AusBonsai

Today i've given a try at fully wiring two trees, first time for me. I used to wire one or two twigs, but never a full "tree".
I am aware that there is still lots of room for improvement, but I felt it was time to give it a go.

I started with a banyan - I forgot to take shots from the start, so its only half of the progression.


Removed the leaves


Wired and pulled the branches down


Wiring details 1


Wiring details 2


Wiring details 3


The second one I worked on is a Privet [ Ligustrum ].
This one I root-pruned then wired.


Full root system


Pruned root system


Nebari - well once it thickens a bit


Potted


Removed the leaves to get a better idea of the branch structure


Wiring in progress


Wiring completed


Wiring details 1


Wiring details 2


Wiring details 3


Wiring details 4


Well that's it.
Critiques are most welcomed.

Xavier

For a 1st effort at wiring, not too bad
Just make sure the Wire is layed on at about 45 deg tot he trunk as a spiral. Most of yours seems to be at a smaller angle and crossing the trunk too much. Open out the gaps between each spiral and you will find the wire holds the branch better

Most look ok, but be careful when crossing over wires. They can damage the tree when you do that.

Also if you need 2 wires to hold a branch, usually means that the wire is not stiff enough and you nee a larger size wire. I know you have trouble sourcing wire, but the right size makes the job easier and takes less time

Ken

very neat job mate

That's one of the worst wiring jobs i've seen, 3 years into your bonsai journey and you should know how to wire a branch/tree(honestly the concept is not that hard) Your wires are crossed,they are the wrong gauges for the branches being bent, branches are not anchored, the trees don't really need wiring either,..i would be very hesitant at saying it was a good first job because that would be missleading and leading you down the wrong path.
Much more reading and practise mate, much more

Sabamiki wrote: That's one of the worst wiring jobs i've seen, 3 years into your bonsai journey and you should know how to wire a branch/tree(honestly the concept is not that hard) Your wires are crossed,they are the wrong gauges for the branches being bent, branches are not anchored, the trees don't really need wiring either,..i would be very hesitant at saying it was a good first job because that would be missleading and leading you down the wrong path.
Much more reading and practise mate, much more

Maybe somewhat truthful, but a bit harsh seeing as where it comes from. How many wiring jobs have you posted asking for advice and feedback?

check out Xaviers previous posts an you will see that
a, there are no bonsai clubs or resources in Mauritius
b, no supplies for wire either,
c, all learning comes from reading on the web and books

Yes, the trees are not great specimens, but they are great to learn wiring techniques with ones limited resources. We have all had trees just like this and hopefully Xavier will learn from them and go on to produce much nice Bonsai in the future.

Ken

Just a tip, always rewire your tree before you re-pot it.
By wiring your tree after the re-pot, you run the risk of damaging your root system.

Regards,
Mike

kcpoole wrote:For a 1st effort at wiring, not too bad
Just make sure the Wire is layed on at about 45 deg tot he trunk as a spiral. Most of yours seems to be at a smaller angle and crossing the trunk too much. Open out the gaps between each spiral and you will find the wire holds the branch better

Most look ok, but be careful when crossing over wires. They can damage the tree when you do that.

Also if you need 2 wires to hold a branch, usually means that the wire is not stiff enough and you nee a larger size wire. I know you have trouble sourcing wire, but the right size makes the job easier and takes less time

Ken

Thanks for the tips and the direction!
I'll take them into account next time.
I've managed to get two set of wires, this thin one and another thicker.
I initially tried with the thicker wire, but its not soft enough for those thin branches and I ended up hurting the bark at several tries.
Maybe I just dont have enough practice to use the bigger wire, I'll give it a try next time.
I've got another privet that I could use as practice.

Xavier

Sabamiki wrote: That's one of the worst wiring jobs i've seen, 3 years into your bonsai journey and you should know how to wire a branch/tree(honestly the concept is not that hard) Your wires are crossed,they are the wrong gauges for the branches being bent, branches are not anchored, the trees don't really need wiring either,..i would be very hesitant at saying it was a good first job because that would be missleading and leading you down the wrong path.
Much more reading and practise mate, much more

Hi Sabamiki
Thanks for being frank
I know its sucks [ as compared to the pros ]
I've got three years exp in bonsai, but its been mostly root training and some styling using rafia ropes to bend branches.
Some concrete advice would have been most welcomed though that why I placed it in the critiques section.
Thanks for the anchoring tip. Was not sure if it was needed or not. I did anchored one branch because it was now bending as I wanted.

Xavier

lakepipes wrote:Just a tip, always rewire your tree before you re-pot it.
By wiring your tree after the re-pot, you run the risk of damaging your root system.

Regards,
Mike

Mike thank for that tip,
I did realize it though "after" I started on the second tree XD

Xavier

No Worries Xavier,

Happy to help.
Keep going because with every tree you wire, you will continue to get better at it.
No matter how good we thing we are at times, we can always improve in all aspects in bonsai.

I look forward to seeing you wiring, 10 trees from now.
Your wiring will have come leaps and bounds from your fist effort.

Keep pressing forward, it can be a challenge to get things right.
One of the first things I learned was to think about what it is your trying to achieve with your wire.
Depending on how you are trying to hold the branch with the wire, the wire will have to be applied in different ways.
Also choosing pairs of branches to wire together while keeping the strength of the wiring can also be challenging and requiring some thought.
Just take your time and think about how and what you are going to do before you tackle the job, based on what you want to do will make the decision on how you wire the tree.
It may be wrapped clockwise or anti-clockwise, or over the top of branches or up from under the branch.

there are some good guides out there. I have a really good guide I could give you if yo PM me your email address.
Alternatively, Graham potter has a pretty good wiring video on you tube. This may help you also.
I have provided the links below for you.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GrahamWPott ... HdGpf9AfQc
http://www.youtube.com/user/GrahamWPott ... 52p9KOpKuc

take care and good luck.
Mike

Xavier do you have Electricians or scrap metal yards on Mauritius, if so get some of the scrap wire and anneal it and use that, it will be much better than what you are using.

As for the wiring you need to practice more and then do it some more. Use the wire you have to perfect the technique, oh did I say do some more Practice.

Cheers Pup

G'day Xavier, everything has been said to help you out but i want to add that it looks like you had a lot of fun wiring up your trees and your attention to detail is great.
Regards,
Bodhi

@lakepipes : Thanks for the links
It also replied my obvious next step - when and how to remove the wire

@Bodhi : Yeah I did had lots of fun!
And I hope to get more fun later on with more practise

@Pup : It might be worth a try to use scrap wires. Thanks!