When to apply cut paste

[BalconyBonsai]

Hi, I am sorry if this has been asked before but I would like to know what the recommendations are for when cut paste should be applied, specifically for japanese maples(but really other species as well would be interesting). Like should it always be applied whenever a branch, shoot etc is being cut or is it just when cutting branches over a specific size, or age, or something else? I know that it is important when it comes to maples since they are vounerable to decease.

I assume there are many different ideas about this but when looking at, for example pruning tutorials/videos on the Internet(mainly youtube), there is quite a lot of talk about when and which branches to cut etc, but not that much about when and how to use the cut paste.

So any ideas, guidelines would be interesting to hear!

 

[Adair M]

Seal every cut. Immediately.

 

[Clicio]

With Maples, you should use cut paste in all cuts, they are prone to have fungal issues.
With tropicals I use paste only over the big chops, like branches or trunk height reduction.
With pines, following the knowledge from some members of this forum, I have been using vaseline and letting the pine sap do its work.

 

[Kadebe]

With Maples, you should use cut paste in all cuts, they are prone to have fungal issues.

Does this apply also at the bottom of the trunk after cut off an air-layer?

 

[Clicio]

Does this apply also at the bottom of the trunk after cut off an air-layer?

Interesting question here.
I have never done an air layer with maples, it's enough work to keep them alive in tropical weather.
But now I am also curious about the importance of the paste under the tree after an air layer. If one considers the trunk under the new roots as deadwood, then the answer is no, they don't need cut paste.
But I may be wrong about it.

 

[0soyoung]

Cut paste is nothing more than a non-toxic (to trees) moisture barrier.

So that means ...

 

[Clicio]

Cut paste is nothing more than a non-toxic (to trees) moisture barrier.

So that means ...

It means that *any* moisture barrier will do, including the tree's own sap.

 

[leatherback]

For me, the cut-paste main function is to stop cambium from drying out, and as such, keep the size of the die-back to a minimum. It might help reduce infection of diseases, but it is not the reason why I add it.

The cut part of the tree after an airlayer goes into the substrate which is moist; As such the cambiu die-back will be minimal.

 

[BalconyBonsai]

Seal every cut. Immediately.

Ok, that makes sense I guess. I am just confused when looking at videos like this(at around 10:00)

Peter Chan of Herons bonsai in England prunes this japanese maple that must cost over $10000 judging it's size, he just snips away at. I am sure he has assistants that do a lot of the tedious maintenance work but in my mind it seems like an impossible task to go in afterwards and apply sealant on all of those cuts. I understand his methods are not always are not always conventional, and I am not a good judge of his ability other than he seems to have made a successful business in bonsai. And he also state it would take many people a whole week to thin out this tree whereas he can do it in 20 minutes.

What gives? Is he doing things "incorrectly", even though it seems to work for him? Or do you think someone goes in afterwards and patches all the cuts up afterwards? It seems an experienced person/businessman would not take a lot of risks with a valuable tree like that.

 

[leatherback]

I would not call this proper pruning. It is just a rough cut-back of young twigs. Yes, they are cuts. But not cuts that need any sealent.

I uually do not put cutpast in small cuts, say a few mm across on recent growth, unless I might be removing a full branch from the main trunk or very visible spots. They will close easily on healthy trees..

 

[Clicio]

I am just confused when looking at videos like this...

This specifically is a very controversial video for many reasons. But @leatherback is right, there is no hard pruning there, so no cut paste is needed.
When you trim or prune to keep the style of the tree usually no cut sealant is needed.

 

[Adair M]

Ok, that makes sense I guess. I am just confused when looking at videos like this(at around 10:00)

Peter Chan of Herons bonsai in England prunes this japanese maple that must cost over $10000 judging it's size, he just snips away at. I am sure he has assistants that do a lot of the tedious maintenance work but in my mind it seems like an impossible task to go in afterwards and apply sealant on all of those cuts. I understand his methods are not always are not always conventional, and I am not a good judge of his ability other than he seems to have made a successful business in bonsai. And he also state it would take many people a whole week to thin out this tree whereas he can do it in 20 minutes.

What gives? Is he doing things "incorrectly", even though it seems to work for him? Or do you think someone goes in afterwards and patches all the cuts up afterwards? It seems an experienced person/businessman would not take a lot of risks with a valuable tree like that.

