名媛直播

Hello all,

Some of you may remember my previous posts this past winter about my Italian stone pines and trying to bonsai them just for fun. As an update, they are going very well and will post pictures soon. Since then, I have increased my collection with a variety of great pre-bonsai (Chinese Elm, Chilean Myrtle, Japanese Holly, Trident Maple, Japanese Black Pine, Chinese Juniper, and Blue Spruce.

With spring just around the corner (for us anyways) my question is how do I know where or what to cut to obtain the general shape that I am looking for? I have been reading around the internet and the best lesson I learned concerning my topic was to look at the leaf pattern. For example, the Chinese elm has an alternating leaf pattern, therefore, cutting a branch down to a left or right leaf can result in a branch growing from that node. Does this apply to all plants?

Also, my Black pines are still really young, they only have 1 long slender trunk about 2.5' high. The entire trunk has green needles on it so I assuming it is still young. However, I read that if i keep allowing it to grow it will just keep growing taller and taller and to prune them pruning must be done where needles are still left so as to allow new branching, also candle pruning is reccomended.

Lastly, what about the chinese Juniper? It's leaf patterns are very abstract with no clear distinct patterns. Should I just go about wiring?

Thanks! I can post pics of them all so you have a better sense of how far along they are upon request.

JustinChino wrote: Hello all,

You are asking about different plants, different techniques, different stadia of development, how to prune them, how to shape them etc. etc. etc.

In order to answer all these beginner-questions, I'd need to write a book. Such books already exist. I recommend you buy one.

Auk, I've see a lot of your post replies and you seem knowledgeable. How about you write me a book. Or I'm sure a few pointers wouldn't hurt. What do you think?

JustinChino wrote: Hello all,

Thanks! I can post pics of them all so you have a better sense of how far along they are upon request.

Yes some pictures might help, we just love to look at pictures, then maybe we'll mark them up with all sorts of colored lines. saying where we think we'd cut it.

Right now, I really don't know if it needs pruned or not.

Maybe I just want to see it, and then i'll just leave you wondering what to chop off, and hope it'll keep growing.

JustinChino wrote: Auk, I've see a lot of your post replies and you seem knowledgeable. How about you write me a book. Or I'm sure a few pointers wouldn't hurt. What do you think?

like Auk pointed out:
there's loads of books which contain all the info you seek.. as well as several websites which contain detailed species guides..

try

JustinChino wrote: Auk, I've see a lot of your post replies and you seem knowledgeable. How about you write me a book. Or I'm sure a few pointers wouldn't hurt. What do you think?

As you have seen.. He already has written a book. you can find it by browsing this forum? and reading his posts. I am pretty confident you will not have plants that do not fit one of his posts, especially as you are after little pointers.

JustinChino wrote: Auk, I've see a lot of your post replies and you seem knowledgeable. How about you write me a book.

I know a bit, yeah, but it would be extremely silly to claim that I know as much as the experts that write books about bonsai.

Or I'm sure a few pointers wouldn't hurt. What do you think?

I think that apart from books, there is a load of very good information available on many websites, including this one.
Start with the basics (top of this page), then Google for specific 'bonsai care guidelines' for each of your tree species.