Sea Green Juniper - Too late to wire?

[Marc Wiehn]

I plan on doing a first shaping and wiring of my Sea Green juniper next March after the worst of winter is over. Given that March is always such a mad rush to get repotting and some styling on many of my trees done, do you think I could wire and shape the juniper now? I overwinter all my trees outside, on the ground with mulch over the pots and protcted from wind. Would pruning off branches and wiring which will create little tears on branches now endanger the tree? I think I know the answer, but wanted to see if my assumptions are correct.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Bark of junipers tends to be looser during hot months, so the bark peels easily under the stress of wire.
I don't know the entire pathogen library for junipers, but I've seen rust sporulating in fall and late spring. So those are seasons I would avoid.
Now if that doesn't clear things up, then you're at the same point I am.

Summer means slipping bark, but fast recovery.
Winter means risk of frost damage and possible infections when not healed before (late) spring.

Right now, I do both. But I don't have much to lose, other than some 5 dollar junies.

 

[Japonicus]

Hopefully you held off. I added a Sea of Gold to my projects yesterday.
Wiring is best in Autumn for Pines, so I do the same for my junipers
that need heavier correction.
Also, according to the Bonsai Today Master series book on junipers pruning or arranging the profile
is carried out May and June with wiring being a month longer May-July. Transplanting April-May.
I seriously set back a juniper last April repotting too soon. It survived, but had I waited a month
I would not have lost a year...