Also known as topping, in order to inhibit the growth of tree bonsai and promote the development of lateral branches, the tender heads of its branches can be removed. It is to cut off or cut off the top of the main stem or side branch of a flower plant by hand, thus breaking the top advantage of the plant, promoting the germination of its lower axillary buds, inhibiting the excessive growth of branches, promoting the plant to branch more, forming multi-flowered heads, and the plant shape is beautiful.

Step 2 nip the bud

To wipe a bud is to wipe the newly sprouted bud off the branch by hand. Trees with strong germination, such as plum blossoms, often grow many adventitious buds and overlapping branch buds on the trunk or main branches. If it is not erased in time and allowed to grow, it will not only consume a lot of nutrients in vain, but also destroy the tree shape due to dense branches and leaves and poor ventilation and light transmission, which will affect the growth of buds. Some opposite branches should not be cut off after axillary buds have grown into branches, but one of them should be erased in bud stage. Be sure to pay attention to the angle of axillary buds when wiping them. If the angle of the bud is improper, it will affect the tree shape in the future.

Step 3 pick leaves

Bonsai is a plastic art with dense leaves, so it is difficult to see the tortuous, vigorous and beautiful trunk, especially the big tree-shaped pile landscape of Lingnan School, with sparse leaves, which can show the strangeness of the branches. Therefore, picking leaves is another technical measure for the artistic modeling of tree bonsai. The best viewing time of elm is just after the new buds grow. In addition to natural germination in spring, such as July and September, all elm leaves are removed and decomposed organic liquid fertilizer is applied at one time to make them grow new leaves quickly, so that they have three best viewing periods in a year, which improves the ornamental value of elm bonsai. If all the elm leaves are removed about 20 days before the exhibition and the management of fertilizer and water is strengthened, fresh new leaves will grow during the exhibition, giving people a fresh, hearty and enterprising feeling. In some miscellaneous wood bonsai, picking leaves can also play a role in making the leaves smaller. For example, Vitex negundo has large leaves and strong germination ability, and leaves can be picked many times a year. With the increase of leaf picking times, the leaves gradually become smaller and more beautiful. Bamboo bonsai is evergreen all the year round, and too dense leaves give people a bloated feeling. After refinement, it shows its powerful charm.

4, refinement

Thinning is to cut off branches that do not meet the needs of modeling from the base. By cutting off unnecessary branches, one can achieve the purpose of modeling, and the other can ensure good ventilation and light transmission, so that nutrients can be supplied to the reserved branches, so that plants can flourish and flowers can flourish. Watch carefully before thinning, especially for beginners, and don't cut it easily, because improper thinning will be difficult to make up. Thinning should not be done near the trunk, and the base of 0.5 ~ 1 cm should be reserved according to the branch thickness, so that the trunk is uneven and looks old and vigorous like a knot in one's heart.

5. Short scissors

Short cutting is to cut off some branches and keep some according to the requirements of modeling, so as to stimulate the buds of the retained branches to form side branches. Cutting is also an important measure to shape and maintain the tree shape. It can make the taller trees shorter, keep the lower tree shape and make the branches thicker, thus making the tree bonsai more vigorous and magnificent.

Step 6 store branches and cut them off

Keeping branches and cutting off stems is a unique modeling method carefully created by Lingnan bonsai artists according to Lingnan painting techniques, observing and imitating the modeling of ancient trees in nature. The specific method is: when the young trees used as bonsai grow to a certain thickness, they will be strongly pruned (that is, a considerable part of the trunk will be cut off), and a few branches will be kept at appropriate positions and angles. It is best to leave branches of different lengths. If the remaining branches are called primary branches, then the side branches that grow on them are called secondary branches. When the second branch grows to a certain thickness, keep one or two branches and cut them short to promote the third branch. Prune in turn, year after year, cut dry and save branches. Then, after proper modeling, it becomes a big tree bonsai with thick bottom and fine top, lush foliage, vigor and simplicity, and beautiful shape.