Pruning pines in the Japanese style is the most difficult and challenging of any garden pruning activity. This is because it typically takes years to learn and there are few teachers to pass this knowledge on, and few students will to invest the time and patience to learn.
Moreover, it is one thing to prune a pine that has been meticulously cared for and expertly pruned for hundreds of years in a garden in Japan, for all you have to do is to follow the pattern that has already been laid out. But it is quite another and a completely different thing to initially train a pine in the niwaki or sukashi styles involving pruning to create pads, ramification and layering of branches.
It is still a whole other thing to prune a mature pine that has never been pruned properly, and still another thing all together to prune one that was pruned initially in the Japanese style and then left unpruned for many years, or worse yet, pruned badly by inexperienced hacker-wacker “pruners.”
In our business, seldom if ever do we encounter a pine that has been pruned properly by an expert in the Japanese style for decades, and certainly not for hundreds of years—at least in the U.S. More likely, we either have to start from scratch, or do corrective and restorative pruning (as was the case in this video), and this process takes a few years of regular pruning to achieve the desired results (as will be the case with the pines in this video).
The effort is worth it though, for the end results will be an eye-poppingly beautiful and attention-grabbing tree that will be the envy and centerpiece of any garden, and will bring awe-inspiring joy, peace, harmony and love to all who view it. This is the journey and these are the results of practicing a craft that few comprehend, but that many appreciate!
For me this is a spiritual and God-ordained endeavor to bring a little peace, joy and harmony to a troubled Earth one tree at a time.
Please enjoy this video as we take another dive into the world of aesthetic pruning in the Japanese style.