Pruning/Pinching

[Vik250]

Hi All,

So with this being my first year in learning about Bonsai, I have had quite a few seedlings that have grown this far after getting various advices from members here in last few months. I have few Mimosa, Flame Trees, and 1 Jacaranda Mimosifolia that have grown from seedlings.

My question, after reading online and watching videos (which confused me), is in regards to Pruning and Pinching.

1) When should I start Pruning these seedlings?
2) When should I start Pinching these seedlings?
3) Which seedlings to Pinch as I read online that not all species should be pinched.

4) Another question to add here - I have liquid fertilizer (10-10-10). I mix 1 ml in water and provide a little bit to all these seedlings once a week. Is this enough? Do I need something stronger? Should I give higher doses?

As always, Thank You

[Attached is a picture I took today of my seedlings].

 

[sorce]

It'll be hard enough to find folks with these, let alone folks paying attention to them.

I'd guess you should only prune and do wait a while.

(That moment when you attach the message but not the pics, welcome to that club!)

Sorce

 

[Vik250]

It'll be hard enough to find folks with these, let alone folks paying attention to them.

I'd guess you should only prune and do wait a while.

(That moment when you attach the message but not the pics, welcome to that club!)

Sorce

Haha. Thank You Sorce. So to clarify, you are advising that I should prune these now? The reason I even brought this question up is because I am reading conflicting information online. Some places it said that no Pruning should be done for first 2-3 years and some places it says exactly the opposite. So I figured I will reach out to experienced members here as you, @Shibui and few others helped me with my naive questions last few months and I finally have seedlings growing following your advices.

Thank You Once Again

 

[Paradox]

Haha. Thank You Sorce. So to clarify, you are advising that I should prune these now? The reason I even brought this question up is because I am reading conflicting information online. Some places it said that no Pruning should be done for first 2-3 years and some places it says exactly the opposite. So I figured I will reach out to experienced members here as you, @Shibui and few others helped me with my naive questions last few months and I finally have seedlings growing following your advices.

Thank You Once Again

I am not familiar with these species but I would not prune them now. These trees are barely out of the seed. Unless you want them to stay tiny they need time to grow and develop before you start cutting them back

 

[Eckhoffw]

Like mentioned above, just let these guys -or gals- grow for 2-3 years. At that time you’ll have decisions to make.

 

[Vik250]

I am not familiar with these species but I would not prune them now. These trees are barely out of the seed. Unless you want them to stay tiny they need time to grow and develop before you start cutting them back

Thank You @Paradox . I'll leave them as they are in this case. Appreciate it

 

[sorce]

should prune these now?

No, I'm sorry, that "and" should have been a "but"....

But.....

I've found there is a lot of value in giving a seedling a rough first couple years, especially if you have so many!

A plant cut ruthlessly in saplinghood will always present a different aesthetic than something pampered.
I reckon it's the aesthetic we are going for.

I bloody forgot that was you! Even after so much interaction!

It's pleasing to see them grow up so fast on you!

You done come a long way from peat pots!

Sorce

 

[Vik250]

Like mentioned above, just let these guys -or gals- grow for 2-3 years. At that time you’ll have decisions to make.

Thank You @Eckhoffw !! I won't touch them for next 2-3 years in that case. Similar to what I researched online. Thanks a lot

 

[Vik250]

No, I'm sorry, that "and" should have been a "but"....

But.....

I've found there is a lot of value in giving a seedling a rough first couple years, especially if you have so many!

A plant cut ruthlessly in saplinghood will always present a different aesthetic than something pampered.
I reckon it's the aesthetic we are going for.

I bloody forgot that was you! Even after so much interaction!

It's pleasing to see them grow up so fast on you!

You done come a long way from peat pots!

Sorce

Thanks a Ton @sorce. It's all thanks to members such as yourself who helped me over last few months and answered all my naive questions. Seeing these grow motivates me even further. I think I will buy a cheap Ficus that's few years old to learn some techniques about pruning and wiring.

Per your and others suggestions, I think I will leave current seedlings as they are at least for next 1-2 years.

As Always, Thank You

 

[Vik250]

No, I'm sorry, that "and" should have been a "but"....

But.....

