First Try Twisting

milehigh_7

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Ok everyone, this is not only my first try twisting shimps but only my second try wiring. I had convinced myself that I did not wire because I did not want to. However in reality I have really been intimidated by failing. Fear kills...

For me bonsai is more than trees, it is growing as a person... so here goes.

I just grabbed one of my 4" shimp starts followed Al's directions the best I could. The first pic is before any work, the second is all twisted up in the bag, 3, 4 & 5 are all snuggled in to a 10"x8"x3" $.99 strainer .

PS: sorry for the crappy pictures
 

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Smoke

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I'm thinkin this looks splendid. I think you will find that when the whip is longer it is easier to get more movement in it. It looks like you kinked it up real good though.


Now, can you cut all that green crap off the trunk so we can see the movement;)


Thank you for taking the plunge, Al
 

buddhamonk

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I wonder why you used two small gauge wire instead of one larger one? That's essentially what I do, making sure to use jin pliers and make the bend super tight, the only difference is that I put mine in the ground once I'm done.

Manny
 

Dav4

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Looking good, Clyde. I agree with Al that longer whips offer more 'bendability', but you did fine wiring up this one and squashing it down. I assume you're going to water/feed alot and really pump it up for the next few years. Let's see more pics later this summer/fall. Good luck,

Dave
 

milehigh_7

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Manny, that is one mistake that I knew I made. I did not have any #10 so I did a double of what I had. We shall see how it does.

@Smoke, so (forgive the ignorance) I should have cleaned up the trunk before doing this? I wondered about that. It has little needles coming off the trunk like every 1/8", very bushy.
 

Smoke

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I was just kidding, (hence my winky face) Don't cut anything off the trunk yet. Let it grow, those small shoots will aid in trunk heft and balance the trunk so reverse taper does not get away from you.
 

milehigh_7

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I was just kidding, (hence my winky face) Don't cut anything off the trunk yet. Let it grow, those small shoots will aid in trunk heft and balance the trunk so reverse taper does not get away from you.

Alright, then humic acid and lots of feeding and let's see what happens.
 

milehigh_7

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One quick question based on my ignorance, is it a bad thing to use a double strand of wire as opposed to a single?
 

Bill S

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Just makes for more to take off Clyde, keep practicing, the more you do the more you will like the results. I used to hate it, avoid it when I could, clip and grow was great. Now I find people watching me and saying I need to wire all those branches. Like I say, the more you do the better it gets, the more you will like the results.
 

milehigh_7

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Well I have to admit that by the time I got to the top of the tree it was already going better and becoming easier. Soooo who knows maybe I will get better at this bonsai thing. ;)
 

Smoke

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Two wires....hmmmm.. I have never seen someone add another wire of the same size to bend a branch that the first wire did not hold.

In your case we know that you did not have a larger wire so it was understandable to add an additional wire. It did the trick (I guess) and move on.

Usually we add another wire, of a larger size when the first did not hold and the taking off of the first wire may do damage to buds or bark and things like that.


Hold the wire out fairly straight about 8 inches long still on the coil. Use the wire to put pressure against the branch you wish to bend. If the wire pushes the branch and makes it move even if slightly without bending, then you have the correct wire size. If the 8 inch wire just bends away off that branch it will never hold it. Just a guide, not science.

There you go, Al
 

Charles M

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I've wanted to try this technique for a while. I don't have any Shimpaku whips, though. However, I have a really leggy one gallon Black Pine, so if I do this, you will see my effort over in the Pine forum.
 
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