How to Prune Bonsai

Most practitioners I know think pruning and shaping is the most fun part of the art of bonsai. It’s certainly the most creative.

It’s the time when you play an active role in molding your chosen plant into the artistic vision that you hold in your mind.

If only it were as easy as grabbing a pair of clippers and just going to town. But there are a lot of things to know when pruning bonsai, from which tools to use and when to trim to determining how to achieve the shape you want.

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Pruning the wrong way can have some seriously devastating consequences. If you botch removing a branch from a massive tree, no biggie. But one wrong move can completely destroy your miniature work of art.

Now that I’ve thoroughly scared you, don’t worry! A little confidence, an artistic vision, and this guide will get you through it. Here’s what we’re discussing coming up:

Itching to get to work? Here we go!

You can get away with using a basic pair of scissors most of the time for young plants, but if you want to create smooth cuts that won’t mar the look of your plant, you’ll want to invest in a few special pruning tools.

Artisans have worked hard to create tools that make the job of shaping your plant easy and increase its beauty. Take advantage of that expertise. It costs more up front, but it will make the job easier and your plant will absolutely look better in the end.

If you can only buy one thing, make it a pair of concave pruners. Many online retailers carry specialized concave pruners that are the right size for cutting bonsai. An eight-inch pair is the standard.

Wazakura