Pinching Japanese Maple

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With words like "pinching" and "wiring" used to describe bonsai techniques, it's no surprise that some people think bonsai is some kind of cruel sport.

Actually pinching is a method used to control the growth of your bonsai. It keeps the leaves small and reduces the distance between the internodes (nodes are areas from which leaves can sprout). This is important because branches develop from nodes, and if the internodes are long, your tree won't develop any branches between them, and the growth might appear coarse.

So by giving your tree a good pinch every now and then, you can keep it in shape! The following photos illustrate how it's done for maples, and you can apply this to all deciduous species, and even some evergreens.

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Maples have an opposite growth pattern. The developing bud will push out two leaves and between them a bud will push out that contains two leaves and possible another bud between. Let a pair of the new leaves remain, and pinch out the rest of the developing bud.***

This process goes on forever. Don't be fooled into pinching incorrectly, as I did when I first started. I saw two large leaves and a little bud coming out from the center, and I stripped away the two leaves. This let the interior bud elongate even more. Bad, Bad pinching.

Instead, you want to leave the two leaves at the base and pinch out the inside bud, like this.

*** If the tree is a weaker species - like beech - you might want to leave a couple of leaf pairs.

If it is an alternate branching tree, like elm, you might leave only one, or more. Aim to have the final leaf pointing in the direction you want the new branch to grow.

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If the growth is succulent, you can just pluck it off. otherwise you can use your fingernails to nip off the bud:

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TIMING PINCHING

The time to pinch is when the node has grown to whatever length you want it to be. You can pinch as soon as practical to get the smallest possible internodes, or let the tree grow a bit then pinch.

You do need to pinch before the growth hardens off. Otherwise you would need a tool (or very sharp fingernails, and we'd call that pruning)

If you want to pinch early, you can do it before the leaves have actually opened. Form your fingers into a pinching shape and push it into the bud group to separate the outermost leaves. Those will be staying.

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Now separate your fingers slightly and the leaves will part on each side of your fingertips, giving you excellent access to that hidden bud.

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Now grab that little sucker with your fingertips:

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And pluck it out! You can pinch very small leaves, even if you have large fingers, using this method. If you use your fingernails in a similar way, you can actually pinch buds that can barely be seen!

SUMMARY:

Pinching can help produce a well-ramified bonsai by enhancing the natural twigginess of the plant.
[*] Pinch early[*] Pinch often

The tree will respond by sending out a new bud (or sometimes multiple buds) that are smaller and have shorter nodes.

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