Jim: My understanding of the benefit of only cutting part of the
leaf was simply to prevent damage to the axillary buds under the
petioles.

Alan Walker
http://bonsai-bci.com http://LCBSBonsai.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Lewis

I'd like to know the benefits of cutting the leaves in the
summer.

There are two:

1. Reducing leaf size (a goal only on a ready-to-show bonsai
since leaf size doesn't matter a whit to a tree in training, and
2. More importantly, as a means of improving the ramification
(twigginess) of the branches. This is why you would leaf prune a
tree in training.

A couple books I have recommend either taking the leaves off all
together in late July or cutting them in half or cutting two
thirds of each leaf off.

Others' findings may differ, but I have never found any benefit
in partially snipping leaves.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL

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