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I'm having this Jade plant that I want to turn into a bonsai. It grew a lot in height so I had to prune it to keep it short and thicker the trunk. Now, I was wondering if I make a small cut with a knife somewhere on the trunk (even lower from the arrow below, on the photo) would a new branch grow from it or would it just heal back up and basically seal the cut? I'd really like to grow couple new branches very low in the trunk but I'm not sure how to achieve that.

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Dani
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  • grafting is another option – J. Musser Sep 20 '17 at 15:23
  • @J.Musser I read some attempts of people who tried it and failed. I'm not sure if I can do it or not – Dani Sep 20 '17 at 15:25
  • Ok, if you're not comfortable with it, it would probably be wise to use practice plants first. I see it as a more consistent option for creating low branching. – J. Musser Sep 20 '17 at 15:27
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    That's my plan actually. Because I don't want to kill this plant. It's over 4 years old now – Dani Sep 20 '17 at 15:28

1 Answers1

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Making a cut might damage the epicormic buds. I would advise you to lightly damage the bark by scratching it in order to remove the thin layer of epidermis and stimulate new shoots. Don't forget that these buds are fragile, so don't apply too much force. The important thing to consider is that epicormic buds are located near the spot when another leaf or branch used to grow, so scratching or cutting in random areas won't result in new shoots.

Alina
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