New User - Needle Juniper

eriky2

new to bonsai i know the wiring looks poor. But how should i shape it because i have no idea. any comments or suggestions would be greatley apricated.

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Jay

Hi and welcome, first don't worry about your wire technique, it takes time to get it right....the only way is to keep doing it. I have two suggestons for you. One- it appears that your wire is a bit thin for the work it is to do. Did it hold the tree when you bent it? Also it appears to be a little tight around the tree, you do not want it to dig in, but I must say, and I am also a novice, that you look like you are getting the wire thing. Second- please do not take offense but this tree looks a little young for training. If it were mine I would look to put it into a grow box or the ground to allow it to grow as much as possible.

That all said, welcome and enjoy!
Jay

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TreeBay

Jay, I'm glad you mentioned the wire. I didn't even see it on my laptop's LCD. Definitely, the wire is too small, too tight and the coils are too close together, so I doubt it is serving any purpose.

It also appears to be unannealed, bright copper.

There is various info in the ***FAQ*** under wiring, including selecting the wire size, spacing the coils. I think you'll find more in bonsaiTALK Links too. That would be under Techniques -> Wiring

Regards,

Matt

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eriky2

the wire i use is bright at first but dulls to a dark color after that ist hardley noticeable

TreeBay

Hi Erik,

My point doesn't concern the wire color. bonsaiAl1 can vouch for me having no taste about wire color and using "dazzle wire" on occasion

When copper wire is used for bonsai, it is annealed (a heat treatment) that allows it to go on butter soft and then harden up after it is bent. The wire you are using is bright copper (or appears to be so). The lack of surface oxidation means that it is not annealed, so it goes on hard, and you won't see much holding power for a given thickness. Until you've tried using an annealed wire none of this will make any sense.

Nevertheless, you will find it much more effective to use a larger gauge of wire (preferably annealed copper or anodized aluminum) and apply it at approximate 45 degree angle for maximum holding power. There is more info on this in the FAQ entry listed earlier. Simply wrapping wire on the trunk at nearly parallel winds won't do anything functional, particularly at a gauge this small.

If you find it difficult to work with larger wire gauges, some beginners find it easier to start out with aluminum wire, which has less holding power for the same size, but it is much more forgiving. The aluminum wire for bonsai has been anodized with a coppery color so it isn't as visually obtrusive as it might otherwise be.

Hope this helps,

Matt

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