I've found there is a lot of value in giving a seedling a rough first couple years, especially if you have so many!

A plant cut ruthlessly in saplinghood will always present a different aesthetic than something pampered.
I reckon it's the aesthetic we are going for.

I bloody forgot that was you! Even after so much interaction!

It's pleasing to see them grow up so fast on you!

You done come a long way from peat pots!

Sorce

Thanks a Ton @sorce. It's all thanks to members such as yourself who helped me over last few months and answered all my naive questions. Seeing these grow motivates me even further. I think I will buy a cheap Ficus that's few years old to learn some techniques about pruning and wiring.

Per your and others suggestions, I think I will leave current seedlings as they are at least for next 1-2 years.

As Always, Thank You

 

[sorce]

I think I will leave current seedlings as they are at least for next 1-2 years

Till that one gets "birded" or "squirreled" and ends up way cooler than the others!

Don't be afraid to experiment!

Farmers Almanac says tomorrow is a good day for planting seeds!

Sorce

 

[Vik250]

Till that one gets "birded" or "squirreled" and ends up way cooler than the others!

Don't be afraid to experiment!

Farmers Almanac says tomorrow is a good day for planting seeds!

Sorce

Haha True True. Thanks

 

[Firstflush]

You can loosely throw a piece of wire on them to get some movement down low. Once it sets, get the wire off so the seedlings don’t strangle.

 

[Vik250]

You can loosely throw a piece of wire on them to get some movement down low. Once it sets, get the wire off so the seedlings don’t strangle.

Don't you think it's too early for wiring these seedlings?

Thank You

 

[Firstflush]

People wire baby whips all the time. Don’t get crazy and be careful. Can easily put a few kinks in down low, no sweat.
Be forewarned green wood can split …but it cal also be stabilized and saved.

 

[Vik250]

People wire baby whips all the time. Don’t get crazy and be careful. Can easily put a few kinks in down low, no sweat.
Be forewarned green wood can split …but it cal also be stabilized and saved.

Gotcha. Thank You

 

[Shibui]

You are already finding that there are many ways to develop bonsai from seedlings and most of those will work, even if they may seem initially contradictory.
Some basics:
Trees in small pots grow slowly.
Trees in larger pots or in the ground grow quicker.

Bonsai can be developed slowly over many years. These tend to have less scars and may have better form but few of us are prepared to wait 20-40 years to achieve great bonsai the slow way.

Bonsai can be developed faster using grow and chop -Seedlings are allowed to grow fast and get bigger then chopped back. (need to be aware which species can bud from bare wood and which will only develop new shoots where green leaves are present) New shoots will develop and grow after pruning. Repeat grow and chop cycles until trunk has thickened sufficiently and/or branching has developed. In this method the faster the tree grows the more thickening you can achieve and the faster your tree will reach your goal but there is also more room for error, larger scars, etc.

Wiring can be used to put shape into seedlings while young and flexible. Wire and bend will not add taper to the trunk.
Shape can also be developed by pruning back to a side branch which then becomes the main trunk. Pruning adds taper as well as bends.

It does not look like any of your seedlings are ready for anything except maybe some preliminary trunk wiring for low trunk bends. Before pruning you actually need some growth to prune!

Mix fertilizer at recommended rates on the container and apply as often as recommended for potted plants. Apply as much fert mix as you would normally water - usually until water comes out of drain holes. It is the strength of the mix that can cause problems rather than the quantity applied. Many growers use half recommended strength weekly rather than full strength every 2 weeks.

 

[Cajunrider]

They are babies. Pinching/pruning will make them cry. Wait until the trunk is at least one inch in diameter. Mimosa, Flame Trees, and Jacaranda Mimosifolia all respond to trunk chop and heal very well once the trunks are big and woody. Patience in the next two years pays big dividend.

 

[nuttiest]

Nice growing on those seedlings. These will be like beanstalks, there will not be much to cut off, so pin down so that a bend is the apical dominant part, tropicals are strongly dominant. Act like you are always doing a cascade or you will have no branching or secondary branching.

 

[Firstflush]

Also, your wired movement should be in all directions 3 dimensionally….not just a simple “S” as mentioned numerous times on here.