Ash tree (Fraxinus Uhdei) pruning and shaping advice

Hello, I am new to this forum and also to bonsai cultivation.

I have one ash tree . Bought it 3 and 1/2 years ago. Haven't prune it since very much.
I tried to search the internet for advice on how to shape it correctly, but I have not found much as this is not a very popular tree.

My tree looses leaves every winter. It was replanted recently and it started developing leaves just now (very small, can not be seen on the picture).

Is this a good time to prune it? How to shape it correctly to look like a proper bonsai?

Thank you very much in advance.

Bonsai styling is the same no matter species. It is just that not all styles is apropriate for all species.

This tree wants to be a broom style tree. There is no reason to try to create anything else. So read up on the charicaristics on broom style and how to achieve it.

Sprin, just before budbreak is the best time for hard pruning. It sounds a few days late for you. I would do it now, but maybe save some of the biggest cuts until next year. Focus on the silouette and remove crossing branches. You can always do more next year.

Thank you for your advice. I was not sure how to choose the style. I am fine with broom style. I will read how to achieve it.
Just one last concern...is it safe to prune it right after repotting with roots cutting? I do uderstand I should safe some of the biggest cuts for next spring.

I notice nobody said anything about the tree being inside. It really should be outside.

One important thing about cutting branches: you can cur off but you can't cut on. Take a little off now, maybe one larger branch, shorten a couple, and spend the summer thinking about what to take off next year.

johnny11 wrote:

Thank you for your advice. I was not sure how to choose the style. I am fine with broom style. I will read how to achieve it.
Just one last concern...is it safe to prune it right after repotting with roots cutting? I do uderstand I should safe some of the biggest cuts for next spring.

The general advice for beginners is to do root work one year and if recovered during the season severe pruning is done the next year. Or you can chose to do the other way around, just do not do both the same year. Experienced bonsai artist may get away with doing both in same year, but that is not for beginners.

Ivan Mann wrote:

I notice nobody said anything about the tree being inside. It really should be outside.

Good point and I totally agree. I read OP has had the tree for 3 and a half year. So I asumed it was indoors for photo purpouse only.

I bought the tree as indoor bonsai and it was never taken outside.
This is what it looked like directly after I bought it.

Label says it is indoor tree.

I must admit I do not have any experience with this F uhdei. But your post made me curious in the same way I get curious everytime I see a new species for sale. What I did was just typing it into Google and look for pictures. I would expect anyone that wants to keep plants do the same. The pictures I got looks nowhere near the tree you have. Too me it is a chocker that you have had the tree for 3,5 years without even show the slightliest interest in the species.

And this may come as a chock for you: there are not one single tree in the whole world that lives naturally indoors. Trees are evolved to the environment they are living in naturally and there are not one place in the whole world that has 20 degrees day and night over the whole year.

And another one: decidious trees is decidious to handle environmental factors in the habitat they come from. Shedding the leafs is triggered by cold season in the temperate zone and draught and heat in tropical zone. When a tree shed leafs indoors, it is a stress reaction, not a natural cycle. Your tree is too weak for any pruning.

If you are safe from frost, take the tree outdoors. First in a shaded place and then during a period of 4 to 6 weeks gradually move it to more sun.

Meanwhile, try to identify species. That is the key to understand its needs. You are not ready for styling, your focus should be on tree health and nothing else.

Thanks again for your comment.

I googled this tree years ago and I always found it confusing that some sources say this tree is deciduous while others say it is evergreen. And there is disagreement on more topics.

All I know (I believe I know) is it comes from sub tropical zone and it needs winter temperatures between 16 and 24 Celsius degrees. And local seller told me it is perfectly ok to keep it inside all the time.

In the Czech Republic, we are not safe from frost yet. Forecast for next week warns about 1 Celsius degree during nights.

This species is very confusing for me. I just can't find the right information on what to do and when and how the tree should look like.
I already did a pruning 3 hours ago. Hope the tree will be fine. I will post some photo in few weeks or moths.

BTW: I have a second tree, Caragona spinosa. I did an initial pruning on that one (it felt intuitive to me) years ago and I have no difficulty to maintain its look up till today.

Hmm, 16 to 24 in winter do not sounds like subtropic to me. Subtropic shortly put means that it gets below freezing in winters, but not every winter.

The confucing part about decidious or not just means it is semi decidious and shed or not depending on temperature.

Anyway: you do not have a F uhdei, so no use of reading up anything more on the species.