Page 52 - Tài liệu Ebook cây cảnh Bonsai Basics

54 TRAINING BO SAl
Using a pointed saw. The cut should be neat and
clean without splinters.
This badly placed branch should be removed with a
pair of cutters.
The powerful curved blades of these cutters will
ensure a very clean cut with a minimum of effort if
you keep them sharp.
two opposite branches on the trunk.
In this way, you will produce a tree
with alternate branches in keeping with
bonsai tradition. Beyond this simple
fundamental rule, pruning for bonsai
formation is intended to shape the tree to
the form you want. Be discriminating
when removing branches, since a branch
cut from the trunk will not grow again
and you may be left with an assymetrical
or badly-shaped tree. Any error in your
judgement may be rectified by grafting
on a replacement branch - but this is
always a delicate operation and not
guaranteed to succeed. Although there
are certain rules (such as systematic
pinching out of the tips to obtain a well
branched crown), this sort of pruning is
generally a matter of common sense. lt is
obviously necessary to cut out suckers
developing at the base of the trunk of a
broom shaped tree, just as it is to cut
back the leading shoot of a tree that you
want to form a bushy shape, the skill
being in selecting the right branch to take
over as the new leader. Cuts should be
clean, so the tree can heal quickly. This
often means using a pair of cutters with
slightly curved blades. For slightly
thicker branches, the small hole left in
the trunk should be filled with grafting
mastic to accelerate healing and elimin-
ate all traces of the scar where the bark
has grown back. Where a pruning saw
has been used, (here, a pointed, fine-
toothed saw), it is almost always neces-
sary to trim the cut with a pair of cutters
or the blade of a grafting knife.
Tools should always be sharp and
clean. Sterilize the blade with a flame
after each pruning, to reduce the risk of
transmitting viral diseases.
At this point, it might be useful to
stress the quality of the tools you use.
Traditional Japanese tools are certainly
not cheap, but they are perfectly adapted
to the requirements of bonsai culti-
vation. Do resist the temptation to use
ordinary secateurs, or, for that matter,
any other tools. You will only risk
ruining your tree completely for the sake
of a small outlay.