Chan is really, really, bad at bonsai! He’s totally self taught, and he’s been successful because he had tons of rough material to sell. Not because he knows how to refine bonsai.

if you listen to people who have visited his nursery, they’ll say he has tons of stuff, but a lot of it looks neglected. I’m sure there are “diamonds in the rough” there. But they WILL be rough.


He will say that he tries to make bonsai easy, so that “anyone” can do it. Well, yes, anyone can produce crap! Producing quality bonsai, is something altogether different!

I’ve seen a couple of his videos where he shows trees he’s imported from Japan, and kept for 20 years. And, frankly, he’s ruined them.

compare his videos to Bjorn’s videos. There’s a vast difference!

 

[BalconyBonsai]

Ok, then I probably misinterpreted the reply from @Adair M

Thanks!

 

[Walter Pall]

I have a thousand trees and don't even own cut paste.

 

[BalconyBonsai]

I have a thousand trees and don't even own cut paste.

Does this mean you don't do anything with the wounds from cutting branches? Or do you use something else?

 

[Walter Pall]

I do nothing. Look at my trees!

 

[BalconyBonsai]

I do nothing. Look at my trees!

Wow, those are some really amazing trees

 

[BalconyBonsai]

Chan is really, really, bad at bonsai! He’s totally self taught, and he’s been successful because he had tons of rough material to sell. Not because he knows how to refine bonsai.

if you listen to people who have visited his nursery, they’ll say he has tons of stuff, but a lot of it looks neglected. I’m sure there are “diamonds in the rough” there. But they WILL be rough.


He will say that he tries to make bonsai easy, so that “anyone” can do it. Well, yes, anyone can produce crap! Producing quality bonsai, is something altogether different!

I’ve seen a couple of his videos where he shows trees he’s imported from Japan, and kept for 20 years. And, frankly, he’s ruined them.

compare his videos to Bjorn’s videos. There’s a vast difference!

Yes, like I said in my first post I'm not in a position to judge anyones skill in Bonsai but I agree that Bjorn does seem to work much more carefully and (I don't know if it is the right word but) professionally. They do seem to cater to very different viewers though where Peter Chan, like you say, seems intent on Bonsai being for everyone and to not be so strict about "the rules", and as long as YOU enjoy the tree, it's good. Bjorn seems(from my very limited viewing) more intent on following the traditional way of making Bonsai and excelling at that.

Which is better, I don't know. I do know that both of them has provided a newcomer like me with inspiration and ideas and someone like Peter really makes Bonsai seem less scary and more approchable which to me has been very valuable. I know many people in the comment sections of the videos have compared them, but a bit like Bob Ross did with painting.

 

[Kadebe]

Which is better, I don't know. I do know that both of them has provided a newcomer like me with inspiration and ideas and someone like Peter really makes Bonsai seem less scary and more approchable which to me has been very valuable.

I also like the vids of Graham Potter

GrahamWPotter

www.youtube.com

 

[Adair M]

Yes, like I said in my first post I'm not in a position to judge anyones skill in Bonsai but I agree that Bjorn does seem to work much more carefully and (I don't know if it is the right word but) professionally. They do seem to cater to very different viewers though where Peter Chan, like you say, seems intent on Bonsai being for everyone and to not be so strict about "the rules", and as long as YOU enjoy the tree, it's good. Bjorn seems(from my very limited viewing) more intent on following the traditional way of making Bonsai and excelling at that.

Which is better, I don't know. I do know that both of them has provided a newcomer like me with inspiration and ideas and someone like Peter really makes Bonsai seem less scary and more approchable which to me has been very valuable. I know many people in the comment sections of the videos have compared them, but a bit like Bob Ross did with painting.

Oh, Chan is a professional. A professional is anyone who makes their living at doing something.

He has chosen to produce lots of mediocre bonsai rather than fewer, but better bonsai.

As a merchant, it might very well be the better strategy. I view his videos as a form of advertisement, to get people to see them and think, “I can do better than that!”, and go to his nursery and buy stuff!

A lot of people are off-put by the attention to detail and precision that the Japanese apply to their bonsai. However, there’s no denying that the Japanese, as a whole, produce superior bonsai.

Chan produces bonsai akin to the “Black Velvet Elvis” portraits sold by the side of the road. If that’s the kind of thing you like, Chan’s your man. If, however, you strive to create truely top level bonsai, look elsewhere.