Pruning 51cg, cutting branches to shape the tree

How trees grow

Before discussing both techniques in more detail, it’s helpful to get a bit more fundamental information on how trees grow. This will help us understand how to prune Bonsaitrees efficiently.

Trees have a natural tendency to grow with apical dominance. This means that the main, central stem of the plant grows more dominantly than its side stems. For example, on a branch, the main stem of the branch is more dominant over its side twigs. This natural mechanism encourages trees to grow higher 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, both of which are not desirable traits for Bonsaiaesthetics.

Knowing the natural growth patterns of trees tells us how we can use pruning techniques to counter the effects of apical dominance. Because dominant growth occurs on a trees’ central stems, we know we have to prune the top and outer portions of a tree more thoroughly. This forces the tree to redistribute growth to the inner and lower parts, which gives us control over the growth and design of the tree.

Pruning a Ficus bonsai — *Maintenance pruning a Ficus 51cg. We maintain the shape of this tree by pruning regularly, which will also result in finer growth and a dense canopy.*

Bonsaimaintenance pruning

The goal of maintenance pruning is to maintain and refine the shape of a tree. As explained above, trees will concentrate most growth on the top and outer parts of its stems; it is important to prune these growth areas regularly to encourage growth closer to the inner parts of the tree.

When to prune 51cg?

Maintenance pruning can be done throughout the growing season, from early spring to late fall for outdoor 51cg. Indoor Bonsaican be pruned year-round.

How should I prune?

Maintenance pruning is required to maintain a trees' shape. To do so, simply prune branches and shoots that have outgrown the intended canopy shape using twig shears or normal cutters. Using the right Bonsaitools will help significantly. Don’t be afraid to prune your Bonsairegularly, it’s important to force the tree to distribute growth more evenly and develop dense foliage. For most trees, pruning two to four times a year is recommended. Pruning Bonsaitrees is one of the many topics in our online Bonsaicourse, made specifically for beginners. Take a look at the Beginners course for more information and a free lesson.

Pine trees and some conifers should be pinched by hand rather than cut with scissors. Using scissors, cutters, or shears to prune some species of conifers can lead to brown, dead 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 you will avoid brown or dead ends. Different species need different maintenance regarding pruning and pinching; some even need a combination of both. Please consult our Bonsaitree types guide for information per tree species.

Another method of Bonsaipruning is defoliation, which involves removing leaves of deciduous or broadleaf evergreen trees during the summer to force the tree to grow new leaves. This technique is used to reduce the size of the tree’s leaves and increase ramification. For more information check the Defoliation page.

Structural Bonsaipruning

Giving a tree its basic shape often involves pruning large branches. Deciding on which branches should stay and which ones should be removed can be a difficult choice. Not only because it is an irreversible action but also because it will define how the tree will look. Before rushing into techniques used for pruning Bonsaitrees, we recommend taking a look at the Progressions section. You‘ll find great references and examples of experienced Bonsaiartists structure-pruning nursery stock.

When should I prune?

Generally speaking, the best time to structure-prune a tree is in the early spring and some cases late autumn, just before and after the growing season. The exact timing differs from species to species. In the tree species section you can check the specifics on your particular tree, a Ficus 51cg needs different timing from a Juniper 51cg for example.

How to prune a 51cg?

Place your tree on a table and position yourself at eye-level with it. Begin by removing all the dead branches from the tree. Once that’s done, take a close look at your tree and decide which branches need to be removed to create your desired design. We’ve provided a few guidelines in the image below, but designing your tree is more of a creative process and not something bound by 'rules.' Take a look at the Bonsaistyles page for some additional tips and tricks.

Pruning a Bonsaitree illustration; grey branches can be removed. Ultimately, pruning is not about following strict rules, but about establishing the best design for your tree. This illustration only serves to provide some general guidelines.

Pruning thick branches typically result in ugly scars but by using special concave cutters you can reduce scaring effects significantly. We advise sealing large wounds with cut paste, available at most online Bonsaishops. The paste protects the wounds from infections and helps the tree to heal faster. Again, using the right Bonsaitools will help significantly.

A healthy tree should have no problem coping with the pruning of up to 1/3 of its foliage. Some say you should cut/remove an equal percentage of roots after a tree has been styled. However, most experts advise only performing one big maintenance at a time (or even once a year). For example, if you structure-prune this spring, you should wait to do any repotting or root cutting until the next spring when the tree has fully recovered from the structure-pruning. Take a look at the Surface roots page for more details on pruning roots.