We had one of our best crowds ever for the May general meeting when, despite two flat tires, a juniper and a couple of bonsai masters managed to get together and accomplish some great work. Kathy Shaner and Yasuo Mitsuya were on hand and well equipped to take a juniper that was long overdue for a restyling to the next level. The San Jose Juniper was all “poodle-y” looking when it arrived, but by the time it left it had been transformed into a tree that will fill in and be a great bonsai in a very short time.

At the center of this month’s demonstration was the keystone of bonsai: wiring. While Kathy narrated, Mr. Mitsuya applied heavy wire to crack the major branches into position and then clipped and arranged the smaller branches with scissors and wire. John Boyce and Brian Schindler were able assistants in the transformation. Wiring is the fastest and surest method for transformation of a tree from mundane to dynamic. While clip and grow has its proponents, wiring has generally gained acceptance as the method for training trees. Using heavy wire on a branch affords more control than guy wires and allows the introduction of curves into the growth. Clip-and-grow on the other hand can only produce a zig-zag pattern.

Mr. Mitsuya urged members to use wire that is heavier than they might be accustomed to applying. When applied correctly the heavier wire will allow for more control and better shape in the branches. Application of heavier wire is more difficult because the wire is stronger than the branch it is being applied to. Kathy urged people not to scar the branches of their trees by applying the wire incorrectly. The wire, both in the case of the copper used in this demonstration, and in the case of aluminum, which is more commonly used on deciduous trees, is bent prior to being in contact with the branch. Do not use the branch itself to make the bend in the wire; in most cases this will cause immediate scaring on the branch which will only get worse as the wire is left on. The wire is bent into a spiral as it is applied and tightened so that ideally it is the thickness of a piece of paper away from the branch. When the branch is bent wire should be on the outside of the bends and the branch should be twisted in the direction of the wire so that the wire tightens slightly as the wire is bent. Twisting of the branch will produce more random patterns in the branching because the leaves or needles will not emerge in patterns typical of the species due to the twisting of the cambium layer.

When twisting, cutting, bending and the like, Mr. Mitsuya urged that we use some sort of sealant to seal the cracks and wounds that are created. This will prevent the cambium from dying back around the wound, and in the case of a small crack will allow for full and quick healing.

I urge you to come to the June meeting which will be a wiring workshop. Bring a tree and plan to spend an hour or two applying wire. Senior members of the club will be on hand to facilitate and educate. The club has aluminum wire for those members who do not have their own supplies. Bring whatever tools you own. See the upcoming meetings section for more information.

Tags: Junipers, Kathy Shaner, Wiring, Yasuo Mitsuya