Growing your own bonsai tree can be an enjoyable and rewarding achievement. As soon as the seeds start to grow, it’s important to know how you want your tree to look. A bonsai tree can be made to look nearly any way the gardener wants. It’s simply a matter of patience, precision and knowledge on how to maintain your tree. As the trees grow, maintenance is essential for them to have the true bonsai look. The primary steps to maintaining a bonsai tree are pruning, nipping and wiring.
Required materials
Pruning shears, wire cutters, copper wire and scissors
Pruning
This is the first step of bonsai maintenance. By cutting away unwanted limbs and foliage, the tree begins to take shape. Remove any crossed or dead limbs and cut as close to the trunk as possible.
Nipping
This step is done more often than actual pruning. The shape of your tree is maintained by nipping growths as they begin to appear. This keeps the tree from getting too dense, and also allows for a higher quality foliage to grow. You can nip the new growths by twisting them with your fingers.
Wiring
This is the most important step to giving your bonsai tree the desired shape. Using copper wire, the tree’s limbs can be guided to grow in the direction you want. This is how many gardeners achieve intricately twisting designs with their bonsai trees. Begin at the trunk and work your way up the branches to guide the growth. If the wire begins to be too tight, remove it and start again, this time from the ends inward. If branches break in this process, prune them back, don’t leave them as is.
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