My son is working on a bonsai project for school (early interest!) and would like to add one more tree reshaping from prebonsai to his work. We have a an adorable dwarf Hinoki Cypress that is about 6 inches tall with nice dense but delicate growth. I know this is not an ideal time to work (heavy pruning and wiring) but from what I have read, it is not a catastrophic time either. Welcome feedback on the wisdom of proceeding in the next few days?
Looks like a 'Chirimen'.
Like all Hinoli, once the green has become brown wood, it will (almost) never be green again. As you know, that lighter green foliage is the new growth. If you let this run unabated the tree will wind up looking like Sideshow Bob. If you nip this new growth, it will branch and the foliage will get denser. Also, like all Hinoki, it takes a while to set branch positions. And if you leave the wire on too long, the stems will swell rapidly toward engulfing the wire. AND, the foliage is so dense that I find it impossible to 'properly' apply wire.
I have no silver bullet answers for you. Have fun doing whatever you decide to do with yours.
btw, my interest in Chirimen can from an episode of Bjorn's Bonsai Art of Japan in which Owen Reich wires and styles a stunning specimen. The episode starts with Bjorn showing cutting that have rooted.
