Identifying and Removing Bad Branches

Identifying and removing bad branches is fundamental to developing well-styled and impressive bonsai. However, novices are often reluctant to prune anything for fear of harming or damaging the plant. As a consequence their trees quickly grow out of shape. The novice grower then looses interest, and eventually the plant dies from neglect.

Identifying bad branches is easy.

Identifying bad branches is easy once one gets the hang of it. Re-potting a small ficus bonsai affords me a nice opportunity to explain my thought process, such as it is, when I am styling trees. It is a very basic formula. Remove the branches that are “obviously” incorrect, and then make design decisions with whatever remains.

One solution does not fit all circumstances.

Bonsai is art, so there is no right or wrong. One solution does not work for all circumstances, even for trees of the same species. Each individual tree has its own character. As bonsai artists, our challenge is to enhance each tree’s individual character. It is not to attempt to shape or bend a tree into a design that is not appropriate for its character. So, look closely at your tree and imagine what that specific tree could become using the branches and shoots that already exist.

Identify the tree’s movement. By this I obviously don’t mean that the tree is going to grow legs and run out of your garden, unless one is bonsaing triffids. Movement, when applied to art and design, refers to the ability of a well-composed work of art to move the viewers’ eyes around the scene or canvas. The more “movement” a composition has, the more dynamic and visually attractive the composition, up to a point. When it comes to bonsai, this inherent movement generally comes from the angle and shape of the trunk. Everything else, side branches and leaf pads, is dependent of the shape and movement of the trunk.

Styling my little ficus.

The little ficus in the photos has potential to become a lovely tree. It has good movement. The trunk has a lovely zig zag shape, but there are a few branches that don’t help the composition. The first, and easiest to spot, is the “armpit” branch that is growing out of the armpit, or juncture, of the first angle of the trunk on the right hand side. A branch like this would seldom survive very long on a full sized tree because it would get starved of sunlight and nutrients. However, on a bonsai it can thrive because bonsai are small and the branch would get enough sunlight and nutrients to spare. If left to grow it would eventually swell up and block the entire armpit leading to all sorts of unwanted twisting and distorted growth. From a design point of view it just look wrong. Part of good design is opening up space to allow the viewers eye to roam. Leaving that branch in place is a bit like pushing all the furniture in a room into one corner leaving everything else empty. So, I removed that branch and planted it as a cutting. It has nice shape, and hopefully it will one day become a bonsai itself.

The second problematic branch is the one in the middle on the left hand side of the trunk. The main problem with it is that it is growing in the same direction as the main trunk’s first section. It almost appears as a continuation of the main trunk. It conflicts with the main trunk. If it did not have a very nice side branch below it, I might have kept that branch and turned it into the apex or top of a smaller tree. However, I like the small side branch and it fits nicely into my concept of what the tree may become. So, I kept the lower branch and removed the middle one. This immediately creates definition between the lower side branch and the crown. Nice! I then removed a few more small branches to allow the crown to develop.

It is ok to be undecided.

The side branches, half-way up on the right, posed a quandary. All three of the branches are viable and each one may make a good side branch. I am not sure which one to leave. Easy solution. I have left all three for now and will make the decision at a later date. Having the extra small branches might just help the tree recover faster as well.