bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Defoliation of newly repotted trees

Quote:

Originally Posted by eminart

Thanks Vance. This isn't my thread, but I've been a little fuzzy on the defoliation issue myself. You helped to clarify it a bit. So, what happens the next year to the same tree? The leaves are little bigger again right? And the year after that they're back to normal size? Or, if all things are balanced, (pot size, sun, water, pruning,etc.) can the leaves be kept relatively small without a frequent need for defoliation? None of my books go into much detail about this. They briefly describe defoliation but not in a long term sense.

thanks again,

-scott

Keeping a tree confined to a container is usually enough to influence the size of leaves significantly, but again that is species Dependant. You should never defoliate more than two seasons in a row or you will weaken a tree. The next seasons leaves will be shorter. After this the defoliation process usually is selective, you remove the largest leaves and mostly those on the outside parameters of the tree leaving the inner leave to strengthen those buds that don't get enough light. It is a complected process.