I have a J maple whose branches are pretty much new this year (about 12-
18" long). Do I let them grow unpruned all year to gain thickness, or
shoudl I prune to limit new buds for later closer to the trunk, instead of
using energy for new buds developing away from the trunk that will
eventually go?

Jim

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Hi Jim,

You'd almost certainly want controlled growth at the base of even large
branches, which would require that you control the internode spacing,
even if you allow more rampant growth later on.

There is a photo and description here that may be of some help:

http://tinyurl.com/2fdba

Regards,

Matt


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Jim SC
You didn't say what stage of developement
your tree is in. If you are in the trunk development/size
stage, and your tree is in a big growing pot,or the ground and your aim
is to get a bigger trunk base, you need not do any branch prunning..
More gwowth =bigger trunk. exception, if you know a lower branch
will later be removed and a scar will be apparent ( front of Bonsai ),
cut it while it is small , leaving a smaller scar. Spring prunning
heals faster,and leaves a bigger scar,and swelling. Late summer
prunning of course heals slower, and scars less.
If
your rooting and trunk are about as big as you want, them, and you are
developing your branch structure then you need to prune out past one or
two internodes , to force growth closser to the trunk. As Matt pointed
out.
If you allow your lower branches to grow
longer, then the upper before you trim them ,they will get bigger in
diameter , which is what you want.
Hope this helps..
Blue.


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In a message dated 6/1/2004 10:58:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:
I have a J maple whose branches are pretty much new this year (about 12-
18" long). Do I let them grow unpruned all year to gain thickness, or
shoudl I prune to limit new buds for later closer to the trunk, instead of
using energy for new buds developing away from the trunk that will
eventually go?
Jim:

It is more a matter of reaching the desired diameter of the branch than
allowing the shoots to grow unchecked. As a branch reaches the desired diameter,
cut back to the ideal length.

Also, once a branch starts to lignify, you should apply wire to achieve the
desirable form. You will find that actively growing maples quickly scar from
wire, so plan on removing the wire from the juvenile branches within a 2-3
month period.

Cordially,

Michael Persiano
http://hometown.aol.com/iasnob

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My maple has thick, a developed trunk, and all the branches this year are
new. So they are obviously rather thin. That is why I assumed I should
probably let them grow unchecked all year, to gain as much thickness as
possible this year. Against that factor would be going for shorter
internodal distance, which pruning would induce.

So since I probably need to gain some girth for the branches, I'm guessing
let them grow? Is that right, or do most do some pruning even in the
first year of branch develpment?

Thanks,

Jim

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Jim,

Since you note that the trunk is developed, and the branches are rather
thin, I assume that you are now in the phase of developing final branches.
Hopefully the branches you want to use in the final design have some fairly
closely spaced nodes near the trunk. You should wire these branches to set
them in the desired direction now while they are small and flexible. You
should then go ahead and let them grow freely to thicken up the bases of the
branches (keeping an eye on the wire, of course).

Once the bases of the branches have thickened sufficiently you will want to
cut them back to the closely spaced nodes near the trunk. These nodes may
or may not have already sprouted tertiary branches, but you need to cut back
regardless. This will allow you to start developing some taper in the
branch. Once you have developed the base of the branches you will need to
pay more attention to trimming back during the year to develop ramification,
but a similar procedure can be followed with the tertiary branches, i.e. let
them grow freely to thicken the base appropriately, then cut back to within
a node or two of the primary branch. With this procedure you will develop
nicely ramified branches with excellent taper from the trunk out to the tip
of the branch.

Regards,
Roger Snipes Spokane, WA Zone 5, or maybe Zone 6.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it,
and then misapplying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx (1895-1977)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Sc"


My maple has thick, a developed trunk, and all the branches this year are
new. So they are obviously rather thin. That is why I assumed I should
probably let them grow unchecked all year, to gain as much thickness as
possible this year. Against that factor would be going for shorter
internodal distance, which pruning would induce.

So since I probably need to gain some girth for the branches, I'm guessing
let them grow? Is that right, or do most do some pruning even in the
first year of branch develpment?

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Xref: kermit rec.arts.bonsai:75166

Being a newbie I have question that is probably obvious, but here I go
anyway. After cutting back the branches do you apply any cut paste?
Chris S.
Zone 5
Hoping that the sky will run out of rain for a week or so =)

----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Snipes



Once the bases of the branches have thickened sufficiently you will want to
cut them back to the closely spaced nodes near the trunk. These nodes may
or may not have already sprouted tertiary branches, but you need to cut back
regardless. This will allow you to start developing some taper in the
branch. Once you have developed the base of the branches you will need to
pay more attention to trimming back during the year to develop ramification,
but a similar procedure can be followed with the tertiary branches, i.e. let
them grow freely to thicken the base appropriately, then cut back to within
a node or two of the primary branch. With this procedure you will develop
nicely ramified branches with excellent taper from the trunk out to the tip
of the branch.

Regards,
Roger Snipes Spokane, WA Zone 5, or maybe Zone 6.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it,
and then misapplying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx (1895-1977)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Sc"


My maple has thick, a developed trunk, and all the branches this year are
new. So they are obviously rather thin. That is why I assumed I should
probably let them grow unchecked all year, to gain as much thickness as
possible this year. Against that factor would be going for shorter
internodal distance, which pruning would induce.

So since I probably need to gain some girth for the branches, I'm guessing
let them grow? Is that right, or do most do some pruning even in the
first year of branch develpment?

************************************************** **************************
****
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** **************************
****
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

************************************************** ******************************
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************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Chris,

I recommend using cut paste on cuts that are around 1/4 inch in diameter and
larger. It helps to keep the cambium from drying and dying back past the
edge of the cut.

Regards,
Roger Snipes Spokane, WA Zone 5, or maybe Zone 6.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it,
and then misapplying the wrong remedies. Groucho Marx (1895-1977)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Solo"


Being a newbie I have question that is probably obvious, but here I go
anyway. After cutting back the branches do you apply any cut paste?

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++