Trimming vs. Nibbling: Part II

Last week’s post championed the benefits of thinning and trimming. This week’s will argue that nibbling at our bonsai diminishes them.

A good trim and a bad nibble are a world apart.

“Nibbling” is something we happily do. And then we tend to get bigger. Constant nibbling on a tree, on the other hand, results in the reverse: A weak, thin tree without the means to make food.

Nibbling is done around the edges of risotto while you wait for the rest to cool down. It’s reserved for chocolates in closets where we think no one saw us go. Nibbling is best reserved for food. Occasionally for nails. Never for bonsai.

Reserve nibbling for risotto

Nibbling around the edges of your bonsai while listening to podcasts (never do this with Bonsai Wire) is a nervous habit likely to end them.

Though it may seem simplistic to say this, bonsai need to grow. Each is different: How they do that. When they do that. But it’s imperative to know a species’ needs, and then to give them a non-trimming pause in which they can grow. If we don’t give them a pause, that’s called nibbling.