Some more pictures of the most senior bonsai in my collection, the tiger bark ficus. Over the year I have had it, I have allowed it to grow up and out instead of focusing on developing a good trunk structure and overall shape. As a result, the branches have become long and spindly, with relatively few leaves growing on each branch. This summer I decided to focus on encouraging growth closer to the trunk and the formation of larger groupings of leaves. To achieve these goals, I need to prune much more aggressively than last summer and hope that the bonsai will persevere. The results of a first round of pruning can be seen above and below, and should be compared to images from before. While the reduction may seem drastic, it is an important step in training the growth of a bonsai. In less than a week, we are already seeing new shoots emerge on the lower branches, a sign that the pruning was not too severe. If all goes well and the tree continues to thrive, the next step will be to trim the leaves to half their size to encourage the growth of smaller leaves.
-KGK
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