Several benefits to having a tree wired into their pots...

[Cadillactaste]

I knew...wiring a tree securely in it's pot has it's reasons. To help secure it and less movement for roots to become damaged. On a windy day...no fear of it toppling out of its pot or such. Last night it started to rain...since the rosemary still looked damp at the trunk from being watered that day. I put it in a sheltered area so not to get more wet. Since they can lose leaves from being over watered. Everything else fared well with the rain...though...the rain must have over flowed the gutter. Or it rained extremely hard over the night. I went out with the dogs this morning to see the pot the bougainvillea is planted in...with most it's soil on the table it is sitting on. To hard of rainfall...or the gutter overflowed and poured down on it. But the tree stayed standing in it's pot with little soil holding it in. So tossed more soil into the pot...from the bag of bougainvillea soil I have. Was just shocked to see that small Shohin standing with so little soil in the pot. But then...I had wired it into the pot.

 

[Stan Kengai]

There are so many unexpected things that will knock a tree out of its pot: wind, kids, animals. This spring I experienced a new one, my neighbor cut a 6" thick branch off of a landscape tree and it "unexpectedly" fell onto one of my benches. I say "unexpectedly" because the limb was actually hanging over my yard (reminding my very much of that certain insurance commercial.). It broke the top that I have been developing for 3 year out of a trident. And it obliterated an azalea pot just as the flower buds were opening. Bench broken in half, a dozen trees lying on the ground. So what does he do? NOTHING besides removing the limb. He doesn't even knock on the door and tell me.

The moral of the story: you're not always in control of what happens to your bonsai. Sometimes you at the mercy of nature, and other times your idiotic neighbor. Had I not wired all of my trees in, it would have been a disaster. All of them survived, thought the azalea is sulking a bit.

 

[Dav4]

There are so many unexpected things that will knock a tree out of its pot: wind, kids, animals. This spring I experienced a new one, my neighbor cut a 6" thick branch off of a landscape tree and it "unexpectedly" fell onto one of my benches. I say "unexpectedly" because the limb was actually hanging over my yard (reminding my very much of that certain insurance commercial.). It broke the top that I have been developing for 3 year out of a trident. And it obliterated an azalea pot just as the flower buds were opening. Bench broken in half, a dozen trees lying on the ground. So what does he do? NOTHING besides removing the limb. He doesn't even knock on the door and tell me.

The moral of the story: you're not always in control of what happens to your bonsai. Sometimes you at the mercy of nature, and other times your idiotic neighbor. Had I not wired all of my trees in, it would have been a disaster. All of them survived, thought the azalea is sulking a bit.

Ugh... Now that's a nice, responsible individual. I'm blessed to have a large yard with close to 3/4 acres of it fenced in. Only my kids and my dogs can come close to messing with my trees.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Dave, you're lucky. I was so infuriated I couldn't even talk to my neighbor for 3 days for fear of being charged with assault. But since then he did buy me my choice of a nice (overpriced) Yamafusa frog-skin glazed pot. I just hope the azalea pulls through so I have something to put into it. I tried to find a Koyo to really stick it to him, but couldn't find one big enough.

 

[iant]

I rent and the landlords gardener came by and used the leaf blower to blow all the Bonsai soil out of the couple of my pots. Also took away and recycled a Trident project I had, all because it didn't have any leaves in the winter and looked dead to them. I've lost a couple plants from not wiring well enough plants into the pot.
Ian

 

[GrimLore]

I still do not wire in all of the plants. The only ones that get wire are being shaped/styled. I am fortunate that they are "sheltered". The reason I do not wire in the smaller stuff growing out is that I "think" slight wind movement and rain moves them small amounts and produces a stronger tree. That applies to plants two and three feet and taller(up to eight) which I do not see any reason to put in expensive pots anyways. Yes, I have lost trees but the ones that make it are robust so I am staying with my routine. Seems there is always something to water, treat, or fertilize anyways

Grimmy

 

[edprocoat]

