Blixen, flitzen, murs, and trixens
Bites and fleas, furs and mittens
Voungen fweep, whirren-bray
Lounge and sleep, purr and play
If a cat could talk, what would it say?
Silly humans, so smart and witty.
Cannot fathom the secrets of the kitty.

Fuzz Meow
An Original Nonsense Poem by @creativetruth

#poem #poetry

In this post I'll be sharing some photos of my work trimming back my overgrown tree. This style of pruning is designed to keep the tree very small so it can be maintained to grow in a small pot. Sometimes we call this bonsai.

Let's take a look at the history and details of this particular tree in my backyard hobby collection.

ID: 0007
Nickname: KitKat
Type: Pussywillow
Age: 3.5 years
Grown: cutting (from florist)
Last repotting: 2015?
Wired: never

Check out my last post on this tree when I first introduced it eight months ago:
Break me off a piece of that Kitkat branch

In this black and white photo above, you can see many of the new shoots growing long and straight in various angled upward directions. This photo makes it easy to look for the things I examine before I start pruning.

• Count the the leaf nodes up from the bottom of the shoot. More than two or three from the branch? Shorten stem.
• Dead, yellow, weak, cracked leaves or stems? Remove. Trim dead wood back to living wood.
• Change in the size of the leaves as they emerge along the new shoots? Pick off the weakest leaves. Also remove over-sized leaves to allow more sunlight and airflow in.
• Shoots growing down underneath the branches? Prune off completely.
• Shoots growing in strange direction? Shorten to a better angle, or prune off completely.
• More than two shoots growing from a single junction? This is called a whorl and tends to thicken the branch in the middle. Remove excess shoots from the whorl so it does not thicken out of proportion.

Here is the finished tree after making choice cuts, and defoliating some of the larger leaves.

For a tree that has never been wired, it has a very ideal radial pattern, able to expand and grow in all directions.

It has a very circular canopy with somewhat equidistant branches from the center.

Air spaces between the branches are ideal. Rainwater can feed the tree from above. When trees have too many leaves, it sheds water off to the sides, and water never reaches the soil in the pot.

Here is a final look at the tree from the reverse view. Overall I am very happy with the levels of branch pads that are forming from the 2nd and 3rd level of branch ramification that has been quickly forming this year. The surface roots are forming a radial shape similar to the upper branch design, and one day this may develop into a thick nebari.

Future Design

One design change I may consider altering later this year is removing the topmost branch to change the apex of the tree into a slimmer branch beside it, as this would help to lead the taper of the tree into a more proportional flow.

Some subtle bends to the trunk would also enhance the barely visible motion within this tree. Will have to apply some strong wire to make this happen.

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Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth.

Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.

#teambonsai

No memberships. Love trees. Make friends. Grow together.

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Bonus Photos:

Sometimes the deeper meanings are hidden between the lines. Look for the meanings within meanings within meanings, and make your own conclusions, as nonsensical as they may be. Chances are, you aren't the only one who drew similar meanings from the original source material. Contextual understanding can be the spark of a new relationship. Enjoy those connections for the potential they may hold. A mere thought can lie dormant for many years for the memory to recall it suddenly in an instant of rediscovered bliss.

Sweet Peas in bloom

Give thanks for the many gifts you receive, hold onto whatever wealth you wish to grow, and give generously with your talents and abundance. Think green this week.