Advise needed which one to prune for this year

[Johnliem]

Hello,

I am a newbie for this bonsai hobby, I have acer palmatum orange dream and would like to prune, before to do that, advise and idea welcome and much appreciate it, so which part of this tree do I need to prune see picture

 

[Shibui]

What is your aim for this Japanese maple?
I can see you have already pruned some branches so you must have some idea of what you want it to look like?

Unfortunately a 2dimensional photo is not really great to make shaping decisions on a 3D tree. We can't see which direction the branches really go so without more info we could be telling you to cut good branches just because we have misinterpreted the direction they are growing.

 

[Johnliem]

Thank you for your response, I do not have any aim at this moment just, looking an idea which part of this tree need more pruning.

 

[ShadyStump]

Pruning is done to shape the tree. If we don't know what shape you want it to be, we can't help you prune.

I do see a few options for style, but each one would require entirely different cuts. For example if it was my tree I would be thinking a sort of multi-trunk broom style. That would mean cutting off almost everything small, and cutting the thicker branches down by almost half, then letting it grow out a few years.
You could also go with a literati style, and cut off everything except the one branch that's tied down.

 

[Johnliem]

Pruning is done to shape the tree. If we don't know what shape you want it to be, we can't help you prune.

I do see a few options for style, but each one would require entirely different cuts. For example if it was my tree I would be thinking a sort of multi-trunk broom style. That would mean cutting off almost everything small, and cutting the thicker branches down by almost half, then letting it grow out a few years.
You could also go with a literati style, and cut off everything except the one branch that's tied down.

will it be possibe to mark on the foto which cutting do you mean so I can see it, I am also thinking to cut off the small branches.

 

[Shibui]

So many options. I could draw hundreds of different pruning options but I'm just wasting time if you don't like 90% of them.
This one removes some of the long, bare branches with no taper. It will take 5 years or more to regrow the branches with better ramification.

This option leaves most of the branches. Just remove some longer ends. The tree will still have long, bare branches with little taper but might be a passable bonsai in 3 years.


This option chops way back to remove all the long, bare sections. Improves trunk taper but basically start the tree again. Looking at 10-15 years to develop a good Jm from this hard chop.


And those are just a few of the options I can find in a 2D photo only seeing the trunk and branch shape from 1 side.

 

[Johnliem]

So many options. I could draw hundreds of different pruning options but I'm just wasting time if you don't like 90% of them.
This one removes some of the long, bare branches with no taper. It will take 5 years or more to regrow the branches with better ramification.
View attachment 580052
This option leaves most of the branches. Just remove some longer ends. The tree will still have long, bare branches with little taper but might be a passable bonsai in 3 years.
View attachment 580053

This option chops way back to remove all the long, bare sections. Improves trunk taper but basically start the tree again. Looking at 10-15 years to develop a good Jm from this hard chop.
View attachment 580054

And those are just a few of the options I can find in a 2D photo only seeing the trunk and branch shape from 1 side.

Thank you for your idea for these options, much appreciated, by the way I have been to Dandenong years ago.

 

[Shibui]

by the way I have been to Dandenong years ago.

Lucky you?