pruning a baobab

szluha · White Belt Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Limpopo

A few years back I bought 10 young baobab trees. I only have 2 left, the rest died for various reasons. I want to turn them into bonsai's but they seem to die if I prune them. My pruning technique is very successful with other species, but obviously I'm doing something wrong with the baobabs.

The lowest branch on each of these trees is almost a meter from the ground, but I want to make them shorter. Can I just cut off the tree 20cm from the ground, leaving no branches? Someone told me that's what I should do, but I've never applied such an aggressive pruning strategy and I don't want to kill my last 2 baobabs Exclamation

Stymie · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: Re: pruning a baobab

Hello szluha.
Perhaps you would like to tell us what diameter the trees have now. I believe that they are almost indestructible and would expect them to re-generate from a shortened trunk. It is understandable that you are reluctant to chop them after your experience with pruning the others. A photograph would be welcome. This would have to be submitted to a hosting site first and the address posted here (URL) so that we can download it. I hope that your enquiries will be answered by someone growing them as bonsai in a similar climate to yours. Keep in touch and try to give us a picture.

szluha · White Belt Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Limpopo

The base of the trunk is about 3 cm in diameter, which is very thin for its height (about 1.2 meters). My father-in-laws trees are the same age and height, but 2 or 3 times as thick. The trees are almost 4 years old now.

apisto · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: pruning a baobab

Dick · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:40 am Post subject: Re: pruning a baobab

In the natural habitat, the boabab is a very toug tree to kill. Why yours would not prune back well and be threatened with dying is a mystery to me.

szluha · White Belt Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Limpopo

My father-in-laws stays in Guateng Province, which is a much hotter and dryer environment than Limpopo where I stay (although Baobabs grows naturally in the wild here and not in Gauteng). The Baobabs seem to grow better in hot and dry areas.

My father-in-law is also too scared to prune his trees since I've lost so many, so I can't really follow his advice. He's waiting for me to make the first (successful) move.

Does anyone suggest I cut off the trees close to the ground (leaving no branches or leaves) at the start of summer? I gather that this is the best gamble.