How to wire?? Small trees

[amcoffeegirl]

Before and after photos

I have a smaller pot coming for this one and I am becoming happier with this tree overall.
How do you get in there on these tiny trees and do any wiring? Do you just wire one or two branches?
I will wait until spring to do my repot and then defoliate and try to get some wire in there.

 

[Jeremy]

It looks like you could largely use directional pruning to develop this tree. I generally cut my Willow Leaf Figs back to the second or third leaf, try to get 2 lateral buds.
Wiring small ones is not that hard. Just watch for small shoots and take your time, you only need very small wire, aluminium is very easy to work with.

 

[aml1014]

I usually use clip and grow on my tiny ones bit here's a tree that needed one wire the other day

 

[Stan Kengai]

Pliers help tremendously with intricate wiring, especially in tight spaces. It does take a bit of practice to get good using them.

 

[sorce]

When it's really small.....

I will sometimes take a bread tie, wrap it secure on an old pruning stub, so you can pull it tight And scars don't matter, then gently guide the end over the top of a new shoot, And slowly push down till you get movement.

Usually, because the strength of bread ties, they will give before the shoot breaks.

The downward movement, followed by natural upward growth, makes for nice interest, add a bit of clip and grow, and it really starts building.

We have an orange at Work!
Here you go!


Sorce

 

[sorce]

@amcoffeegirl

I hope you don't miss this thread!

This is the real one yes!?

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Funny you found this cuz I was thinking about how I had that wire tie in my wallet. Because I pick them up ALL the time. They make excellent helpers.

Too. I don't k n ow of you have a big family. With a lot of gifts at x-mas.
B u t I rummage all the boxes for This wire.....

It is clear coated silver shine, probably aluminum.

This stuff is GOLD for easily wiring small branches/new shoots!

I think it's" old technology" cuz they use other stuff now, but worth scouting for.

This....is Bonsai on No budget!

Get em done!

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

Sorce,

Let's take this as an opportunity to improve your technique a bit, ok?

When wiring two branches coming off the trunk, it would be best if the wire started from under neath one branch, wrapped around the trunk one time, then go under the second branch, and spiraled around.

With bread wire ties, they're not long enough, so we have to improvise... So, use the branch on the left as your anchor, start the wire from underneath and secure with at least one wrap around. Like you did, but you started from the top. Starting from the bottom is better.

Now run the wire tight against the trunk, come up from below the branch to be wired, and keep that wire snug against the trunk as you loop it around the base of the branch. Then, spiral it out. Much tidier! And it will hold better, too.

It's essentially the same technique I used when I wired this tree:



In my case, I didn't want to wrap the wire across the front of the trunk. My wire was plenty long enough, but I wired it the way I did for aesthetic reasons.

 

[sorce]

ok?

No. It is not OK! Lol
Have you been drinking again!

C'mon Adair! I've been following you like that Puma followed Dan on the mountain since BSG!

You should know I know better!

I will *sometimes* take a bread tie

I guess I should have stated this in the above.....
I only sometimes do this when there is no other way. Or, if the other way is possibly more damaging, or time consuming, and the same, or near effect can be had with this method. And of course, at this stage, I have no concern for aesthetics! Though I get it(aesthetics) fully, as, I have been following you, and other wirers, so close, I can smell your accidentally passed gas!

I know that this method can introduce some initial movement, when the shoots are young, and is much easier for someone who may be either, new to wiring, scared to wire, or just plain can't!

I fully appreciate your time, and I do thank you for bringing this up, as it is important for folks to know, ONLY I CAN TAKE SHORTCUTS!
No seriously. ......

THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE FOR PROPERLY WIRING TREES!

But ANY action, is better than NO action!

Thank You Sir! (Respectfully , not cocky and dickheadedly)

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

Sorce,

I agree that action is better than none, but there's no excuse for sloppy work. It takes only a little more time to do the work neatly than it does to do it sloppily.

When Owen Reich returned from Japan after his time as an apprentice, I asked him what he found was the the thing that surprised him most about the way the Japanese do bonsai as opposed to the way Americans do bonsai. His answer was profound: "Attention to detail".

Think about it... We have a culture of "I want it now", or "Gitter done"! The Japanese have a more methodical culture of patience and persistence.

As an aside, as you probably know, I teach bonsai. I don't teach "beginner bonsai". I teach "advanced bonsai". I don't limit my teaching to "advanced students", I teach everyone the same techniques. The best techniques I am aware of.

So... Whether you are applying the finest annealed copper, or recycled paper clips, I believe it should be applied properly and effectively.

 

[sorce]

Sorce,

I agree that action is better than none, but there's no excuse for sloppy work. It takes only a little more time to do the work neatly than it does to do it sloppily.

When Owen Reich returned from Japan after his time as an apprentice, I asked him what he found was the the thing that surprised him most about the way the Japanese do bonsai as opposed to the way Americans do bonsai. His answer was profound: "Attention to detail".

Think about it... We have a culture of "I want it now", or "Gitter done"! The Japanese have a more methodical culture of patience and persistence.

As an aside, as you probably know, I teach bonsai. I don't teach "beginner bonsai". I teach "advanced bonsai". I don't limit my teaching to "advanced students", I teach everyone the same techniques. The best techniques I am aware of.

So... Whether you are applying the finest annealed copper, or recycled paper clips, I believe it should be applied properly and effectively.

I absolutely fully agree with you.

But I always live on the extreme ends of every understanding until it makes sense.

The other end here being,

I understand people don't know what it is to change their souls to discipline, myself included, so in the mean time, we have to use American techniques to achieve Something!

I remain a student.
Cursed by innovation.

That's all I have!

Sorce