No more wire on procumbens?

Wilson

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You have a nice silhouette, and the branches are set, so it should be worth a try. I find my procumbens get so thick, so pruning is the big job. You have yourself another beautiful tree!
 

MichaelS

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I think if you pay enough attention at the right times....

You can build a nicer canopy with bud removal than wiring and pruning.

Sorce
That's just the point though! What is a ''nice'' canopy. I find that when you wire constantly, it's easy to remove the soul from the tree. I read a quote here the other day which I really liked. Paraphrased...''.the tree knows how to build branches, you don't.'' With wiring we are constantly imposing our shallow and superficial ideas on how it should be. I use wire a lot because I'm still stuck in that world. So I guess the only way forward is to experiment.
 

0soyoung

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I'm going to try to stop using wire on this tree. It will be hard to resist but I want to see what happens.
Nice tree. Very nice, indeed.

I think it can be managed for many years without any wire - just foliage 'management' - snip, snip-ish stuff.
 

Paulpash

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That's just the point though! What is a ''nice'' canopy. I find that when you wire constantly, it's easy to remove the soul from the tree. I read a quote here the other day which I really liked. Paraphrased...''.the tree knows how to build branches, you don't.'' With wiring we are constantly imposing our shallow and superficial ideas on how it should be. I use wire a lot because I'm still stuck in that world. So I guess the only way forward is to experiment.

A 'tree' does. A bonsai will just get shaggy & shade out lower branches. I wish you well.
 

Vance Wood

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I'm going to try to stop using wire on this tree. It will be hard to resist but I want to see what happens.

I don't understand why you would jeopardize such a fine tree. just to see what it will do? I have an inkling You are not comfortable with your wiring skills so you are looking at excuses why you don't do with this tree what you know you need to do. As far as losing the soul of the tree? If your skills are linked to your heart that is not going to happen, if the tree had the ubiquitous soul you talk about you will enhance it not lose it. When people lose something in a tree by working on it is when they try to empose something else on the tree other than something that flows with it. It is like puttinga smily face on the Mona Lisa.

View attachment 198167
 

Vance Wood

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He's the all natural guy. Thinks bonsai shouldn't show the hand of man.
Wait until he realizes they're made by man. That will really strew him up.
You are correct, the entire tree is contrived. Procumbens Juniper do not usually have heavy/thick trunks because they are ground hugging trees and as such they do not need a big trunk to support the tree. It is the hand of man that makes them upright growing bonsai so the natural growing no human touch idea is an excuse for not making the tree as good as it could be. The question becomes why do bonsai at all, ask for help no one will think less of you.
 

M. Frary

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the natural growing no human touch idea is an excuse for not making the tree as good as it could be.
Nature doesn't always do things the way we like.
In bonsai wire is a very essential thing.
I tried just growing an elm with clip and grow.
I should have used wire.
Procumbens need wire more.
 

Saddler

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I think I get it. Sometimes you have to do something different to scratch that itch, even if it goes against conventional wisdom. And everyone’s advice. I have done it a few times in a professional kitchen cooking. In the end I didn’t make any one thing better, but I never walked away empty handed. I always learned things that I think you will be hard pressed to learn any other way.

Do it Michael, short of killing it, what is there to lose other then a little time?
 
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