My First Complete Wiring Of A Tree, Spruce

Saddler

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I finally got the wherewithal to fully wire a tree. It’s a pretty crappy job in my opinion. I did learn so much though. By doing the whole tree I realize that the best way to learn is to do the whole tree rather then just bits an pieces like I have done previously. I can see an improvement in my wiring from the beginning to the end which makes me happy. 913DF4F2-CF27-4552-8314-CD52088B0624.jpegF23F0AF8-F3DF-474C-BBCC-C321184B896F.jpeg8747AF5E-72F2-4FCF-B08D-CA9439A6AF23.jpegDB60AD6B-36C3-4F66-891D-42FE478F74CC.jpeg
 

bonsaichile

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Nice. I hope it is not too early to wire a spruce up there in Canada!
 

Saddler

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First pic is my current favourite angle. I don’t know what to do with the tops, I’ll probably peel them and torch them into place and cut down to uneven heights. My wife says it looks like it was in a forest fire with two horns growing out of it lol. It has too many branches and I’m not sure what to cut off yet. I wired them all for the practice. Please critique as hard as you want. It can’t hurt more then my wife’s comments. D862F8DB-CC1A-4F02-825B-C9C5AB5BC98D.jpegD2439E27-10B1-4733-AD31-04410A586645.jpegA53D2199-E311-45E8-877D-5E801271A869.jpeg3593524C-0B60-48DC-A130-6867787DA5F8.jpegCE3FA918-D2B0-4BE9-BA36-30829FCE1F7D.jpeg58D8882F-7F8A-4D31-BDB8-E652E25750A6.jpeg8104F5C2-E114-4FF4-97F3-C0CEECD5983D.jpeg9D8D5AD7-64AE-4DF7-AE29-1FB8A612A8BB.jpeg
 

SizeXtraMedium

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Nice looking tree! Never tried a spruce, I hear they are tricky. Nobody learns to wire overnight and that is the best way to learn. I wish you the best of luck with it
 

Adair M

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That was quite the adventure, wasn’t it?

What kind of spruce is it?

About the two apexes: I would choose one or the other to keep alive, and completely Jin the other. The look would be the original apex died, and a new one grew to replace it. Two apexes both partially alive and partially jinned just looks like indecision!

And once you choose one apex, shorten the Jin on it. Quite a bit. Then shorten the Jin on the apex you decide to keep. Again, this will make the tree look older.
 

parhamr

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That’s a decent amount of branching! I’m not fully in agreement that it needs to lose some of the branches.

It’s not my tree and I can’t see it in great detail, though, so I trust you know well enough :)
 

Saddler

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That was quite the adventure, wasn’t it?

What kind of spruce is it?

About the two apexes: I would choose one or the other to keep alive, and completely Jin the other. The look would be the original apex died, and a new one grew to replace it. Two apexes both partially alive and partially jinned just looks like indecision!

And once you choose one apex, shorten the Jin on it. Quite a bit. Then shorten the Jin on the apex you decide to keep. Again, this will make the tree look older.
Thank you! That is the advice I needed. The two half jinned tops was very much the result of indecision. I can’t wait to finish this apex. It has been killing me.
 

Paulpash

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I wouldn't prune any more off now - leave it alone until it pushes strongly which might take a few seasons. Leave on more green in future - does removal have to happen now? Good job having a go at wiring it out :)
 

wireme

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Looks like a pretty excellent job overall to me. I also feel a bit worried about the sparse needles but maybe that’s just what was there and how it looks spaced out. White backdrops make trees look sparser than dark backdrops too. Did you pluck many needles off to wire?
 

WNC Bonsai

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I have a similar P. Abies “Remontii” that I paln to start work on next spring. First step will be reducing the root ball and getting it into a flat like ypurs. After a couple more years intial styling. Mine has a coulpe upward trending branches but fortunately only one apex to have to deal with. How tall is yours? Mine is right at 48” above the soil so will need some apex reduction as well. Wish I had Walter Pall here to give me some tips on stying it and reducing the roots.
 

Saddler

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I wouldn't prune any more off now - leave it alone until it pushes strongly which might take a few seasons. Leave on more green in future - does removal have to happen now? Good job having a go at wiring it out :)
Other then fixing the apex, I'm done with this tree for now and I was kind of hard on a few branches so I’ll wait and see how they respond. I need a while to to figure out my next step. I am sure it is healthy enough though to bounce back. It’s had two full growing seasons untouched.
 

Saddler

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Looks like a pretty excellent job overall to me. I also feel a bit worried about the sparse needles but maybe that’s just what was there and how it looks spaced out. White backdrops make trees look sparser than dark backdrops too. Did you pluck many needles off to wire?
Thanks. I did pluck a lot. I did leave a load of buds when trying to balance it a bit better. I am trying to push my trees harder, for better or worse. So I don’t think I came close to killing it, I might lose a branch or two... oh well.
 

jeanluc83

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It looks like you have a very good start.

I guess the saying is right. "When life gives you apples, put them in a bag next to your spruce so you have something to eat while you wire."
 

Saddler

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It looks like you have a very good start.

I guess the saying is right. "When life gives you apples, put them in a bag next to your spruce so you have something to eat while you wire."
Bahahaha! I wish I had remembered they were there. I spent four evenings in a row from the moment I got home until it was too dark to work forgetting to eat working on this.
 
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