Easy as it may seem, caring for and maintaining an olive bonsai is an ancient or centenary of Macrobonsai is a task that requires dedication and expertise.
Around these small trees there is an authentic art with more than 2000 years old that was born in the Taoist temples of ancient China. Although all the symbolism of its origin has been lost, in recent years the number of people interested in taking care of Macrobonsai bonsai has grown. Among these cares, pruning is one of the essentials.
Bonsai pruning is done to shape it, that is, thanks to pruning we model some aspects of bonsai. This is why it is important to know how to prune the branches of a bonsai correctly.
Pruning is used to eliminate defective branches – those whose growth is not aesthetically normal – or unnecessary – those that we do not want to leave.
Generally the best time to perform pruning is when winter is ending, at that time the bonsai is at rest and the wounds do not expel as much sap as other times:
• As a general rule, for the primary branches it is recommended to make a concave cut since it is the one that best and fastest heals. Straight cuts leave a stump that, in addition to being anti-aesthetic, takes longer to heal and may endanger the health of the bonsai.
• In the case of secondary branches, like primary branches, it is preferable to make concave cuts.
If what we want is to shorten the branches of the bonsai so that it adapts or gets the shape we want, we must make the cut diagonally upwards. Straight or perpendicular cuts take a long time to heal, and diagonally downwards should never be performed.
When the cuts we make cause large wounds, normal during the pruning process, it is convenient to cover them with sealant paste so that they heal properly.
It is important to know these concepts when pruning a bonsai because if they are done incorrectly we can not only affect our bonsai but also put your health at risk.
Apart from the branches, it is also important to know how to prune the roots of the bonsai so that it grows healthy and strong. Thanks to the regeneration and growth capacity of bonsai, we can carry out root pruning in order to stimulate its development.
We can carry out root pruning in those cases where we need denser and more compact roots. To do this we must cut the longer roots well and remove only the finest tips. With this root pruning we will encourage bonsai to develop fibrous roots, obtaining greater density and a more compact mass.
However, other roots grow too fast and in an almost alarming proportion so that it is necessary to carry out pruning to have control over this growth.
