The fastest way to develop deciduous bonsai: Walter Pall's hedge pruning method explained

[Adair M]

It doesn't matter how you cut it. It matters when you cut it and most importantly what you do in the fall. If you want to cut with a chainsaw, a hedge pruner or with a feather it is all the same. If you want cut carefully or carelessly, it is all the same. What is important is that you prune to the silhouette or perhaps a little less each time the tree has had enough time to return to an energy positive state and that is approximately twice in a growing season and then select branches in the fall. Whoever don't understand that don't understand the technique. I think I fully understand the technique. What I don't understand is why people keep coming back to make the same points they made before or others made. Is there anything new to say here or are we going to keep going in circles for ever?

Did you not see Walter’s post where he stated that he does not do what you do in your video?

 

[_#1_]

The video does not show what I do. It is not my video.

He got my approval.

Odd indeed

Why would someone held in such high regards approve of such misleading info? Even having your name on the title...

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think I've got a good candidate to try this out....but I'll spare ya'll the video!!

View attachment 295310

We'd like to have your wife video you and your chainsaw. (Or you can video her if she can handle it better)

 

[LanceMac10]

We'd like to have your wife video you and your chainsaw. (Or you can video her if she can handle it better)

she uses a handbag pretty good....she's not a fan....

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

Odd indeed

Why would someone held in such high regards approve of such misleading info? Even having your name on the title...

It would seem odd indeed without thinking a bit. Between how I did it in that video and how Walter does himself, all while keeping the basic parameters of what defines the technique intact, there is a whole range of leeway to do things differently. No misleading information, it only requires a few working synapses in the brain to figure it out. At least this is how I interpret Walter's comments.

 

[_#1_]

No misleading information

Yet, with 12 pages of explanations, you're still explaining yourself. When you're talking about a technique and only performing half of it, it can be a bit weird.

Perhaps misleading is the wrong word. Maybe it's confusing.

For that I apologize.

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

Yet, with 12 pages of explanations, you're still explaining yourself. When you're talking about a technique and only performing half of it, it can be a bit weird.

Perhaps misleading is the wrong word. Maybe it's confusing.

For that I apologize.

Hey, if you want to see the branch selection and first styling of these maples last fall, there is a series of videos about them.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yet, with 12 pages of explanations, you're still explaining yourself. When you're talking about a technique and only performing half of it, it can be a bit weird.

Perhaps misleading is the wrong word. Maybe it's confusing.

For that I apologize.

Are you suggesting, after 9 months, that this video is not the fastest way, that it is not actually Walter’s method, and it wasn’t clearly explained?

 

[Lazylightningny]

@Walter Pall thank you for calling me out on my ignorance on this method, which I freely admit. I apologize to you.

For those of you who are still confused about hedge pruning, I recommend going to Walter's own video and get it "straight from the horse's mouth."

In this video, Walter explains very clearly what his method is; which is indeed hedge pruning like the name sounds. He gives some caveats as to the health and stage of development of the tree, but he does indeed hedge prune. And it's not done for the sake of speed. It's done because it works well to ramify branches. I don't think anyone can dispute that Walter's trees are well ramified. An added bonus in this video is Walter explaining his "goat browsing" defoliation method, which is very informative.

Thank you Walter for explaining your methodology. It does indeed make the Japanese method tedious and burdensome.

I hope this will be the end of the confusion to everyone as it was for me.

 

[Walter Pall]

How I got to this quality after hedge pruning ten months ago as in the video.

Want to improve your Bonsai skills, like pruning deciduous material? Check my online courses at: ww.bonsaiempire.com/courses

 

[_#1_]

Hey, if you want to see the branch selection and first styling of these maples last fall, there is a series of videos about them.

I can't find it in your channel. Got a link? Look, I started Bonsai (growing any plants actually) 4 years ago and want to learn and apply different techniques to my trees to see which ones work best for me.

I learned that hedge pruning can be indiscriminate trimming or in your case more deliberate. To get the rough silhouette. Fine tune after growing season.

I think maybe your subject trees where just a bit course. Thant's why you just pick and choose the long shoots to clip back. Hedging as I understand it cuts leaves and all. Doesn't matter. That's why this video was confusing to me. Your oral explanation didn't match the visual.

Are you suggesting, after 9 months, that this video is not the fastest way, that it is not actually Walter’s method, and it wasn’t clearly explained?

