How does one encourage the growth of a new branch?

[delfiend]

So I just got my bonsai Friday, but already I'm starting to have an idea of what I want it to look like. It's pretty well shaped except that one side of it doesn't have much of anything on it. There's a spot where the other three main branches split off from the trunk where a new branch could be, which would start adding foliage to the one rather bare side.
How does one get a new branch to start growing? What sort of technique is used?

Here's the spot on my bonsai where I'd like a new branch to be.

 

[Paulpash]

Welcome to the world of bonsai.

The best advice right now is read .... and look at quality trees. Look at your own. Experiment and try to keep this one alive. Is it Rosemary?

 

[delfiend]

Welcome to the world of bonsai.

The best advice right now is read .... and look at quality trees. Look at your own. Experiment and try to keep this one alive. Is it Rosemary?

Yes, it is a Rosemary.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The design concept is right: try to have branches on the outside of curves. Problem is, reverse taper will result by having too many branches emerging from the same spot. It already has 3, a 4th won't be a net gain. Instead, you could wire the left-most branch down into the space you want the branch to appear. Alternatively, you could prune that left branch off entirely, and see if a new branch sprouts at the cut site.

Other than for cooking, I haven't worked with rosemary much, but from that, I suspect they're fibrous and somewhat brittle, so do be careful.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I did some quick research into rosemary as bonsai and it seems that they really don't like their roots messed with to the point of any rootwork killing them. Of course there are so many variables and not really very many examples of people trying different things with the trees.

Delfiend, if you want growth on that side giving it more light might help drive the growth there.

 

[lordy]

Perhaps you could repot it and change the angle at which it comes from the ground.

 

[delfiend]

Okay, thanks for all the advice. There's this one little branch that curves down back towards the trunk and really doesn't add to the tree's look. You're right about the branches being brittle, but the newest stuff is very very flexible, just like a young rosemary herb. I don't think I could train the curved branch with wire, but do you think that if I trimmed the branch back to a point before it started curving, that I might be able to coax the new growth from the trimmed branch up where I need there to be more foliage?

Edit: I just trimmed off the little curved branch. It wasn't going to do much being trained to the one side, I realized after I bent it other where I wanted it. There's some more buds where I trimmed so hopefully those will help add to the foliage on the bare side with a little help.

Other question: where can I buy wire and wire cutters somewhere other than bonsai websites? (If my plan even sounds like it will work). And do you think gardening stores like Petitti would have a concave branch cutter? Or could I simply use my shears on such a small little branch....? And do I really NEED wound paste???

Sorry.... I've had a lot of questions I just wanted to throw out there and hope for some answers...

 

[Poink88]

Some rosemary plants I've seen drop branches w/o any reason...a heartache I would avoid. I'll reserve rosemary for cooking. JMHO

 

[JudyB]

You can just use shears on rosemary, and you won't need cut paste.

 

[ABCarve]

I've had a prostrate rosemary for about 20 years. I think yours looks like this variety. It's growth habit is a little more contorted and almost weeping. My experience with this for zone 5 NW PA is that it likes it cool for the winter months ( 50-65 degrees). I'm rehabilitating a friends now, in a cool greenhouse, who tried to keep theirs in the house. Also, my experience is that it doesn't back bud. I've pruned it very hard at times and nothing seems to appear on old wood. I have wired mine but try not to move the branch far. The natural growth habit will build movement into the branches. Your trunk illustrates this. Guy wires work better for branch placement.

 

[Paulpash]

My advice too (if you're going to do bonsai) is maybe get something that is a little easier to train such as an elm, zelkova or acer. As one poster has said Rosemary does not back bud, they hate root disturbance, are hard to ramify and need a very free draining mix (all herbs do). It's not the best of material to learn on ...

My dad has a whole hedge of them for around 15 years and even vigourous growers sometimes die mysteriously. Good luck with your tree.

 

[ABCarve]

I wouldn't give up on it. Mine is one of my favorite trees (not sure if it is a tree). When it's flowering, it can't be beat. It is not a more traditional species for bonsai but I don't have many of those. I repot mine in the fall every 3-4 years. That seems to give it thyme to recoupe for spring growth. It can take a frost. You just need a cool sunny place for it the winter.

 

[JudyB]

That seems to give it thyme

Very punny, ABC.

pepperhaps you could post a pic of yours in bloom? Cumin...

 

[Anthony]

General response.

Check with the Italian Bonsai Forums, they grow both forms of Rosemary.

The ones from Florida grow well down here and I tend to clip mine for cooking, but you will see some amazing bonsais done with rosemary in Italy.
Good Afternoon.
Anthony

 

[delfiend]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I bought a Rosemary as my starter bonsai mostly because it wasn't really super expensive. Only $30. That and I absolutely love rosemary as an herb. What I REALLY wanted was a trained olive bonsai for $70, but my mother wants me to start with my Rosemary and maybe get an olive bonsai when I have more experience at keeping bonsai trees. So come on experience!! Let's get to know each other!!

And rosemary flowers, guys. Those flowers!!

 

[berobinson82]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I bought a Rosemary as my starter bonsai mostly because it wasn't really super expensive. Only $30. That and I absolutely love rosemary as an herb. What I REALLY wanted was a trained olive bonsai for $70, but my mother wants me to start with my Rosemary and maybe get an olive bonsai when I have more experience at keeping bonsai trees. So come on experience!! Let's get to know each other!!

And rosemary flowers, guys. Those flowers!!
View attachment 31163

Starting to understand your position more thoroughly, perhaps you should consider picking up some material from a nursery. Plenty of bonsai practitioners have cut their teeth on garden materials. This will give you a hands on approach rather than buying "ready made bonsai" material. There is no teacher like experience! 2 cents from a senseless man.

 

[delfiend]

Starting to understand your position more thoroughly, perhaps you should consider picking up some material from a nursery. Plenty of bonsai practitioners have cut their teeth on garden materials. This will give you a hands on approach rather than buying "ready made bonsai" material. There is no teacher like experience! 2 cents from a senseless man.

I absolutely love growing plants (and raising animals for that matter)! With the little 101 Bonsai Tips book I got, they mention a number of methods of "making" a bonsai, including growing from seeds, starting with cuttings, air layering, and grafting. Give me a pocket of cash and a trip to somewhere with gardening supplies and I'd happily start off some little bonsai! But no matter how much I try to understand every detail of the process, I don't have access to every detail...

Could I have some advice as to how to grow a bonsai from a cutting or from air layering? For me, those two seem like the most practical methods I could use. (I don't have a established base to graft on or tree seeds to plant).

Where does one find a nice cutting? I mean, I have some trees I could cut from, but really nothing special... just some maples and two types of pine. Do nurseries let you take cuttings?

Just a more detailed process on how to grow a bonsai from air layering or cuttings would be greatly appreciated!

 

[berobinson82]

While taking cuttings and doing airlayers are a great way to propagate, what will you do with your time for the next 5 - 10 years as they grow in the ground in order to mature enough to turn into bonsai? Not to dissuade you, but perhaps in addition to taking cuttings and airlayers, you could pick up some boxwoods/junipers/hollies from Lowe's or whatever large nurseries you have in the area. If you are raising large animals, and that is indicative of the size of your property, you could always go hunting for suitable material in the wild.

 

[Poink88]

...you could pick up some boxwoods/junipers/hollies from Lowe's or whatever large nurseries you have in the area. If you are raising large animals, and that is indicative of the size of your property, you could always go hunting for suitable material in the wild.

Good advise. If you go the nursery tree route...start with 5 gallon or bigger. Concentrate on the trunk and root and visualize it much shorter after you chop it down. If there are nice branches but up or out there, forget it, those will most likely be removed eventually ...concentrate on the lower 6"-12" of the plant and about 6" radius around the trunk.

Also check under the soil...sometimes the best feature of the tree are buried deep down.

Good luck!

 

[delfiend]

While taking cuttings and doing airlayers are a great way to propagate, what will you do with your time for the next 5 - 10 years as they grow in the ground in order to mature enough to turn into bonsai? Not to dissuade you, but perhaps in addition to taking cuttings and airlayers, you could pick up some boxwoods/junipers/hollies from Lowe's or whatever large nurseries you have in the area. If you are raising large animals, and that is indicative of the size of your property, you could always go hunting for suitable material in the wild.

So just buy little saplings and basically wire them and train them and trim them into bonsai trees? I could do that.