Scots Pine, what to do

[The Warm Canuck]

Well as per @Vance Wood and others advice. I wired my Scotts pine. I think it looks alright but what do I know. Any advice is welcome. How long do I keep the wire on?

 

[0soyoung]

Keep the wire on for as long as you can, which is until it begins to become engulfed by the expanding stem = what we call 'the wire biting in'. It should be at least until late next summer, or the next, or the next.

 

[River's Edge]

Keep the wire on for as long as you can, which is until it begins to become engulfed by the expanding stem = what we call 'the wire biting in'. It should be at least until late next summer, or the next, or the next.

Here is a few additional points to consider.
Allowing the wire to bite in is important to help set position, but waiting too long causes damage that takes a long time to fade. A good guideline is to remove the wire when the bottom of the wire looks flat, the wire will have began to bite in and caused a mark in the cambium. Remove at this point to avoid excessive wire damage. If the branch or trunk changes position when the wire is removed, simply reapply but avoid placement in the same marks. One can apply in the same direction if placement in the depressions is avoided or one can apply the wire in the opposite direction to avoid complication with the marks created by the first wiring.

Some species may require repeated wirings to get the form and position without damaging the tree and creating unsightly scars. If removing the wire creates fresh scarring then you have definitely left it on too long. Pay particular attention to spots where the wire supports a bend as it will have tightened more at that point.

It is not necessary to ruin the appearance of a bonsai by letting the wire bite in too much. This is particularly important for aesthetic reasons on the trunk and where branches emerge from the trunk . Often scars will not be as noticeable within foliage pads.

Time guidelines are not reliable check wiring every few weeks during the growing season until you become familiar with how each species reacts to wiring. The timing can vary greatly depending on the health of the tree, whether it has recently been repotted or even the growing season itself as it varies.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Here's an update on this tree. This spring, I split potted this tree into a pond basket, into a raised bed.

The wire had started biting in good, so I've removed it and it appears to be maintaining it's shape.

As for styling, I'm not sure how to move forward. My current goal is to thicken the trunk, however the nebari is a mess and will need to be sorted out in the spring. I'm also wondering if I should deal with the knuckle? I know this wasn't the best bonsai candidate but I don't see any harm in trying.

What direction would you go?

 

[The Warm Canuck]

This is what I'm thinking, leaving the bottom branch for further styling and leaving the top for a sacrifice leader for development of the trunk. But again, I don't know much about styling.

 

[August44]

If the red means you are going to get rid of that, I would say no to that and try to grow more branches in more places for sure via trim/push and BB. Just my opinion of course.