How does one wire a tree into pot with little to no root 'flare'?

[zendroid]

Hello bonsai-folk. New guy here, with perhaps a dumb question, but it's my first post so what the heck?

How on earth do you wire a tree into a pot, especially a top heavy tree with some weight to it, when there are little to no large roots to wire it down with? For the sake of the question, lets say it a freshly cut air layer, with only fine feeder roots at the base. Do you wire around the trunk in some fashion? This doesn't necessarily hold it 'down', unless there's a secret bonsai knot passed down from the masters that would aid in doing so. Also, I'd be worried about the wire cutting into the trunk. I've collected a small amount of trees, have done some basic work, and this is the part I really struggled with, tying the tree down. Any recommended resources for this specific topic would be great, videos, posts, blog, etc.

Thanks!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

That’s where you use guy wires. Run a small aluminum or copper wire through a piece of vinyl tubing and place the tubing around the tree anove a branch. Then tie the other end either in a hole drilled in the pot rim if plastic or through an eyelet if wood. Several of these arranged around the pot will keep it steady. You can also do this with ceramic pots but it is more difficult to provide an anchor point unless you are willing to wrap wires around the pot itself.

 

[leatherback]

I find myself putting little rocks or pieces of wood at the base of those trees to avoid putting pressure on the your roots, and making a three-point tie from the canopy/main trunk to the pot.

 

[just.wing.it]

If it's a pot with 4 holes for wires, I've put the tree in the center, wrap the wire coming from the right side around the left side of the trunk, and the wires coming from the left side around the right side of the trunk...may scar the trunk a bit tho...

 

[Lorax7]

I typically thread the wire through the upper portion of the root ball. I’ve started doing this in general, even if the tree does have thick surface roots as it has the advantage of not leaving wire scars on the nebari.

 

[Johnathan]

I haven't wired into a pot, so all of these are great options. I have used pond baskets, with those I use biodegradable garden thread/ yarn. It'll be decomposed by the time the roots anchor and no harm of wire cutting into anything. I've tied to trunks and used guy wire like methods with it.

 

[Clicio]

I use guy wires through an aquarium silicon tubing around the trunk near the canopy and tie down the wire to the pot. If the pot is ceramics I loop the wire around the underside of the pot.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A peek under the akadama...

 

[j evans]

WELCOME and good question. I use guy wires with aquarium air tubing.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I use rubber coated wires to form a four-leaf clover like wire around the trunk. Then run wires underneath the pot in a X shape, which connect with the 'leafs' of the clover.

 

[defra]

Good question lots of good answers too !

 

[zendroid]

Guy wires... of course!! Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Kendo]

SOme fun in club meeting was using sky hooks. HAI HAI

 

[PaulH]

Use bamboo/chopsticks over the roots and tie them down with a four-way tie,

 

[Stormwater]

Awesome questions and answers , should have thought of some of these.