AusBonsai

At a recent demo at Bonsai Northwest, Skippy asked who enjoys wiring?
At the time I was not sure what my feelings were.
Unless you use the clip and grow method exclusively wiring is a fact of life (bonsai life) and I do enjoy bonsai.

This week I learned thar wiring can be a chore but can provide enourmous satisfaction, I spent about 10 hours wiring one tree. This was the biggest wiring task I have ever attempted (by a long way) on a tree which I purchased about a year ago.
This azalea was posted recently when in full flower, I recieved many compliments but knew that the real work had been done by the previous owner. To maintain this tree I knew I would have to put in the necessary work and although the wiring is not great I believe I have done enough to maintain the shape and even improve the health, as the interior of the tree was lacking light where many branches looked a bit weak. When we are through the current hot week I intend to repot, at this time I plan to attach a couple of guy wires to lower the first two branches a little.

G,day Gerard, I do enjoy wiring, it does make a big difference to the tree it makes the difference between a good tree and a mediocre tree.

As you have found it is a task that takes a lot of work. When you have arthritis, it makes it harder, and you have to do it in shifts. You also tend to put it off which makes it harder.

NIce work on what you have done. Cheers Pup

I tend to agree with the grumpy old man!

It does make all the difference especially with certain types of trees' Pines, junipers etc.

however it may have been overused on some species where you get deciduous trees shaped like pines.

grant

i hate wiring but i do it as a necessity lol. some trees need a good wiring right away or there is no hope in obtaining shape. even though i hate fidly wiring i love being able to bend the tre into shape and se it come to life as a bonsai

I find the task therapeutic, though I use the "clip 'n' grow" technique also and have only as many trees as I can comfortably manage.

I forgot to say, I did enjoy the experience and learned heaps.
The entire job was 1mm and 1.5mm wire. Lots of growth was removed although this does not appear obvious.
Lots of buds were removed unintentionally by my clumsy hands in tight spaces, I have often heard...... "always wire towards yourself" .............now I understand.
I also learned to wire with one hand while the other nursed the foliage.

All in all a good learning experience and will be better next time.

I love wiring, and also really enjoy taking it off, seeing all your work come to fruition!

Wiring is Bonsai...Bonsai is wiring.

I love good wiring - I could watch anyone wire a tree all day long.


Oh, I see, you meant do I like to wire? Well, no I don't, but it part of doing Bonsai so I do it, but only when I have to.

2 wiring stories:

1) I used to do some work on a Korean Hornbeam that was a 5 hour, twice yearly affair to wire and it was outstanding fun. But I hate taking wire off, Jarrod I could already see my bloody work all I wanted to do was imagine it the branches holding in place, that the wire fairy had waved her magic wand and the wire had simply disolved!!

2)An amusing fellow, possibly a mate of mine who reads this forum and will remain nameless for reasons such as, "I'd like to wake up tomorrow with my health intact" once brought a forlorn looking Trident Maple to my place for some bonsai "advice". He explained that he bought the tree from a bonsai nursery and it was already wired on the trunk and major branches. He had unfortunately let the tree grow wild for a season and as a consequence it had scarred the trunk and branches pretty badly. It happens to all of us. So he called the nursery, and they explained that while the scarring may look awful at the time, it would eventually go away. The amusing fellow asked, "what if I want to wire the tree again"? The reply that came was, "oh the tree can be wired again, just be sure to wire in a different direction to last time" Standard, sensible advice. At no time had it occured to either the nursery person on the phone or the amusing fellow that it might be a good idea to remove the first wire. (Mitchell we need a WTF smilie) That ugly little trunk was criss crossed with parralel lines like a Monaro had been doing burnouts up and down it!

Oh, and you may have guessed, the tree was terminal before I ever set eyes on it.

The funny thing is, the same amusing fellow now grows very nice trees and owns 3 from my old collection that he has re-designed and improved greatly over the last 3 and a bit years.

Cheers,
Mojo

Mitchell wrote:I find the task therapeutic, though I use the "clip 'n' grow" technique also and have only as many trees as I can comfortably manage.

I don't wire unless I absolutely have too and then it is only the bare minimum. Clip and grow for me too But the part about only as many trees as I can manage ......................

Mojo Moyogi wrote:Jarrod I could already see my bloody work

Yes but once the wire come off and it holds, it is a sight to behold

All my trees get wire all the time, if time permits!(which is doesn't normally)

Im not big on wiring, I usually just wire tube stock to get a bend in the trunk going and the branches were they come out of the trunk and maybe the odd correction here and there then just clip and grow mainly.