AusBonsai

Hi guys, I recently read in one of my Bonsai Books that you should never wire a tree whilst you are fattening it up in open ground. Forgive my naivety, but why is that? If I have the ability to manouvre around the tree as I need to what's the problem????

Gday Jester!

I'm guessing that the 'no wire' ruling is due to the fact that a tree in the ground will thicken so rapidly that the wire will bite in really quickly, causing (possibly) irreversible damage. Other than that, I can see no good reason for the caution. If I were growing my trees in the ground, I'd lean towards clip'n'grow.

Good luck.

Fly.

I Tend to agree but if one is dilligent with the wiring process I also see no problem here.

You will enjoy the Japanese wiring in the ground segment in the forthcoming ( as soon as this hot spell is over) episode 5 of WorldOfBonsai
Cheers
Lindsay

Great, !!! that sounds VERY interesting. THanks for that Lindsay!!

John

I would not hesistate to put wire on a tree in the ground if needed
I am not the type to ever forget wire on a tree anyway, but if grows fast, it will set fast too so should not need to be on as long either

Ken

Unless you are developing branches after thickening the trunk why the need for wire at all? To thicken trunks, branches should be allowed to go freely removed once the job is done.

Well in my case I have a Juniper in the ground with wire around the trunk for an informal upright design. If I take it off now I can assure you the trunk will spring back into a shape I don't want.

Re: Wiring in open ground a No No?
by kcpoole » 7 minutes ago

I would not hesistate to put wire on a tree in the ground if needed
I am not the type to ever forget wire on a tree anyway, but if grows fast, it will set fast too so should not need to be on as long either

Im with you Ken, i have wired my next years choice for areal layering. They do take fast and hold themselves strong in just a short time. I not only wire i also use cords or bail twine, what ever i have in the heat of the moment. My garden shrubs & trees have all sorts of things wraped around them.

I have another idea, i hang weights from the knitting machine on the branches, the bend can be placed just in the right spot. When the new growth grows upward you get another bend. Weights can be made with anything if you want to try that idea, Jester.

Jester wrote:Well in my case I have a Juniper in the ground with wire around the trunk for an informal upright design. If I take it off now I can assure you the trunk will spring back into a shape I don't want.

Try staking it like other growers do. Or spend 50$ and buy one, there are hundreds of them out there.

i am pretty sure all the japanese nurseries with the twisted shimpaku/juniper from seedlings are wired then grown on, i think it is all done in a pot but i think they also do it in ground, why not get shape into the tree where you want it while it is in its growth stage, its the same prinicpal as when you buy a juniper from the nurseries, all the upright ones are trained around a stake, similar thing, but as it has been stated you just have to be very adament with the wiring, taking it off when needed and rewiring if necessary going in the opposite direction as to not cause scarring etc. junipers a known to spring back to there original shape and it can often take a long time for a thicker branch to set if ever, that is why you sometimes see junipers and also pines fully wired when put on show.

jamie

Good points Jamie.!!! I was not aware of the fact that Junipers are often wired in exhibitions due to the fact that they often spring back. I don't have many junipers in my collection so I definitely don't consider myself an expert on the species.

Jester wrote:Good points Jamie.!!! I was not aware of the fact that Junipers are often wired in exhibitions due to the fact that they often spring back. I don't have many junipers in my collection so I definitely don't consider myself an expert on the species.

no worries, i have a fair few junipers myself and am often wiring, and wiring, and wiring.

if the one you have in the ground is young you can allow it to scar up a bit from wire marks, as these grow out they give you some good lines for sharis and live veins later down the track

that all depends on whether you are going for the twisted trunk style like in jows thread or not, but even if you are going for something taller, having lines like that in it can add interest if they are done so they arent perfectly 45 degree wiring, try all different ways if you plan on scarring it up, that way you dont end up with a perfect round trunk either you end up with plate like deadwood, you have to check out jows thread on it if ya havent seen it

jamie

the little twisted ones are wired in the pot. shari is carved causing thickening to the live sections of the trunk. Add this to a heavy feeding program and you get the thickness.
Otherwise the corkscrew ones we see by the thousands here in Aus is done by staking.