Natal Plum

I recently purchased a cascading Natal Plum. I am uncertain as to how to trim it. Can someone guide me thru the best way to trim it.

Ron wrote:I recently purchased a cascading Natal Plum. I am uncertain as to how to trim it. Can someone guide me thru the best way to trim it.

Photos would help.

There is no easy set of ''directions'', every plant starts out different. Where to cut would be unique to each plant.

I recommend looking through old threads on this site and other bonsai websites. Look for progression sequences where the artists created cascade bonsai. These sequences can inform how you can proceed with your tree.

I know this is not the easy answer you were looking for. Hope you understand.

All the new growth wants to grow straight.  You need to wire it young and point the new growth in the pattern and direction you want, just like most plants.  They are also like everything else in that it's always easiest to direct a branch when young, soft and skinny with fine wire and clumsier and more breakable as they get bigger.  They have soft branches that scar easily, so wrap the wire loosely with heavier wire, more to form a caged pathway for them to follow as opposed to no-gap wiring on a pine or something with a bark type surface.  Long swooping branches also need strategically located support wires, sometimes for years.  Yes, you can train them; no, long branches won't hold a deep sweep and return higher than top central without that hidden hook where it passes back up over(beside) the pot's edge.  (The wire hook is located at the rear, left corner of the pot.)

Outside of that, the foliage reduces nicely.  You can defoliate once a year, ~February-ish~ cutting all the leaves off at the base of the leaf, but not damaging the bud in the axil, and also removing all terminal buds.