Cryptomeria branch development basic questions

Beginners
1

I somehow failed to get this from the streams on cryptomeria probably because it’s basic/common sense but:

I have a black dragon cryptomeria with a trunk I am satisfied with, and some fairly long upright branches which have elongated to a foot plus, give or take. They have secondaries and some tertiaries budding out.

Say I want to begin setting structure of primary branches at least. Pull them down and set direction. Two questions:

The primary branches are not yet lignified (still green and has short coarse needly growth). Should I wait until they lignify to do any wire?

The branches are decently thick but fleshy. Either way, if I want more girth to a branch, but know I eventually want them shorter than that are now, do I simply let that branch elongate to build the girth I want before cutting back? During this time, am I likewise just letting the secondaries I want run out (perhaps selecting them) or am I pruning to build ramification?

I guess that’s a gob of questions and somehow basic stuff like this yet eludes me in my second year of getting obsessed with this hobby. Any advice or pointers to basic resources here?

2

I have a cryptomeria but not the black dragon variety. Some basic advice, if you want girth let the branches grow and prune them for ramification once you have the girth you want. I believe you should not wire until you are ready to set the primary/secondary structure . When you are ready, it shouldn’t matter if the branches lignify. I have set the structure on branches that are still green on my cryptomeria and I know Ryan Neil has too with good success. I am assuming you are in a bonsai pot and not a grow container of some kind, if you are still in a grow container, I would not wire until you repot and thee tree becomes established in the bonsai pot. Those are my two cents, hope it helps.

1 Like