Clearly it was not lol

 

[Forsoothe!]

@Walter Pall thank you for calling me out on my ignorance on this method, which I freely admit. I apologize to you.

For those of you who are still confused about hedge pruning, I recommend going to Walter's own video and get it "straight from the horse's mouth."

In this video, Walter explains very clearly what his method is; which is indeed hedge pruning like the name sounds. He gives some caveats as to the health and stage of development of the tree, but he does indeed hedge prune. And it's not done for the sake of speed. It's done because it works well to ramify branches. I don't think anyone can dispute that Walter's trees are well ramified. An added bonus in this video is Walter explaining his "goat browsing" defoliation method, which is very informative.

Thank you Walter for explaining your methodology. It does indeed make the Japanese method tedious and burdensome.

I hope this will be the end of the confusion to everyone as it was for me.

Well, what would you expect from the Old Goat? The whole enchilada...

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

I can't find it in your channel. Got a link? Look, I started Bonsai (growing any plants actually) 4 years ago and want to learn and apply different techniques to my trees to see which ones work best for me.

Just search for "Bonsai fall work on high-water mobility Japanese Maples" on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rafinajmanovich

 

[Mikecheck123]

Carelessly could get you a piece of bark that lifts up and tears back to the trunk.

It could have you pull your tree right off the stand and break a pot.

You can cut your damn self!

Never be careless.

Sorce

In all seriousness, I was carelessly hedge pruning a Chinese elm last fall and going so fast that I snipped off the end of my thumb.

It backbudded nicely.

 

[Lazylightningny]

In all seriousness, I was carelessly hedge pruning a Chinese elm last fall and going so fast that I snipped off the end of my thumb.

It backbudded nicely.

In all seriousness, I cut off the end of my finger on a table saw several years ago, and the nail bed did backbud.

 

[Driftwood]

Thanks to Rafael for sharing and to Mr. Pall for explaining so many times his method.. How many 'profesionals' share their knowledge and take time to answer all sort of questions in this website for free??
People tend to forget that this is about the naturalistic and fairy tale styles techniques not about highly refined Japanese style.
Will be good to hear from others experiences applying this method.
From this year I'm applying the hedge pruning technique to some of my trees but unlike Rafael I have got hand shears .

 

[leatherback]

People tend to forget that this is about the naturalistic and fairy tale styles techniques not about highly refined Japanese style.

really?

 

[Forsoothe!]

I respectfully take exception to your use of the words " highly refined" in conjunction with "Japanese style", but to the exclusion of Walter's trees as merely "naturalistic and fairy tales styles". It takes Walter a long time to grow trees in preparation to begin to apply his hedge trimming which is only the final step in a whole process. Yes, "naturalistic and fairy tale styles", but also "highly refined" if for no other reason than the time taken to achieve the Walter Pall end product is not less than the time (and expertise and process) applied to achieve the Japanese end product.

Please forgive my pickiness of the words used, but to insinuate, even unintentionally and indirectly that Walter's styles are not also "highly refined" is at least, incorrect.

 

[Driftwood]

I respectfully take exception to your use of the words " highly refined" in conjunction with "Japanese style", but to the exclusion of Walter's trees as merely "naturalistic and fairy tales styles". It takes Walter a long time to grow trees in preparation to begin to apply his hedge trimming which is only the final step in a whole process. Yes, "naturalistic and fairy tale styles", but also "highly refined" if for no other reason than the time taken to achieve the Walter Pall end product is not less than the time (and expertise and process) applied to achieve the Japanese end product.

Please forgive my pickiness of the words used, but to insinuate, even unintentionally and indirectly that Walter's styles are not also "highly refined" is at least, incorrect.

Right! My point is that if my goal is to achieve that type of, what's commercially considered, Japanese bonsai artistic movement, well I will tend to implement those techniques but if my goal is towards the naturalistic movement, well I will try it's techniques.
'Highly refined' wasn't used completely incorrect, I think that word doesn't apply to what Mr Pall or the naturalistic movement implies.

 

[sorce]

Told you "refinement" is a buzz word, an "in concept".

I think it stems from the ridiculously societal need to be refined, you know, paying too much for stuff, drinking with your pinky up, owning ugly dogs.

Hell with refined.

Park in the wrong space once, get a ticket.
Twice. Get refined.

Sorce