Dirk's big black pine (again)

[0soyoung]

I damaged and broke so many new needles, I in fact didn't have the guts to show my tree to anyone.

I have only learned that if I say 'OW!' I just broke another one. And, I still say 'OW!' way too often.

I share your pain

 

[0soyoung]

.... I share your pain

And admire your tree, @DirkvanDreven

 

[0soyoung]

So, @DirkvanDreven, how did you manage to quit breaking needles when wiring JBP? - I really was asking before and now I am asking explicitly.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

So, @DirkvanDreven, how did you manage to quit breaking needles when wiring JBP? - I really was asking before and now I am asking explicitly.

I don't think I will be able to wire this dense tree, without breaking needles. Think proper wiring is very hard. Only if I wire after candle cutting, the broken needles are replaced sooner with new, smaller needles. So it will look good till next wiring!
Maybe I'm just very clumsy and should practice wiring more.

 

[0soyoung]

I see, I misunderstood. Maybe @Adair M can tell us how one wires a JBP without breaking needles. He's probably told all of BNut many times before, but maybe he will tell you and me one more time. Your tree is too nice for things to continue this way.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Maybe @Adair M can combine his repotting class with his wiring class? Saves me one trip to the States!

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Scots Pine #1

View attachment 225674

I Stil feel the excitement standing face to face with this gorgeous tree! Though already nine years ago, still feel feel it watching this picture! Strange, isn't it?

 

[River's Edge]

I don't think I will be able to wire this dense tree, without breaking needles. Think proper wiring is very hard. Only if I wire after candle cutting, the broken needles are replaced sooner with new, smaller needles. So it will look good till next wiring!
Maybe I'm just very clumsy and should practice wiring more.

It is difficult to wire without breaking needles. The technique you use can make a difference. Holding the wire further up in length and out to turn as applying to the branch and moving the other hand each turn helps. This slows the process and keeps one focussed. Whenever handling the needles or holding the wire as applying come from below the needles and the branch, not from the top. Needles break when bent in the wrong direction.
Another aid is to mist the tree every 10 to 15 minutes while working with wiring. This is actually a good practice during repotting and styling as well.
The great thing is that needles are always being replaced.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

It is difficult to wire without breaking needles. The technique you use can make a difference. Holding the wire further up in length and out to turn as applying to the branch and moving the other hand each turn helps. This slows the process and keeps one focussed. Whenever handling the needles or holding the wire as applying come from below the needles and the branch, not from the top. Needles break when bent in the wrong direction.
Another aid is to mist the tree every 10 to 15 minutes while working with wiring. This is actually a good practice during repotting and styling as well.
The great thing is that needles are always being replaced.

Frank, thanks for this reply. Could well be that the hand holding the wire kills most needles. I'll try to remember keeping the wire longer next time. What is exactly the benefit of misting regularly during or king the tree? I don't think it keeps needles from breaking?

 

[Adair M]

Maybe @Adair M can combine his repotting class with his wiring class? Saves me one trip to the States!

Lol!!!

Handling a JBP requires care. And here are a few things to keep in mind:

1). Try not to have your hands above the needles. When you have to put your hands inside the canopy of the tree, work with your palms facing up. So, you work with your hands palm up, from the underside of the branch. Your fingers can then poke up from under the branch and help guide the wire, or wire, or move little branches around without bending needles.

2). Work with the tree when the needles have fully matured, ie, “hardened off”. They are more sturdy then. How to tell? They’re dark green, stiff, sharp, and if you grab one and gently pull on it, it doesn’t pull off easily.

3). Learn to use tweezers to help you manipulate pine foliage. Let’s say you have put your left hand in, palm up, under a branch. With your right hand, holding a pair of tweezers, close the tweezers, and use them as a probe to slip them into the mass of needles above the branch. Only the tweezers are inserted, your hand holding the tweezers is pretty much still outside the canopy. Then, you can press down and out with the side of the tweezers to lay the needles down. After you have done this, you can hold them down with you fingers of your left hand that’s under the branch. This won’t damage them.

4). Before wiring, pull any old needles that would be in the way. This not only makes wiring easier, it lets sun into the canopy, helping to keep foliage on the interior alive.

5). Wire during the optimal times when it’s easier to wire with minimal damage. And those times are in the fall after you have pulled old needles, and secondly, right after decandling in the summer. Someone who is really good can wire “anytime”, but most of us aren’t that good, myself included.

6). Consider cutting needles. If a tree has not been decandled, and it’s getting it’s first wiring, it’s going to have long needles. Which makes it hard to work with. You’re likely to break a few, no matter what you do! While, in general, I don’t advocate shortening needles by cutting them in half, this might be a time you might want to consider cutting them, just to make wiring easier and more efficient. Especially, say, if you’re wiring right after decandling. Since you are decandling in June, and you’ll be pulling needles in November, you’ll only have those cut needles on your tree for about 5 months. If you’re wiring in November, and you cut needles, they’ll be there for a full year.

7). Practice, practice, practice. Wiring JBP is more difficult than wiring pretty much anything else. That’s one of the reasons Boon teaches it in his Intensives. If you can wire JBP, you can wire anything! When you do it enough, your hands develop a feel for it, and it gets easier. That said, if you haven’t wired anything in a while, don’t start off wiring you most difficult tree! Warm up by wiring an easier tree to retrain your hands.

