Zuisho JWP - with Guy Wires!

[bwaynef]

Rather complicated branch, had to pull down the rear sub-branch using a guy wire.

I've got a couple of questions. Hopefully it doesn't take too much away from the discussion of the tree. (Also, I know secondary and tertiary, ...but I think I counted 7 forks in this branch in spots. Septenary branches? Is that a thing?)

What made this branch complicated? I see a lot of #15.

Is the guy wire "anchored" to the lower back branch?

In the last photo posted in reply 12, there's a branch thats wired toward the viewer. (Its roughly mid-picture.) There's a thin wire (#16 maybe) that crosses a thicker wire (#12 maybe) before doing a #3 (Boon's wiring diagram) with a nearby branch. When you have a minute, can you explain why that's done ...and when its appropriate?

 

[Adair M]

I've got a couple of questions. Hopefully it doesn't take too much away from the discussion of the tree. (Also, I know secondary and tertiary, ...but I think I counted 7 forks in this branch in spots. Septenary branches? Is that a thing?)

What made this branch complicated? I see a lot of #15.

Is the guy wire "anchored" to the lower back branch?

In the last photo posted in reply 12, there's a branch thats wired toward the viewer. (Its roughly mid-picture.) There's a thin wire (#16 maybe) that crosses a thicker wire (#12 maybe) before doing a #3 (Boon's wiring diagram) with a nearby branch. When you have a minute, can you explain why that's done ...and when its appropriate?

Good eye! Yes, I deliberately crossed that wire. It really locks the new thinner wire to the heavier wire together, making the whole unit solid and anchored..

I was aware of the technique, but I’ve studied Tyler Sherard’s and Matt Reel’s wiring, and they often do this to “splice” two wires together. It’s something they learned from Shinji Suzuki.

I don’t always do it, but I find it really helps when dropping several gauges, like from 12 to 16.

What made this branch complicated, was not so much the wiring, yes a LOT of Fig.15s!, but branch placement. And cutting back here and there. I’m trying to build layers of foliage, and I had to cross some branches over others to create “height” in the pad. I try to do this in a manner that will be sustainable. I’ve seen trees that have beautiful pads when viewed from the front, but when viewed from above, you realize that it’s really very leggy, and the branches were pulled from the back to the front! Looks great, temporarily, but it’s actually a bad toupee comb-over!

Anyway, to get height in the middle of the pad, I had to pull some foliage from the back of the pad. Not too much, and do it in such a way that as the tree grows we can continue to cut back and keep the pads looking tidy.

And, finally, yes, that back secondary branch was guy wired to the base of the back branch. Doing so allowed me to get it lowered without having it look like a rainbow.

 

[Adair M]

That's just awesome. Growing a tree on its own roots is just better in the long run in my opinion....but I'm a purist.

I don't know man, that's probably the best ungrafted wp I have seen from a North American. And wp are a really touchy tree. Even in Asia people steer clear of them.

I love what you are doing so far. Keep updating! I need to follow this thread

Oh, I’ve got better JWP than this one!

This twin trunk Kokonoe, I feel is much better:



It’s also on its own roots. It USED to be on JBP roots, but about 20 years ago, during a repot, it was discovered that a separate set of roots had developed up higher, where the JWP trunk had been buried. So the JBP roots were cut off.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Now that is super cool! What an excellent tree.
But more importantly it looks lush and happy on its roots.
Where do you live so I can go steal this?

Oh, I’ve got better JWP than this one!

This twin trunk Kokonoe, I feel is much better:

View attachment 261301

It’s also on its own roots. It USED to be on JBP roots, but about 20 years ago, during a repot, it was discovered that a separate set of roots had developed up higher, where the JWP trunk had been buried. So the JBP roots were cut off.

 

[bwaynef]

What made this branch complicated, was not so much the wiring, yes a LOT of Fig.15s!, but branch placement.
...
Anyway, to get height in the middle of the pad, I had to pull some foliage from the back of the pad. Not too much, and do it in such a way that as the tree grows we can continue to cut back and keep the pads looking tidy.

I've highlighted a branch. Is this what you're talking about? Did I miss others?

 

[Adair M]

I've highlighted a branch. Is this what you're talking about? Did I miss others?

Yeah, that’s one. And there’s several others.

It takes time to wire that many little branches and twigs.

 

[Adair M]

Another day, another branch wired out. This time the second left branch. Still needs a bit of tweaks and little twigs wired here and there. But, I think I’ll start on the second back branch next.

 

[Adair M]

So, here’s a little wiring technique I think is worth sharing...

