10/15/2010
CNT
Bonsai need regular pruning both above and below ground throughout their lives. How often to prune depends on how fast the particular kind of tree or bush grows, the size of the pot and the growing conditions.The first place to prune is below ground. Roots eventually fill the soil in a small bonsai pot, so they need to be pruned back to make room for fresh soil. Root-prune deciduous bonsai in early spring or late autumn, and evergreen bonsai in early spring or late summer.The way to root prune is to lift the plant out of its pot and slice back the root ball all around and underneath with a sharp knife. After teasing roots on the outside of the ball outwards, put the plant back in the pot and pack new soil among the roots. Using a stick _ a chopstick is appropriate _ to pack down the soil makes sure that no air spaces are left which would dry out the roots.Now turn your attention to the top portions of your bonsai. The time to prune the stems is now, while the plant is dormant, and then again while it is actively growing.Bonsai respond to stem pruning just as other plants do. Pinch off the tips of any shoots whose growth you want to slow. Shorten a stem where you want the remaining part to branch. Rub off buds or cut stems back to their origins where growth is congested. To make a pine, spruce or juniper bonsai bushier, pinch back the new growth just as its expanding.Because bonsai are viewed at such close range,
