名媛直播

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and new to bonsai, but have been fascinated and interested in bonsai for years, reading and watching videos for guidance and inspiration. I'm based in the UK.

I've got a few new trees (i've attached photos); couple of silver birches and junipers and a spruce - all kept outside and all fairly new; 3-4 years old max.

I have a few questions, which I've not been able to find answers to elsewhere:
- To thicken the trunk, should I let them grow tall, or would pruning help, especially with the silver birches? I'd like to keep them the size of the taller birch tree, so wondering if I should prune carefully to get a shape, or just leave them for now. About 50% of the taller birch tree's growth is from this year alone!
- Would it be better to wire the trunks to create "movement" this early, or leave them to grow?
- I'm also not sure how to start shaping the spruce; is it "wrong" to make it look like a pine tree (long branchless trunk at the bottom, with branches only at the top?)

Lots of advice here to just keep them alive for few years, which I'm happy to follow as well!

All four of these need to grow a lot. I would be fertilising heavily and no pruning at all this year, and possibly next a well. Also you need to get rid of the weeds, it competes with the tree. You could if they make enough growth pot on into a bigger pot without touching the roots later in the year. The alternative is to plant in the ground and let them grow untouched for two or three years. Just keep them watered My Birch have grown about 50cm this year and I have not pruned at all yet. There is not much to wire yet, unless you want a small tree under 20cm, then no wiring. What is needed is thickness in the trunks, and to achieve this they have to grow. Take a look at the courses in the store here, well worth having, and also try Saruyama bonsai on Youtube excellent streams.