Three years ago I started working on a small coast redwood (see “Creating redwood bonsai: step 1” for details). Since then I’ve grown out some sacrifice branches and removed them when they reached the desired thickness. From here on out the goal is to create a silhouette that complements the trunk.
The main way to do this on redwoods is to pinch where you want a branch to bud back. If you pinch when the foliage is soft, you can expect buds to appear where you pinch. Here’s the tree before and after pinching.
Before pinching new growth
After pinching
Some people stop at this point happy to have an attractive silhouette. I’m curious to find out if there’s a way to reveal more of the tree’s branch structure. Attractive branches are a key feature on mature redwoods and I want to show at least some degree of this even in small redwood bonsai.
After pinching the new growth, I thinned many of the shoots that didn’t contribute to an attractive branch structure. I’ll have to repeat the process for another year or two before the tree has the silhouette I have in mind for it, but you can now see some of the primary branches more clearly.
Coast redwood – 5.5″
Back side (or possible future front?)
I’ll repeat this process a few more times this year depending on how quickly the tree grows, give the tree break over winter, and get back to the pinching and thinning again next year.
News & Updates
- If you’re looking to stock up on soil, now’s the time! I’m currently accepting bulk orders for Double Line akadama, Triple Line akadama, Aoki Blend, Banzai Blend, kanuma, and hyuga while supplies last. For more information about bulk orders, including current prices and availablility, see Wholesale Soil Pricing and Information.
- I’ll be joining Bill Castellon and Randall Lee on a panel discussing how bonsai can inform landscape pruning on July 7th at 4:00pm (PDT). The event is hosted by the Aesthetic Pruner’s Association – learn more at the APA website.
- Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Pacific Bonsai Expo – learn more here.
- New episode of the Bonsai Wire Podcast – Chat with South African bonsai grower Richard Wright in which we discuss loss as a vehicle for focusing on what matters most in our collections.