I still do not wire in all of the plants. The only ones that get wire are being shaped/styled. I am fortunate that they are "sheltered". The reason I do not wire in the smaller stuff growing out is that I "think" slight wind movement and rain moves them small amounts and produces a stronger tree. That applies to plants two and three feet and taller(up to eight) which I do not see any reason to put in expensive pots anyways. Yes, I have lost trees but the ones that make it are robust so I am staying with my routine. Seems there is always something to water, treat, or fertilize anyways

Grimmy

Yes there is, if there was not what would do for fun ?

ed

 

[GrimLore]

Yes there is, if there was not what would do for fun ?

ed

Chop up and wire the good stuff

Grimmy

 

[lordy]

Wire 'em in. You may be glad you did.

I've done it ever since I had a mini-mugo get knocked over by a dog and I didnt notice it for several hours. Roots dried out and it was curtains.
A few years ago the umbrella on our deck glass-top table decided to do an escape. The wind lifted it about a foot and then it went sideways. The top shattered. What you see in the photo is the result. The tree that was sitting on the table simply bounced on the deck. As they say in the new Subaru commercial, "it lived".

 

[Lazylightningny]

I rent and the landlords gardener came by and used the leaf blower to blow all the Bonsai soil out of the couple of my pots. Also took away and recycled a Trident project I had, all because it didn't have any leaves in the winter and looked dead to them. I've lost a couple plants from not wiring well enough plants into the pot.
Ian

Bonsai disasters and blunders could be its own thread. There must be some good stories out there.

 

[michaelj]

Bob Pressler (whose nursery was near the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge quake) said wiring his trees into the pots probably saved him from losing a bunch of trees (though not from losing a bunch of pots) when the big one struck. For me, it's more about protecting the trees that go into spots where the dogs might go chasing a squirrel or possum or raccoon, but quake safety could matter someday, too.

 

[Bearded_Jiggs]

Hope the posters in this thread have had a nice almost 4 years of no mishaps! Wanted to share my newbie story of how I learned every tree should be wired to the pot!

A few weeks back I was on my way to my very first workshop at Timeless Trees in Rosenberg TX and I brought my "walmartsai" fukien tea that I had repotted to a more suitable container and soil and had it on the seat next to me. I made about an hour and 15 minute drive with no issues, when I was in the neighborhood of Timeless Trees, I went to turn around at the end of the street and whipped my car around faster than I realized and overturned the pot did turn. There my only little tree lay, in my passenger seat.

Heartbroken I brought it inside and one of the instructors masterfully wired it back in its pot and luckily a few weeks later the tree is doing just fine. WHEW!! Lesson learned!

 

[WOOB]

With the soil I use inorganic I cant imagine not wiring my trees they fall out I am sure! Hell it takes 10 minutes keeps them at the right angle and all .... What can be the harm all I see are positives?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Had this one wired in its pot...dang gone bird. Built a nest in the cascade juniper beside this one. In the process tipped this one over. Wired in staying in the pot...but substrate spilled...and roots exposed to afternoon Sun. Still waiting on verdict if it will recover. It is what it is... (((shrug))) To many here had significant losses. That if it dies...I won't be to upset.

 

[Lorax7]

Hope the posters in this thread have had a nice almost 4 years of no mishaps! Wanted to share my newbie story of how I learned every tree should be wired to the pot!

A few weeks back I was on my way to my very first workshop at Timeless Trees in Rosenberg TX and I brought my "walmartsai" fukien tea that I had repotted to a more suitable container and soil and had it on the seat next to me. I made about an hour and 15 minute drive with no issues, when I was in the neighborhood of Timeless Trees, I went to turn around at the end of the street and whipped my car around faster than I realized and overturned the pot did turn. There my only little tree lay, in my passenger seat.

Heartbroken I brought it inside and one of the instructors masterfully wired it back in its pot and luckily a few weeks later the tree is doing just fine. WHEW!! Lesson learned!

