Shaping a Bonsai from young material

Most people start with an indoor bonsai: a beautiful tree that you primarily look at and water. With a starter kit from the Bonsai Shop, you take it a step further. You receive a young plant and turn it into a bonsai yourself by pruning, wiring, and repotting. We really like the starter kits because they allow you to experience in practice what the bonsai hobby is all about. This manual guides you through it step-by-step, and we are sharing a video that also clearly shows the process.

Applies to: Acer palmatum (Japanese maple), Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki cypress), Juniperus procumbens (Dwarf juniper), Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar), Picea abies (Norway spruce), and Azalea japonica. Please note: these are all outdoor bonsai!


Choose your path based on the season

Shaping a young plant into a bonsai happens in phases. Pruning, wiring, and repotting at the same time is too much of an intervention for the tree. The work you do now depends on the season in which you start.

Starting in spring: repotting.

  • Repot the tree into the bonsai pot (see step 4).
  • When doing so, prune a maximum of 10 to 20% of the foliage.
  • Do not wire yet. You will do that later, once the tree is growing vigorously again.

Starting in any other season: pruning and wiring.

  • Prune and wire the tree (see steps 1 through 3).
  • Only repot in the spring when the tree is healthy.



Step 1: Determine the front

The root base. A good bonsai has a visible root base, the spot where the roots meet the trunk (nebari). Remove some topsoil and clip away dead twigs at the base of the trunk to find it. If the root base is deeply submerged, you can plant the tree higher in the pot or at a different angle when repotting.

Trunk and branches. Find the most attractive trunk line and choose the best side as the front. Make sure there is enough foliage close to the trunk; otherwise, the tree will be bare after pruning.

Structure. A classic bonsai has branches that alternate left, right, and toward the back, creating a triangular silhouette and depth. The bottom branches are the thickest and longest, becoming shorter toward the top.

 

Step 2: Pruning

  • Start with branches you definitely do not need: crossing, overly thick, or downward-hanging branches.
  • Leave side branches on the outside of curves and remove those on the inside.
  • Trim twigs from the bottom of the branches and keep the foliage on top short. This keeps the foliage layers open and airy.
  • If you are starting in spring, prune a maximum of 10 to 20% in total because you are also repotting.

 

Step 3: Wiring

Use wire to bend the trunk and branches into shape.

  • Choose wire with approximately the same bending resistance as the branch.
  • Wrap the wire around the branch at a 45-degree angle: not too tight, not too loose.
  • Secure two branches at once with a single wire, using a thicker branch or part of the trunk as an anchor.

 

Step 4: Repotting (in spring)

Spring is the best time, as the tree recovers most quickly then.

  1. Remove the tree from the pot and comb out the roots with a root hook.
  2. Trim the roots so that the root ball fits comfortably in the bonsai pot. Do not remove more than necessary.
  3. Place the mesh over the drainage hole and thread a fastening wire with a cross-wire through the hole as an anchor.
  4. Add a layer of soil to the bottom and place the tree. Check that it is not too high or too low, then fill in the sides with soil.
  5. Secure the tree with the wire so it cannot wobble or blow away.

Is the difference between the old pot and the bonsai pot very large? If so, repot into an intermediate size first so the tree can get used to it for a season.

After repotting

  • Place the tree in a sheltered spot, preferably only in the morning sun. Avoid harsh sun and wind.
  • A repotted tree is vulnerable; give it time to recover.

 

What comes next?

Pruning, wiring, and repotting are the first steps. After that, the refinement begins, which is an ongoing process.

  • Keep pruning. Regularly trim new shoots so the tree remains compact and the branches ramify finely. This makes the silhouette increasingly dense and beautiful.
  • Rewire if necessary. Once the first wires have been on for a while and the branches have taken shape, remove them. If a branch needs a different position, wire it again.
  • Give the tree time. A bonsai is not finished in one season. Every year you take another step forward, and your tree becomes increasingly your own.

 

More information

You can read more about caring for your bonsai at www.bonsaiempire.nl