure over a couple of years.
Take into account apical dominance. Trees grow most at the top so if you try to cut lower branches while leaving the apex to grow there's a high chance the lower branches won't bother to shoot after pruning. Best to prune even harder around the apex when you chop lower branches.
Branches always seem to grow up and out so no point pruning to the outline you eventually want. Need to make initial cuts in from intended outline so new shoots grow out to the desired size.
Take note of internodes. New shoots only grow from nodes. Even though this is a dwarf var I can see some longer internodes on some branches. To get good ramification I cut off long internodes and regrow hoping for the new shoots to have shorter growth nodes.
Cut and grow will also introduce some much needed bends and movement into the branches which are currently pretty straight and boring.
In the end where you cut is entirely up to you. There's likely to be a range of opinions and almost all will be legitimate alternatives. There's rarely just one way to achieve bonsai even from the same plant.
The best way I've found to develop ramification (branch density) is to cut and grow repeatedly. It's not enough to just trim the ends and hope to get new shoots way back along the branch. Most of the time just the last 3 or 4 buds shoot so initial pruning needs to be closer to where you want the first sub branches which usually means cutting most branches hard for a start and gradually building the branch structure over a couple of years.
Take into account apical dominance. Trees grow most at the top so if you try to cut lower branches while leaving the apex to grow there's a high chance the lower branches won't bother to shoot after pruning. Best to prune even harder around the apex when you chop lower branches.
Branches always seem to grow up and out so no point pruning to the outline you eventually want. Need to make initial cuts in from intended outline so new shoots grow out to the desired size.
Take note of internodes. New shoots only grow from nodes. Even though this is a dwarf var I can see some longer internodes on some branches. To get good ramification I cut off long internodes and regrow hoping for the new shoots to have shorter growth nodes.
Cut and grow will also introduce some much needed bends and movement into the branches which are currently pretty straight and boring.
In the end where you cut is entirely up to you. There's likely to be a range of opinions and almost all will be legitimate alternatives. There's rarely just one way to achieve bonsai even from the same plant.
Thank you very much!
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