I not only wire the tree into the pot. If I’m transporting a tree to a club meeting, I buckle it in, adjusting the seatbelt so it holds the pot in place in case I have to slam on the brakes during the ride because somebody cuts me off in traffic or something.

 

[sparklemotion]

What can be the harm all I see are positives?

Wire scars on the roots. There are ways to avoid them, but they make the wiring process more of a pain

 

[Cadillactaste]

Wire scars on the roots. There are ways to avoid them, but they make the wiring process more of a pain

Tubing over wire...but @Adair M has a cool technique. Forget what he calls it. But I used it before. Using a chopstick and wire. (Believe he was the one who shared it.)

For the most part...Wiring has saved a lot of trees. Can't imagine not wiring the trees in. Now Al...aka Smoke wires all his trees to the bench as well if I am not mistaken. I bungee cord my nicer trees...or higher quality pots on the bench. But haven't gotten all done yet. Working to protect them better after the bird iincident.

 

[Adair M]

Wire scars on the roots. There are ways to avoid them, but they make the wiring process more of a pain

Done properly, there are no wire scars on visible roots. No need to pad the wire using tubing, either. Everything is done under the soil level.

The exact technique varies a bit depending upon how many holes the pot has, and the position of the holes.

Assume a 4 hole pot, with the holes near the corners. Two wires are threaded up the holes. One on the left, and one on the right. So that there is a wire coming up from below in each hole. Position the tree in, then fold one wire down across the root ball. Let’s start with the front left wire. Fold it down, over the front edge of the roots, towards the front right wire. Twist the two wires together firmly. Then direct the front right wire to meet the rear right wire. Twist them together firmly. Then lay the right rear wire down against the rear of the rootball to meet the left rear wire. Twist together.

Now, you need to make a pigtail. Using a separate piece of wire, bend a hook into one end, and slip the hook under the front left wire near where it emerges from the bottom. Twist it so it’s securely attached. Now take it, and the wire from the back left, and twist them together about halfway in between them.

Now, here comes the secret technique! Grab the twisted two wires with you pliers, and while holdin the tree in position with one hand, pull on the wires with the pliers. The whole “cage” should tighten! Now, begin to twist the pliers to take up the slack, but release the pressure as you do. You’ll break thecwires if you don’t! So, it’s PULL to tighten, release pressure, and twist. You can do this several times. You can get that cage to tighten the root ball down very snug, Once it’s snug, go around and cut off loose ends, and tuck the wire ends down.

It should be tight enough so that you can lift the tree, and the pot stays firmly attached!

Now backfill with soil, and chopstick in...

When done, the “cage” is invisible, under the soil. No surface roots are damaged or need padding.

Of course, every tree is different, you may need to tuck a root under, or over the wires as you’re building the cage, or you may need to insert a chopstick into the rootball, and run the wire over the chopstick as you’re building the cage. It’s all engineering! (But not rocket science!)

 

[WOOB]

Wire scars on the roots. There are ways to avoid them, but they make the wiring process more of a pain

Sorry I half to say don't be lazy ... If you don't watch the wire on your branches it will cut in but you still wire them. Hell I have wired roots too and pined them into place. If you have a dense root pad you can drive a chopstick, use a screw in and use that to anchor you just half to give it some thought. Adair M method is so good I use it 90 percent of the time and if I don't have wholes in the right place in the pot I will be a hole into the pot. No the antique ones but the others yes, takes 10 minutes with a had drill and a ceramic/glass bit easy.

Here's one that will get me in trouble if its a heaver root dill a whole through it like I did on a ficus yesterday

A general note or thought. If you repot every 3 years or so that is the time you get to work on your roots USE IT we work on the top all the time but the root .... I use to be scared when it came time to repot STILL AM but I slow down and do what I hope will give me a strong healthy tree with a good root system.

 

[sparklemotion]

Done properly, there are no wire scars on visible roots. No need to pad the wire using tubing, either. Everything is done under the soil level.

Thanks! I have been using tubing, but I am going to have to give this a try too.