In one of Walter Paul's recent videos for Bonsai Empire anniversary, Walter mentioned the hedge pruning method as a way to thicken the branches and trunk. What do you think about that? It sounds tempting to create the branches structure and thickening them at the same time. Usually for this it's recommended not to touch the branches, give them free growth.
Hi Yaroslav. Walter Pall is 100% right. What thickens a branch is the amount of leaf mass it produces. If it is distributed throughout a long branch as in the sacrifice branch methodology, you will have to cut that somewhere along the length at some point in the future and have a big scar to deal with. The alternative is what Walter Pall proposes, which is instead to have a lot of branches/branchlets more condensed and work at the same time on girth and ramification and the fastest way to get a lot of ramification is combining total (or 70% partial) defoliation and hedge pruning. In my personal opinion, Walter Pall is also not the only one to follow this approach, as I mentioned in a previous video, the approaches of Walter Pall and Dennis Vojtilla (a famous deciduous grower in the US) are quite similar. You can also combine both approaches - the bottom line is the more leaf mass, the faster it grows.
So many great trees. If you keep following Walters techniques you are going to have a world class collection in a few years!!
Thank you!
Very nice video Rafael!
Thank you Nigel. One day I might be able to reach the level of your videos... but it will be tough.
That a very nice Tree Rafael. Yeah your right, I do some of Walter Pal’s method and it’s fast to create ramifications 😀
Thanks Mel.
Great unmentioned tip, using the blue recycle bins as growing pots!
Thanks! Yeah, it is fitting to recycle trees with recycling bins... :)
Nice trees! Very helpful video, thanks.
Thank you!
Good trimming concept to consider for next year....Thanks Sir
For sure. Walter Pall's trees are a testament to it.
Nice video Rafi, keep it up!
Thank you too much!
In one of Walter Paul's recent videos for Bonsai Empire anniversary, Walter mentioned the hedge pruning method as a way to thicken the branches and trunk. What do you think about that? It sounds tempting to create the branches structure and thickening them at the same time. Usually for this it's recommended not to touch the branches, give them free growth.
Hi Yaroslav. Walter Pall is 100% right. What thickens a branch is the amount of leaf mass it produces. If it is distributed throughout a long branch as in the sacrifice branch methodology, you will have to cut that somewhere along the length at some point in the future and have a big scar to deal with. The alternative is what Walter Pall proposes, which is instead to have a lot of branches/branchlets more condensed and work at the same time on girth and ramification and the fastest way to get a lot of ramification is combining total (or 70% partial) defoliation and hedge pruning. In my personal opinion, Walter Pall is also not the only one to follow this approach, as I mentioned in a previous video, the approaches of Walter Pall and Dennis Vojtilla (a famous deciduous grower in the US) are quite similar. You can also combine both approaches - the bottom line is the more leaf mass, the faster it grows.