Wiring Hinoki Cypress

[cheap_walmart_art]

I got this Hinoki from a club member last fall. Knowing they don't backbud, I was afraid to do much to it and it just grew wild last year. I decided to try my hand wiring it last night because I need the practice bad, esp with copper wire. The wiring is not great, had to cross those wires at the first ranch because I didn't want to start over a third time. I also noticed that the end branches had dozens of new shoots that required extensive thinning. Hopefully with practice my wiring will get better but for now I think it's enough that I put some movement in and opened up some inner foliage. I plan to try to chase that lower foliage back as much as I can and keep wiring movement over the next couple seasons to make those branches appear shorter. There may also be some candidates for new leaders on those lower branches as time goes by. I welcome and critique or advice but as this is my first try as wiring this much tree, please be gentle!

Before


After

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Go to this website and sign up for this free class on wiring bonsai. It is an excellent resource and will have you wiring like a pro in no time.

Colin Lewis wiring bonsai

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

This is really good stuff, thank you. Obviously I need to rewire this tree. Would it be more beneficial for the tree to leave the wire on as is and just use better technique next time I wire it?

 

[TN_Jim]

First, forgive that I really have no idea what i'm talking about, especially because I have no Hinoki...keep looking at them though. I hope somebody says off or way off.

Remove wire? -If it's not broke, why remove wire now? Why not? Let it breathe?

@cheap_walmart_art, are you thinking rewire this fall?

Here's where I was thinking about this tree with obvious potential, or basic elements that I think about a lot; because, while my trees do not really have such basic elements, but something similar, there is a same relative confusion and questions when I look this Hinoki.

As you said Hinoki don't backbud, which makes this even more curious. They luckily keep growing, hopefully (insert gruff voice)

You obviously see some issue with it, here's my thoughts, bottom up..

-cover those roots man...why not, it's getting cold

-parallel no taper trunk is the biggest problem, even if some kinda formal upright -possible solution (tech)..finest drill bit, off center through dead off-center, cut angle to hole very clean, bend, match cambiums...raffia, bicycle tubes..?
=straight trunk fixed-ish? would this low cambium-to-cambium advanced bend kill the tree?....likely that nice right branch as well?

-bar branches up top...left left, right as new leader. this promotes taper...tree looks too tall now based on trunk width, but regardless everything should be bent down and in, right?

-chop/bend/jin above bar branches

-change angle of tree compensating for trunk work that didn't kill tree

thanks

also, trying to figure out some image mark-up (and program not on my phone) came up with this...

@cheap_walmart_art, my hypothetical just killed your tree!!!

 

[Adair M]

Yes, please watch the Colon Lewis tutorial on Craftsy.com.

Always wire two branches with one wire.

When wiring branches coming off the trunk, the wire should come up from beneath the branch first to make a good anchor.

When wiring out a branch, the wire should run down the branch at about a 60 degree angle. The books say 45 degrees, but really, it’s better at about 60. If you coil the wire too tight, it’s more like a spring, and that has little holding power.

You may have to use guy wires to bend heavy branches.

See my thread “Literati Japanese White Pine Progression” to see an example of guy wiring. Wire the branch out, then do the guy wire.

Have several gauges of wire available. I have all gauges from 4 (the thickest) to 22 )the thinnest). I rarely use 4 or 6, but I have it for when I need it. The wire you used was not heavy enough to bend that first branch.

And, you will get better with practice!

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Remove wire? -If it's not broke, why remove wire now? Why not? Let it breathe?

@cheap_walmart_art, are you thinking rewire this fall?

Nah I'm not rewire this fall, just didn't know if it'd be better to leave the wires on as is, albeit badly wired, and do better next year, or just remove them and try again next year.

 

[bwaynef]

If you're not going to rewire it immediately, leave it on and wait 'til spring.

 

[Vance Wood]

Leave it on till Spring as long as it is not cutting in.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

So I watched Colin's video a couple of times and wanted to try my hand at another tree. Here is a Virginia pine (I think) a club member gave me to practice on. That big bit of foliage behind the new leader will go next year. I didn't want to take more than I did off.

Before


After

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

So I watched Colin's video a couple of times and wanted to try my hand at another tree. Here is a Virginia pine (I think) a club member gave me to practice on. That big bit of foliage behind the new leader will go next year. I didn't want to take more than I did off.

Before
View attachment 215288

After
View attachment 215289

This is the perfect time to get movement wired into a seedling pine, you have done that. Good.

Also good is that Virginia pine back bud fairly well. In all likelihood, if this tree survived the learning how phase, ten years from now, none of the current branches will be part of the tree.

Design tip, this is not a rule, but as a general design principal, branches should come from the outside curve of any bends of the trunk. Your lowest Jin ( dead branch) is the perfect place for a living branch. Most of your upper branches are coming from the inside of curves, not the outside.

The tree is young, pines remain flexible for many years. You can try bending the upper part of the trunk the other way to put the branches on the outside of the curve of the trunk. Or you can remove all the wire and try again. This is a much improved wiring job over the first tree. You are improving.