New to bonsai - wiring and etc.

[Heitor Silva]

Well hello again! My name is Heitor, and I am from São Paulo, Brazil. Recently I have acquired a Buxus harlandii as my first bonsai, however, I still am REALLY insecure when it comes to styles and prunning. Therefore, I have some questions which still ring in my head:

1) When it comes to prunning, should I do it in a specific season, or am I able to do it throughout the year?

2) Is there a specific method to prune Buxus harlandii? From my not so wide knowledge regarding bonsai trees, there are some which require specific techniques, such as pinching. Does boxwood require such specificities?

3) I recently did a slip potting to the tree, since the roots started to entangle themselves. However, I was planning to do a transplant by Winter, using a bigger vase. Is it ok to do so? The tree is already 4 years old, but it wasn't transplanted by the time I received it.

4) Now, to styling! I don't want to start trimming the tree, and I still don't have a plan or idea regarding my Buxus' style either . From my perspective, it seems that Moyogi or Hokidachi seems to fit well for it. Given the following image, what it your perspective, that is, what style would recommend for me to follow? Please, consider that I am a lv. 0 bonsai maker, and that I would like to start with a not-so-crazy style, as I fear possible death of the plant

5) When it comes to wiring, should I be aware of any details regarding the fragility of the tree? It seems that the trunk is extremely hard, btw. And how long should the wires stay within the tree?

Well, guess that is that. I would be really thankful if someone answered such questions, because it is REALLY hard to find informations online. As for books, they are really rare and expensive to be found in Brazil (yep, in spite of Bonsai spreading here, everything is really expensive and hard to find). Well, bye!
Its height, nowadays, is aprox. 19,5 cm

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The only buxus I have are hedge plants. They are trimmed in spring after the first flush of growth, and mid summer after the second flush of growth (if there is one). I don't know if this is the same for other varieties of buxus.

But before jumping on the bandwagon, you let us know you're at level 0. This means that your first priority is to get this plant healthy and to keep it healthy. This is going to take some time! I suggest you get a bunch of more trees and start playing around with those. That way you can practice steadily and continuously on all different kinds of materials.
Brazil is home to many wonderful species of trees that the rest of the world just can't keep alive. If I were you, I would make good use of that and go look for local plants that would fit very well in a bonsai pot. That way, you can teach us about how it's done ;-)

Wire stays on as long as it's needed. At some point, it will start biting in. Then it's either time to remove it, or to re-wire the plant.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

As a tropical, you will typically prune buxus at the beginning of the growing season, and then once in mid summer you might selectively prune leggy growth. Avoid pruning as you head into cooler weather. Use wire to develop the branching structure as well as to open up the foliage mass to stimulate back-budding and interior growth. Buxus has a tendency to grow thick foliage on the tips of its branches that will shade out inner growth. If you aren't careful the tree will start to look like an empty ball.

As @Wires_Guy_wires has said, you leave wire on as long as it is needed. You can leave wire on for more than a year, as long as it isn't biting into the wood. For younger growth, wire will tend to set a branch faster than older growth - particularly if you are wiring green growth that lignifies. If the wire is getting tight but the branch isn't set, you simply remove the wire and rewire.

One thing to be aware of - buxus tends to have touchy roots. They like water, but do not like wet roots. Make sure to use an open soil mix, water thoroughly, and let the soil almost completely dry before you water again.

 

[Anthony]

Wiki listing
Climate[edit]
The city has a mild humid subtropical climate by which it can be compared to Brisbane, Australia[33] (Cfa, according to the Köppen classification).[34] In summer (January through March), the mean low temperature is about 19 °C (66 °F) and the mean high temperatures is near 28 °C (82 °F). In winter, temperatures tend to range between 8 and 21 °C (46 and 70 °F).

São Paulo - Climate | Britannica.com

https://www.britannica.com/place/Sao-Paulo-Brazil/Climate
Climate. The Tropic of Capricorn, at about 23°27′ S, passes through São Paulo and roughly marks the boundary between the tropical and temperate areas of South America. Because of its elevation, however, São Paulo enjoys a distinctly temperate climate.