How to Prune Bonsai Nodes

Bonsai is an ancient form of container horticulture that creates miniature specimens of trees and shrubs in a perfected state. Plants are trained from a young age with wire supports and regular pruning achieves a stunted but artistic representation of nature. All trees and shrubs have nodes along their branches, which are internal growth points for branches and buds for foliage and flowers. The nodes are typically visible even when the tree is dormant and without foliage or flowers. For bonsai creation, nodes and the distance between nodes on any given branch play a basic, important role when pruning and shaping the plant canopy and appearance.

Concave blade bonsai shears

Instructions

- 1
  Change a branch's direction by pruning the tip down several nodes to a lateral branch or node facing in the direction that you want the new branch and side branches to grow. Place a clean cut just beyond the directional node and remove the branch cutting.
- 2
  Ramify or stunt the branch's growth once it reaches the desired length by pruning the tip of a three-node branch by removing the outermost two nodes. This causes the buds behind the cut remaining on the branch to open and produce flowers and foliage, creating increased fullness on the branch but not increased length.
- 3
  Increase the distance between nodes for an airier, less-full branch appearance by pruning in the winter and pruning the branches less frequently to discourage side branching. This is a technique useful in asymmetrical bonsai styles or with plant species with naturally larger scale leaves and blooms.

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