How to prune banyan bonsai
Comprehensive analysis of how to prune banyan bonsai and an explanation of banyan bonsai pruning methods in the field of horticulture. Let's take a look together.
Banyan bonsai is known for its beauty of a single tree forming a forest. Using banyan as the material, through pruning, branch shaping, wiring, grafting, and careful cultivation, controlling its growth and development to maintain an elegant shape. When the banyan bonsai grows to a certain period, how to prune it? There are seven pruning methods for banyan bonsai: pinching the top, thinning out the buds, removing leaves, shortening branches, reducing branches, thinning branches, and pruning roots.
【Pinching the Top of Banyan Bonsai】
In the growth period of the banyan, remove the tender top of the new shoots. Remove about 2/3 of the bud core, leaving only a small section at the base. In the future, two side buds will sprout from here, branching out in two directions. For evergreen broad-leaved trees and deciduous trees that tend to produce new shoots, the leaf core can generally be removed when the new shoots sprout and grow 2-3 leaves.
【Thinning Out Buds】
During the germination season, many buds on the banyan often sprout simultaneously. To ensure the concentrated supply of water and nutrients, keep the good buds and remove unnecessary ones to form an ideal tree shape. For species with strong germination, such as elm and June snow, it is especially important to remove buds that are not conducive to shaping.
【Removing Leaves】
Removing leaves can promote the growth of new leaves. It is best to do this when the banyan is growing vigorously. When removing leaves, keep the petiole to protect the axillary buds. Generally, new leaves can grow within about one month. Leaf removal should be done in 3-4 sessions, removing 1/4-1/3 of all leaves each time, with a one-week interval between sessions. After leaf removal, transpiration is reduced, so water should be controlled to avoid excessive soil moisture, which can cause root rot. Generally, new leaves can grow about 20 days after leaf removal.
【Shortening Branches】
How to prune banyan bonsai
Shortening generally involves cutting off the top 1/5 of the branch, removing the terminal growth advantage of the branch, forming more medium and short branches, making the tree shape more full, and thickening the parent branch. Medium shortening generally refers to cutting off the top 1/2-3/5 of the branch, forming more medium and long branches, which may promote branch growth. Heavy shortening involves retaining 1/5 of the branch, which can promote the growth of 1-2 strong branches below the cut, generally used for cultivating the main trunk.
Reduction pruning is a major pruning technique of the Lingnan school's "branching and truncating" method, creating various tortuous and robust shapes such as "chicken claw branches" and "deer horn branches." Reduction pruning not only dwarfes the tree but also enhances the expressive power of the branches, and continuous reduction pruning can increase the layers of the bonsai.
【Thinning Branches】
Remove branches that affect the shape of the bonsai from the base, whether they are one-year-old or multi-year-old. Thinning branches weaken the whole stake, and by removing unnecessary branches, it ensures that the remaining branches receive adequate nutrients and water supply, and improves ventilation and lighting conditions, which is beneficial for the growth of the tree stake. Thinning branches also make the stake shape more beautiful.
【Pruning Roots】