Thicken the trunk of your Bonsai

In this video Michael explains an important concept used to thicken branches or trunks on a Bonsai: the use of sacrifice branches or apexes/leaders. Understanding when and how to apply these sacrificial branches, will greatly speed up the development of your trees!

This lecture is a free preview from our online course about developing Bonsai from seeds and cuttings. For more free previews and the curriculum see: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses/...

A sacrifice branch thickens the branch, and the trunk underneath the branch, and stimulates mostly that side of the trunk only. For Junipers these branches can turn into deadwood features later on. A sacrifice apex, or leader, thickens the entire trunk, all around, and it is often easier to hide the scar when removing it from the tree. To prevent very big scars, we recommend to make transitions from one leader to the next over the course of several years.

Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to:
https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses