When the branches of the trees are badly positioned or when they have ugly forms, there is just one remedy — prune them
Table of Contents
Major pruning on branches
For pruning it is always necessary to evaluate the role of the branch. Is this an essential branch? A complement branch? Is the tree in formation? Is it growing? Or has it reached its ideal size?
Sometimes you can, perhaps must, leave in place a branch for the purpose of enlarging a trunk, or closing a scar. We call this branch a ‘sacrifice’ branch. Indeed, we let it grow without pruning it and, when its role is finished, we remove it. You can also leave in place a branch that is, at some time in the future, intended to replace another that’s too old, or malformed. On the other hand, if you judge that the branch must be removed it should be done without hesitation.
The season for this type of cut is at end of winter. In all cases it is necessary to find out what type of branch you have in front of you. If the tree has only essential branches, you should immediately remove all the branches that are positioned badly.
These faulty branches are often described as: cart wheel, opposed, hooked, pocketted, arched, having exaggerated angles of exit, irregular diameter, crossed trunk, crossed other branches, and so on. You will have realised that if you remove all the branches that have a defect, you will no longer have a tree. Therefore, many of these branches will be pruned short and become complementbranches.
Ramification
Fine ramification is the trademark of committed amateurs and of beautiful trees. It gives all the character to a bonsai. The more a tree is finely and well ramified, the more it will appear old whatever the diameter or aspect of its trunk.
When to prune
Generally, pruning is recommend at the time of the ramification cuts in spring, during the season of growth. Remove all the small branches that grow upward and downward. This is a good method for an already established, well-shaped tree, for which we want to maintain the profile. But, just like all rules, this one has an exception. In our example, you can see that it is necessary to retain some of the small branches that grow in an upward direction in order to give more thickness at the top.
Badly placed branches
Tip
In the case of parallel branches, it is necessary to make a careful choice and to select the one that will remain for the longest. An essential exercise for amateurs is to study the masterpieces of the great Masters. It is just as significant as practical work. When you do this, you will notice that these trees swarm with faulty branches and imperfections
How to treat the tips of the small branches?
Just as the summit is significant in determining the shape of the tree, the tips of the branches must also be well defined so that it doesn’t have too shaggy and image. It is very important to take into account the stage of formation of the tree, since you will not act in the same way with branches you want to grow and those that you consider stabilised and wish to maintain at same the size and thickness. You need not be afraid to prune the tips. It is important that they go neither to the top nor towards the base.
In the same way that the trunk gives rise to branches, the branches give birth to smaller branches, or secondaries, which themselves are divided into tertiary small branches, and so on. You will always direct primary branches towards the outside of the tree because without doing this, you could confuse them with the others, and their growth could be impeded. It is therefore the first thing to do when working on the branches.
The branches, like the trees, should not be flat. To give them volume vertical small branches should be utilised. In a perfect scenario, these small vertical small branches will emerge between the ramifications of the secondary branches. Seen in profile the branches have the same movement as the trunk. Therefore, the branches of trees with straight trunks will be straight and those with curved trunks will be curved.
Special cases
If you have a small side branch beside an ugly large branch . . .
Large ugly branch
If you have a large ugly branch and no small side branch . . .. . . . . .This is the most common scenario.
The tree will very quickly produce growth at the desired place. When the small branches have grown well you will be able to remove the stump. Pay attention to the new small branches, since they can be damaged very easily. Make sure they are green and their base is not lignified. When the moment is right, remove the stump. Using special round pliers, dig in the live area around it to a depth of at least 1mm and remove the stump. You will leave a depression.
Apply healing paste carefully to the wound. It is necessary to do this in live tissue otherwise the scar may not close. Wire the small branch before complete lignification takes place, and bend it in the best direction. The wiring will have to be sufficiently loose not to injure the tender tissues of the small branch. It will rather perform the role of tutor. We call this type of wiring a ‘15 days’ wiring’, because it is necessary to be extremely vigilant and to remove it very quickly before it can become embedded, injuring the growth of the small branch.
How can you enlarge a branch, or slow down its growth? If, for example, a branch is larger than the one beneath it, you should let it grow without pruning it or pinching the lower branch. Just place a notch in the trunk above it. Thus, the rising sap will be stopped and directed towards it. It will be better nourished and grow more. For the higher branch do the exact opposite. Notch below the cuts and pinchings. It will be slowed down and the lower branch will catch up.
Note: These described techniques must not be used on conifers. They will have no effect.
Autumn pruning
When the healing is complete you will be able to cut off the small badly located. branches. Sometimes the small branches you left to grow in order to close a scar become so large that they themselves leave a scar. You will again need to let these grow small branches to close it. Once all the wounds are closed, the scars will have started the process of being erased. Next spring, the new branch that you
wired will grow strongly.
