Hello empire and thank you all for a great forum!

I have a few questions for you eksperts regarding repotting, wiring and pruning of deciduous trees. Mostly Maple, Ulmus and Beech.
I have of course read alot about it and talked with other people about it. But im been confused by all the different answers and curious for the empires opinion.

- When is the ideal time to restyle/build the ramification of the tree(pruning and wiring)? Is it possible now or should i wait until late winter/early spring? Before or after the buds are swelling?

-When is the best time to repot decidous trees? Also late winter/early spring? And again before or after the buds are swelling?


Thank you in advance!

I cannot say what the best is. I can say what I do..

- When is the ideal time to restyle/build the ramification of the tree(pruning and wiring)? Is it possible now or should i wait until late winter/early spring? Before or after the buds are swelling?

I have done a lot of pruning and wiring in the weeks that the leaves were dropping. This will help the tree with creating buds on the branches by removing terminal buds that are trimmed off. And the tree gets to set the branches partially during the fall/early winter wood creation. Downside is the risk of die-back over winter in case of heavy bending.

Most of the wiring and pruning for me is during the growing season, when the young growth is still green and flexible. Then they set much faster (Weeks) and you can set much extremer bends.

-When is the best time to repot decidous trees? Also late winter/early spring? And again before or after the buds are swelling?

This year I have repotted a bunch of them in late November / early December as I know I will be busy in spring with work, only arriving home late, and loads of weekend things in the agenda.. Last spring I was away till the end of March so I tried fall repotting without problems. Effectively, I repot throughout the year. I found that repotting maples in late summer works well (Or in a period of loads of rain in mid-summer). Primary repotting time for me however remains in early spring when buds swell, up to the point that the first leaf pokes out..

A note: check the deciduous trees every now and then in winter. Last year and this year I had a winter and several elms start leafing in early January, die to the crazy weather we her here. Repot them when that happens, then don't let them freeze. Now there are two in full leaf in the garage without sun, with weather 20F/-7C at night.

LB
Thank you for your reply!

When is the best time to prune for backbudding and create new buds on the branches?

I own Ulmus and Maples that i wont to prune heavily down to rebuild the
sidebranches and ramification. My plan is to prune back all sidebranches and start over the ramification. I think i should had done it as you say when the leaves were dropping. I want to prune heavily down and build up the ramification with the new growth in spring.
Should i prune them back now or wait to just before the buds swell or should i actually wait until next autumm?

I hope you know what i mean despite my bad English.

Ivan Mann

Thank you. I keep that in mind and check the trees for bud swelling.

I want to make a reshape as Marco Buijsman did the first big reshape with this tree.
www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/progressions/...on-1996-2018?start=0

So. Can i make the reshape now, just before spring or wait until autumm?

For some of my trees I want to make a reshape as Marco Buijsman did the first big reshape with this tree.
www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/progressions/...on-1996-2018?start=0

And for others of my trees i want to make a reshape as did guy did with his tree. please look at the first pictures on the site.
www.bonsaitree.co.za/blogs/tree-talk/pro...ish-elm-over-6-years

Now i hope you know exactly what i mean.

So. Can i make the reshape as Marco's tree and as the english elm now at this time, just before spring or wait until autumm?

Ulmus, you can trim back as much as you like at pretty much any time assuming it is healthy
Beech you can trim now, but you will always have to trim to a healthy bud. Beeck can drop branches if no visible buds are left on the branch
Japanese maple I would prefer to trim after the first flush has hardened off, untill early summer, well before the summer equinox.

Thanks for your reply LB.

All my Ulmus has lost all the leaves and are not showing signs of bud swell.

If YOU should perform a heavy pruning, wiring and reshape on them and to get lots of backbudding. Would you do it now or wait?

Would you say i should prune Loropetalum Chinense the say time as Maples?