Too long and too straight. We all know you can add curves to a branch that is too straight, but did you know that you can also use wire to shorten a branch that is too long?
Much better. Now it’s much shorter and much more interesting.
Crack! Branches sometimes crack. In fact, experienced bonsai artists sometimes intentionally crack a branch in order to bend it more than it normally would. Either way, you need to stabilized it while it heals (see below). You also need to apply sealing paste (cut paste).
Keep it still. You can use a guy wire to prevent any more downward movement while the branch heals. All four drawings in this post are from Bonsai Today issue 21.
Wayne
The little bonsai circle Im in calls this technique “crushing” You can take a whole untrained tree with spindly branches and apply this method to crush it down to appear to have older, more interesting compact growth. Very commonly done in Japan.
Keep coming with those tips!!
Bonsai Eli
Thanks Elliot. Yeah, as you say commonly done in Japan and a great thing to do if you want interesting bonsai. One tip is to exaggerate the curves. As the trunks and branches thicken, the curves will soften.