Shall I prune now?

paranoize

ok it's obvious by the pics that this tree normally wants some pruning.
BUT I'm quite hesitant if this is the "right" thing to do since it's autumn and I'm afraid that this might slow down growth next spring. I pruned it heavily like one month ago and I thought that it was the last time i prune it until next spring and i also did some pinching but then i thought i should leave it to grow. And here it's like aa bush ... again!
Only good thing is that i finally managed to have more branches and leaves at tne lower part of the tree, where i want the trunk to get thicker.

You can also see an attemp to airlayer that branch (if it's a succeded attemp we will find out soonish )

So any suggestions? Shall i prune now or leave it for after winter?
ps.Weather is quite fine here so far and the forecast is like min 12 - max 25 celsius deegrees for the next 15 days!

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paranoize

here is one more recent pic and one pic like two prunings ago (start of july).

I think that if some pinching was done now it would be more beautiful than in july but i was afraid to do in order not to slow down its growth.

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paranoize

ok seeing those pics again objectively i must admit that my tree is quite ugly! buuhuhuhuhuhuhu

zen

Let it grow, even if the branches get WAY too long for the final style of the tree. By allowing growth like this the branches will thicken much more quickly, giving you better anatomical balance(branch thickness compared to trunk girth), then later in the spring when it's growing like wild fire you can trim back to the first secondary branchlet of ech main branch and in this way create branch taper.

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"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work."

~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)

http://www.bonsaiswap.com/

Graydon

Yeah - Zen was right on. Stop thinking about pruning and start thinking about the final tree in your mind. Right now let it grow. Do not prune over winter - let it take back off where it left off. Build truck girth and branch girth. Refining the branches can and will come later.

No insult but I have never been nuts about these import corkscrew trees. With that being said there is potential to restyle this tree after some wild growth in to a much better, less zig zag tree. And by the way - that does not look bushy at all.

This is a great example of the patience it takes in growing a tree out. The temptation is too great sometimes and the pruning happens way too soon. Perhaps get another tree to 'divert' your attention for a while. That has always worked for me - more than 50 times.

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paranoize

it seems that both of you were spot on!

well, graydon let's be honest that S shaped trunk is so mall-sai and unnatural that we all hate it. But I didnt when I bought it like one year ago because I knew practically nothing about bonsai (I even thought that bonsai are like sub-genres of trees that don't grow a lot!!! ) Well, now of course I have studied a lot of articles and it didn't take me long to understand that the trunk is not good.
Buying another bonsai to divert my attention is among my thoughts for months now but unfortunately there are absolutely no bonsai nurseries like 500km near where i live! I'll probably have to find one good specimen from nature.

back to the topic now, two questions.
1. I'm kinda afraid pf leaving the same branch structure for a long time, i think that the trunk it's gonna grow assymetrically. I thought pruning back some branches and let some other ones to grow (like sacrifice branches) will make my trunk grow in girth more symmetrically. For example I had this big branch on top, and when i chopped it I realised that the trunk's shape was heavily distorted, it wasn't circular but oval!
2.How about a trunk chop that will help me to straighten out the trunk? (and give some taper of course) Would you suggest it? I guess it's a very "slow" but efficient way to achieve taper. When and where should it happen? Would it be possible to airlayer that aswell and then have like 2 trees?

and PS
anyone know a website shipping around europe nursery (not ready - for training) material That would help a lot. Focusing on one plant while changes occur slowly isn't a good thing for sure.

comrvf

[QUOTE= This is a great example of the patience it takes in growing a tree out. The temptation is too great sometimes and the pruning happens way too soon. Perhaps get another tree to 'divert' your attention for a while. That has always worked for me - more than 50 times.[/QUOTE]
ture to diverd you attiontion of this tree grap another one and buy the time you look at that one you will need another one and a another and another and a nother one lol we now have over a hundered trees and i belive it wont stop all from one tree that we had too wait for