Thanks for the ideas. It will take a while before you see real results but it is ideas like this shared that advance bonsai.
It is still a very open and sparse tree but using those ideas from scratch might make some difference for developing trees. I might even see if I can find the time to try some of that on a few of mine next spring.
Thanks again.
Hi Shibui,
Thanks that means alot to me!
I must admit I dont have much merit, well I dont even know if I will have merit for adapting this type of work on my trees but it all started when I forgot to prune my ficus, there was way more new braches developing then any other year, this guy react fast so it was easy to try variations here and there and finally find the proper one atleast to work with the tree to build secondary / tertiary ramification.
I applied a similar technique to decidous that has the same behavior when pruned like my blood good maple for example but a bit different.
My ficus, if you prune an under developed branche to first node, it will grow a single branche from that node with very long internodes and the tree will stay at the exact same point if I repeat this process oven and over again and I was tired of it!
For my ficus If I let the new branche elongate 6-8 leaves untouched, small lateral branches will start to elongate, I can then pinch the tip of the main branche to stop elongation of the main and concentrate the energy towards the new growth branches left untouched.
I will let theses small new branches grow stronger while keeping in mind Its possible to remove 1 out of 2 leaves from the main branche during this process or simply wait.
After that I come back and cut back keeping all new branches or atleast minimum 2 as one will be used as a "leader" the other one as a lateral.
I wait until theses gets 6-8 leaves and re-apply.
if I reduce to only one branche I now know the tree wont put out 2 new branches from the node It will grow a single one with long internodes.
I will end up with basicly the same situation so I keep minimum 2 and I wait as theses 2 new branches now will probably have shorter internodes as more energy as been spent growing 2 instead of 1 and the result will either be correct right away or will put meat on the tree allowing me to re-apply the technique and rebuild as I want.
Im trying to document in images as the seasons go and adapt this technique on more decidious and evergreen like spruce notable for creating long shoots.
Im sure you will end-up with a better process so please dont forget to share it!!
Thanks again for your good comment
Ugo