Training Techniques "Bonsai Gardening" Part 2

BROOM STYLE FROM MATURE ELM

Elms are excellent choices for the Broom Style Bonsai. They have many of the same characteristics as the trees you would see in nature, which is why they look so realistic in miniature form.

The best option is to start your Broom Style Bonsai from seed, cultivating it with a central leader that is enveloped by many branches coming from the spine. The result of this would be a wonderful dome of shoots. However, if you prefer to create the Broom Style with mature stock,
you can.

You will need to choose a stock that has a round, flawless trunk. One of the problems with coniferous species is that pruning can cause scars when working with the Broom Style. What you want to accomplish with this style are surface roots that are near perfect, being uniform in spacing and size. If the roots are imperfect, you can remake them by ground layering the trunks after the canopy has formed.

For the cut, you want to go across or in a “V” shape. The most important thing is to make sure the cut is clean since new branches will eventually come out of the edges of this wound. Your best option is to slightly hollow out the wound and make sure your cut is three times the trunk’s diameter from the soil.

Now, the upper portion of the trunk will be wrapped with grafting tape, which will help prevent swelling caused by the new shoots. Once these shoots have reached five inches long, you want to choose two to seven for your new branches. Keep in mind that the more shoots you leave, the faster the wound will heat. However, that also means the swelling at the site of the wound will be more pronounced.

Next, you will need to decide on the shoot that you want to be the central leader. Each new season, the branches will need to be cut back at the place where you want new splits to form. For the first few years, the form and shape will occur. Then after that, new shoots will be ramifying. You want to keep the wrapping on the tree for about two years and remember that getting anxious and taking it off sooner will result in the base of the branching to swell.

In the wintertime, you should gather the branches with string to help straighten them, and to keep the thrust in a vertical line, not horizontal. You just want to make sure that your primary branches are not allowed to grow too large or to grow too quickly. You can control this by pinching the shoots around the second year. Patience is needed when working with a mature tree in that it will take several years before you begin to see a beautifully trained Bonsai.


STRETCHING
To bend the branches of your tree, some will need to be stretched. This involves vertically stretching, not wiring. For tree trunks that are thick and old, this is a much safer method of training.

• Start with a small towel or cloth that will be placed between the branch and wire, as a means of protecting the branch
• Then, cut a piece of cupper wire, wrapping it around the end of the branch several times, keeping a piece of the towel or cloth between them Stretch the branch down, attaching it to the pot, or the tree’s trunk
• Just make sure you never stretch the branch too far at once. Then if you want to stretch the branch even further, you should wait one month.

PRUNING
Pruning is also used for training, which can be done to create and maintain the tree’s shape.

Form Pruning
This type of pruning is performed on the larger branches. It helps define the form. Remember, the goal is to make your Bonsai appear old and natural. Therefore, branches that do not work toward this goal would need to be removed. In the spring, which is the best time to prune so your Bonsai will have more buds, perform the pruning. Just be sure you never remove any large branches if the temperatures still have a chance of dipping below zero.

Unfortunately, pruning does put the branch at risk for big, unattractive wounds. For this reason, you should use a concave cutter, which creates a hollow around the wound, which heals much quicker and cleaner. Instead of becoming over eager at pruning, you will typically prune lightly, just enough to help give definition to the main branch structure.

Additionally, any branches that have green leaves or needles should never have more than half removed. The reason is that the wounds on this type of branch require much more of the tree’s energy. To help your Bonsai heal quicker, you can buy a type of paste for the wound that actually works to seal it.

Maintenance Pruning
With this type of pruning, the tree’s primary structure has already been defined. Therefore, you will no longer remove any of the larger branches. However, you will need to keep the smaller branches cut back regularly, which helps maintain the shape of the tree. Unlike form pruning that should only be done in the springtime, maintenance pruning can be done throughout the year.

Plucking
This is a different type of method for pruning your Bonsai. In this case, only pine trees can be plucked while deciduous trees would still need to be pruned. Additionally, with plucking, you can do this anytime throughout the year.