8). Clean the twigs first. JBP often have little bumps and knobs and stubs along the twigs that result from previous pruning a and decandlings. JWP, on the other hand, normally have smooth twigs. Wrapping wire around all the bumps and stuff makes it more difficult to place the wire softly against the wood, and if you have to struggle, you’re more likely to damage the needles. So, after you’ve pulled the needles, tidy up the twigs. It will make wiring easier.

9). Use good wiring technique. First, learn how to use the minimum amount of wire. This means using wire of the proper gauge, and minimizing the quantity of wire you have to actually apply. Second, learn how to use your hand that’s holding the wire and branch (the one that’s palm up, under the branch) effectively. Not only does it do all that, it also pushes the other twigs and needles away! The hand holding the wire should be mostly out of the canopy, spinning the wire, using the length of the wire as leverage, not pushing the wire against the wood.

That’s all I can think of for now!

Practice, practice, practice!

 

[River's Edge]

Frank, thanks for this reply. Could well be that the hand holding the wire kills most needles. I'll try to remember keeping the wire longer next time. What is exactly the benefit of misting regularly during or king the tree? I don't think it keeps needles from breaking?

I am always working with my trees indoors, the extra humidity of misting the conifers i believe to be a benefit. Preventing them from drying out to much. Give it a try for yourself and see if it makes any difference, or not.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Lol!!!

Handling a JBP requires care. And here are a few things to keep in mind:

1). Try not to have your hands above the needles. When you have to put your hands inside the canopy of the tree, work with your palms facing up. So, you work with your hands palm up, from the underside of the branch. Your fingers can then poke up from under the branch and help guide the wire, or wire, or move little branches around without bending needles.

2). Work with the tree when the needles have fully matured, ie, “hardened off”. They are more sturdy then. How to tell? They’re dark green, stiff, sharp, and if you grab one and gently pull on it, it doesn’t pull off easily.

3). Learn to use tweezers to help you manipulate pine foliage. Let’s say you have put your left hand in, palm up, under a branch. With your right hand, holding a pair of tweezers, close the tweezers, and use them as a probe to slip them into the mass of needles above the branch. Only the tweezers are inserted, your hand holding the tweezers is pretty much still outside the canopy. Then, you can press down and out with the side of the tweezers to lay the needles down. After you have done this, you can hold them down with you fingers of your left hand that’s under the branch. This won’t damage them.

4). Before wiring, pull any old needles that would be in the way. This not only makes wiring easier, it lets sun into the canopy, helping to keep foliage on the interior alive.

5). Wire during the optimal times when it’s easier to wire with minimal damage. And those times are in the fall after you have pulled old needles, and secondly, right after decandling in the summer. Someone who is really good can wire “anytime”, but most of us aren’t that good, myself included.

6). Consider cutting needles. If a tree has not been decandled, and it’s getting it’s first wiring, it’s going to have long needles. Which makes it hard to work with. You’re likely to break a few, no matter what you do! While, in general, I don’t advocate shortening needles by cutting them in half, this might be a time you might want to consider cutting them, just to make wiring easier and more efficient. Especially, say, if you’re wiring right after decandling. Since you are decandling in June, and you’ll be pulling needles in November, you’ll only have those cut needles on your tree for about 5 months. If you’re wiring in November, and you cut needles, they’ll be there for a full year.

7). Practice, practice, practice. Wiring JBP is more difficult than wiring pretty much anything else. That’s one of the reasons Boon teaches it in his Intensives. If you can wire JBP, you can wire anything! When you do it enough, your hands develop a feel for it, and it gets easier. That said, if you haven’t wired anything in a while, don’t start off wiring you most difficult tree! Warm up by wiring an easier tree to retrain your hands.

8). Clean the twigs first. JBP often have little bumps and knobs and stubs along the twigs that result from previous pruning a and decandlings. JWP, on the other hand, normally have smooth twigs. Wrapping wire around all the bumps and stuff makes it more difficult to place the wire softly against the wood, and if you have to struggle, you’re more likely to damage the needles. So, after you’ve pulled the needles, tidy up the twigs. It will make wiring easier.

9). Use good wiring technique. First, learn how to use the minimum amount of wire. This means using wire of the proper gauge, and minimizing the quantity of wire you have to actually apply. Second, learn how to use your hand that’s holding the wire and branch (the one that’s palm up, under the branch) effectively. Not only does it do all that, it also pushes the other twigs and needles away! The hand holding the wire should be mostly out of the canopy, spinning the wire, using the length of the wire as leverage, not pushing the wire against the wood.

That’s all I can think of for now!

Practice, practice, practice!

Thanks Adair! I'll print this and learn it by heart!

 

[DirkvanDreven]

I am always working with my trees indoors, the extra humidity of misting the conifers i believe to be a benefit. Preventing them from drying out to much. Give it a try for yourself and see if it makes any difference, or not.

I will! Thank you.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Finally decided to change the front of this pine.
I very much liked the drop-branch, especially with foligepads on different hight developing. I think this made me blind for the flaws of this branche. It was to thin, and at the same height of the big back branche. I still didn't like the first branche that was partially cut to bring it down.
So the drop branche is gone, the former back branche is now first and most important branche. The former first branche is now back branche, maybe cut it in a couple of years. I'm also not sure about the new front branche, but will leave it for now.

A spot with much removed branche will need attention, maybe carving. Chances that these wounds will heal in my lifetime are slim.

The top is going to the left, wile the main branche is on the right

So today forced the top to the right. Didn't get it as far right as I wanted, but I think it is a good start.


I'm happy so far. Maybe should skip repotting next year, but it it's far from show ready, health is more important right now.