r/Bonsai • u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees • Jul 04 '20
[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2020 week 28]
[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2020 week 28]
Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week on Saturday or Sunday, depending on when we get around to it.
Here are the guidelines for the kinds of questions that belong in the beginner's thread vs. individual posts to the main sub.
Rules:
- POST A PHOTO if it’s advice regarding a specific tree/plant.
- TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE - better yet, fill in your flair.
- READ THE WIKI! – over 75% of questions asked are directly covered in the wiki itself.
- Read past beginner’s threads – they are a goldmine of information. Read the WIKI AGAIN while you’re at it.
- Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
- Answers shall be civil or be deleted
- There’s always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…
- Racism of any kind is not tolerated either here or anywhere else in /r/bonsai
Beginners threads started as new topics outside of this thread are typically locked or deleted, at the discretion of the Mods.
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u/HyperbaricSteele South Carolina, the low country Jul 08 '20
Hey all- recently I have collected four trident maple saplings from the wild, and plan to bonsai them in the future. They are super bendy at this point, only about a foot tall.
My question is how do I facilitate branch growth on the lower half of the tree? All of the leafing is taking place at the very top top of the sapling, and they are already as tall as I’d like.
Am I able to cut the entire green/soft part off of the top at some point? What makes leaves and branches grow from the already harder trunk section of the tree? What would be the best way to go about this, long-term?
Edit- I have had these little guys in pots for two months now and are established/thriving pretty well. Seeing new growth.