Should I remove the wire? - Juniper

[Jason]

Hey guys,

As you may or may not know... I'm brand new to bonsai. I purchased a Juniper just under a month and was told by the owner of the shop that the training wire should stay on for at least two months. Now I've done my own research since, and have read that you should remove the wire if it is biting into the bark... would someone be able to tell me if this wire is biting into the bark? Going by the shops instructions, I should leave the wire on another month and a bit, but I've heard that the scars don't heal easy... so I'm a bit paranoid, and it looks to me as if it should be removed.

Any advice? (sorry for the picture quality, just from my phone)

[Pup]

That is not cutting in as such, that is damage caused by putting the wire on with out care.

Cheers Pup

[Jason]

I think I'll remove it when I get home

Will it get heal, or is the damage already done?

I guess thats the first lesson learnt. Something I should have looked for when I purchased it Not a big issue, its the reason I didn't spent much on my first bonsai

[Nathan]

By the look of the pictures Pup is right, the wire is not cutting in it was just put on with out any care for the tree and has damaged the bark, this will heal with time

[Jason]

Thanks for that, that is a relief

Its only at the base that it is like that, the rest of the trunk is fine.

It was my first bonsai purchase, so I was handing over the money before really even giving it a good look Glad I have that out of my system now lol

Here is a pic from just after I bought it:

[Isitangus]

Denaz I have learnt the hard way that often the best and cheapest place to buy good quality plants from is your local bonsai club!

[Jason]

Yeah, I definatley think I need to check one out

Edit: Also removed the wire the other night, and has left a bit of a bare patch on the trunk. Nothing too bad though luckily

Its sitting with quite a lean now lol

[Sean M]

Some may disagree, but on junipers I think small wire marks can add to the character. I have seen some juni's where the wire has been left on and the tree just grows around it. Often twisted and contorted these types of trees look really old and have led a hard life, but in reality may only be quite young.

[kcpoole]

Many people advocate to leave wire on Pines and junipers until it digs in so that it accelerates the aging and courseness of the surface anyway.
Yours will be no problem.

Ken

[Jason]

Glad I went with a juniper now