Plants With Shaping or Pruning For Bonsai Use

Pre Bonsai Specimens

Our current availability of pre-bonsai selected plants is listed here, clicking on an will open a new tab with the full size. Below the listings is information on our growing methods for these plants.

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Growing Information

We collect plants from our nursery that are particularly well-suited for growing as bonsai and begin pruning or shaping them as pre-bonsai starts. Individual plants are listed here by item ID when we have any available.

Our pre-bonsai pruning will sometimes include wiring or shaping branches but we most often focus on shallow root development, nebari or root flare, and trunk taper. Most of our pre-bonsai specimens will not have had a lot of branch work unless it is a species that requires it from a young age, mostly because well developed branches makes shipping much more difficult. Our focus is primarily in developing the root base and tapered trunk while promoting the precursor structure for branches. Pines will typically have more branch development than hardwoods since the branch development has to start at a younger age with Pines and other conifers.

Most of the pre-bonsai plants will be around 5 years old but we do work with plants that are 10 or more years old, they just tend to sell before reaching that age.

The selection and shaping process usually begins with plants that are 3-4 years old and have a distinct shape or particular root form that allows for easy shaping. Most plants at this age will have been root pruned at least once before being pulled from the general nursery production fields. After being selected we root prune heavily, typically aiming for a root system that is 12 inches wide and 3 inches deep. At this stage any crossing roots are removed to straighten the horizontal root structure. We will then usually chop most of the top off and replant in the field for a year. Some trees will be available in this stage the following fall when they can be lifted from the field and pruned again, although most are replanted for another year.

A River Birch with roots pruned to begin forming root flare

A Japanese Maple with roots pruned to begin forming root flare

Packing Plants For Shipping

Most of our plants are shipped bare root while they are dormant from late November through April and ship via the U.S. Postal Service. Bamboo plants can be shipped in their containers year-round by UPS.

Bare root plants are soaked and wrapped together in bundles.
ictured are 10x 24 inch tall Coast Redwoods.

The bundled plants are wrapped in paper and labeled by variety.

The bundle is wetted and bagged.

Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes.

Pruning and Plant Sizes

We prune both the tops and the roots of our plants at least once per year while they are growing in our nursery to ensure they develop a strong, dense form. Regular annual pruning goes a long way to ensure a healthy branching structure and this is often a missed step in many nurseries. Pruning a plant back hard after it has been neglected pruning-wise often results in an irregular branch habit or multiple leaders so we prune early and regularly instead. We also prune the roots of our plants while they are dormant which causes them to produce a much more branched structure and helps to elimate tangled masses that hinder future development. Plants that have been root pruned establish themselves much more quickly than root bound plants. Generally, hardwood plants will be pruned in the winter and conifers will be pruned in the summer.

Before shipping plants we prune the tops and roots one last time. Conifers will usually have very little pruning except to balance out long branches. Shrubs are usually pruned to around 1-2 feet tall to encourage low branch development and small to medium sized trees are usually pruned to around 36-40 inches. Pruning trees at this height encourages dominant branches to begin forming around 3 feet from the ground which typically looks the best in most situations. However, if you want a tree to have branching start higher (some city codes require trees to not branch below 4 feet) we have longer boxes available. To request taller trees please contact us at least three days before your ship date. Depending on your location and the shipping routes there may be a fee for oversize package handling (usually about $15 for a 60 inch box).

Tall trees (Oaks, Ginkgo, large Maples, etc.) are pruned to 40 inches to encourage crown development from about 36 inches and up

Small and medium trees (short Maples, Redbuds, Stewartia, etc.) are pruned 10-20 inches above the prune line from last year

Shrubs (Weigela, Hydrangea, Viburnum, etc.) are pruned to 18 inches tall and root pruned one last time

Small plug size

Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their Containers

Bamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.

We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.

1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed.

Unpacking Bare Root Plants

You will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top.

A bundle of trees.

When you are ready to plant, remove the trees from the plastic and soak the roots in a bucket of water for 30 seconds. Do not expose the roots to direct sunlight and do not allow them to dry out. When planting large quantities of plants we keep the plants in a black garbage bag to keep all sun and air flow away from the roots and pull each plant as soon as the planting hole is ready. Water the soil well right after planting.

What if I am not able to plant right away?

You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.

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