Pruning

Hey this post I will blog about pruning.  Since there are many different types of trees for bonsai, sometimes the amount of pruning can vary.  This post I'm just going to be writing about pruning in general, I will talk about different trees in later blogs.  Pruning is good for bonsai, it encourages new growth and can make the tree look nice ( if done correctly).  When pruning, always leave some "stubs" on the branches.  This helps with die back.  For most trees, you will have multiple new growths or "buds" in the same spot.  Remove all but one or two of those.  Remove any crossing branches, or branches that go straight up or down.  try not to make the branches go straight across, but staggered.  Also, you want to try and make a front of the tree for displaying purposes.  When you prune, try to think of what you want to happen.  For example, I had a cotoneaster that when I got it, it was just a shrub, but I pruned it to kind of look like a fruit tree.  Also, I didn't realize it at the time, but little white flowers grew where I pruned.  Kind of cool!  Good luck!