Hello everyone,

I am new to bonsai trees and am trying to establish my first few. I have four baby oak trees, a wisteria, an acer and a crab apple tree. These were all bought as pretty much saplings.

The image shows the oak trees and the crab apple tree (on the right of the image). The drink can is for scale.

I am aware of the various steps needed for shaping and maintaining a bonsai; structural pruning, maintenance pruning, wiring and so on, but the available advice usually pertains to more advanced trees than these.

Is it time to begin wiring these trees? How do I go about structurally pruning such young trees which have no substantial shape at the moment? The crab apple tree is getting much taller than I would like the finished tree to be, how do I go about reducing its height? Do I simply chop it down to size or is it more complicated than that?

If someone could list a few steps required to get these trees on the road to becoming bonsai trees it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Long story short, first ~5 years you just leave them grow freely before you get decent trunk from which to move on. Till then give them basic care and watch they grow. Good luck.

Hi,

Thanks for your response. Would the trees not get monstrously tall if I wait that long before pruning?

Thanks again.

Yes they will. There are several methods for growing trunks. Not all involve letting the tree just grow out of control.

Have a look here www.growingbonsai.net/growing/trunks/

Good point from LB.