On the back branch there are some heavy branches that need to be wired with fairly heavy copper. And to wire them properly, they need good anchors, and since the wire will be heavy, I want it to look neat and tidy. AND, to further complicate things, it looks like during the time I “neglected” the tree while it grew out, the old wire cut in a bit, and I want to make sure I don’t place wire right back into the old grooves. I stared at it for a few minutes, designing in my head how I would run the wire.

But, like I said, I don’t want to get halfway thru wiring this section and find I’ve wasted wire, I cut a couple pieces of 1mm aluminum, and “practiced” with it to see if my plan would work.



And, it does! Now, I can go forward with confidence.

I used to do this fairly often when I was first learning the patterns. As I’ve gained experience, I dont need to use the aluminum testers, but it’s still useful from time to time.

After I remove the aluminum wire, I straighten them back out and reuse them as testers over and over!

 

[Dav4]

Looking good, Adair. So, a day and a half ago, I was in Stockholm, Sweden, where the mid day temps were in the mid 60's F. Touched down here in Hotlanta yesterday late yesterday afternoon... 93 F! Will be 90+ today, 97 F tomorrow, and mid to low 90's for the rest of the week. Do you have any concern wiring pines when it's this hot, even if the needles have hardened off?

 

[Adair M]

Looking good, Adair. So, a day and a half ago, I was in Stockholm, Sweden, where the mid day temps were in the mid 60's F. Touched down here in Hotlanta yesterday late yesterday afternoon... 93 F! Will be 90+ today, 97 F tomorrow, and mid to low 90's for the rest of the week. Do you have any concern wiring pines when it's this hot, even if the needles have hardened off?

I wire in the morning when it’s not so hot. September is JWP season, the new needles are hardened off, the old needles are falling off anyway, so it’s all good. For the mist part, I’m not making any drastic bends, I’m just setting pads.

Glad you had a good trip! Looks like it was a lot of fun!

You need to come see the pond!

 

[Dav4]

I wire in the morning when it’s not so hot. September is JWP season, the new needles are hardened off, the old needles are falling off anyway, so it’s all good. For the mist part, I’m not making any drastic bends, I’m just setting pads.

Glad you had a good trip! Looks like it was a lot of fun!

You need to come see the pond!

Do you have buds popping, too? Yet another concern for me wiring right now, as there are buds forming on smaller branches throughout the canopy of my tree.

 

[Adair M]

No buds popping for me, at least not on this tree.

Here’s that section wired out using 10 gauge copper:

 

[Adair M]

Here’s that branch fully wired out:



It is the second “back”branch.



Next will be the bar branch on the right!

 

[KillerButts]

So, here’s a little wiring technique I think is worth sharing...

On the back branch there are some heavy branches that need to be wired with fairly heavy copper. And to wire them properly, they need good anchors, and since the wire will be heavy, I want it to look neat and tidy. AND, to further complicate things, it looks like during the time I “neglected” the tree while it grew out, the old wire cut in a bit, and I want to make sure I don’t place wire right back into the old grooves. I stared at it for a few minutes, designing in my head how I would run the wire.

But, like I said, I don’t want to get halfway thru wiring this section and find I’ve wasted wire, I cut a couple pieces of 1mm aluminum, and “practiced” with it to see if my plan would work.

View attachment 261504

And, it does! Now, I can go forward with confidence.

I used to do this fairly often when I was first learning the patterns. As I’ve gained experience, I dont need to use the aluminum testers, but it’s still useful from time to time.

After I remove the aluminum wire, I straighten them back out and reuse them as testers over and over!

Very helpful thank you.

 

[cmeg1]

Nice!!

 

[Adair M]

I’ve done the bar branch on the right. I managed to bring some foliage diwn just in front of the trunk, and now the “bar” isn’t so “in your face”.



It was rather leggy, and required more cutting back than the lower ones.

Next up, the other bar branch.

 

[JudyB]

Will you eventually take the bar branching off as the tree fills in or will you just work with it as is?

 

[Adair M]

Will you eventually take the bar branching off as the tree fills in or will you just work with it as is?

Probably keep it.

The branching on this tree is rather sparse. That is, the number of primary branches coming off the trunk. I kinda need every one I’ve got. I did remove one a couple years ago that was a bar.

We will have to see how this one matures.

Anyway, keeping it “for now”.

 

[JudyB]

Probably keep it.

The branching on this tree is rather sparse. That is, the number of primary branches coming off the trunk. I kinda need every one I’ve got. I did remove one a couple years ago that was a bar.

We will have to see how this one matures.

Anyway, keeping it “for now”.

Would these take grafting well?

 

[Adair M]

Would these take grafting well?

Yes, Zuisho grafts well.

You want me to graft on all new branches and start over?