An open window into the comings and goings of students and their trees attending our regular weekend and midweek bonsai classes under the ever watchful eyes of John Hanby.
Classroom Corner – Pre-wiring Pruning!
Most people know the basics of styling a tree. You thin out a few branches that are not required, wire everything that’s left…..a bit of repositioning and “Hey Presto”…..you have a new tree!
Sounds simple, appears simple when you watch an experienced artist, but it’s a lot more involved than you think. The crucial part is often right at the start…..making a good branch selection and having the courage to remove everything that is not required.
This often results in an immediate dramatic change to the appearance of the tree which usually becomes much lighter and frighteningly sparse! This allows you to see more clearly where the tree is going, it is easier to determine and create deadwood, easier to wire and ultimately easier to reposition the branches into the desired form.
The three trees below were recently brought to workshops for assessment and that very important initial pruning. They are all now ready for wiring. Some of the pruning was drastic, some was more subtle. It is important to try and master this initial pruning technique in order to achieve good results once the tree has been wired.
