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Secondly, we can't answer your question unless we know what kind of tree we're dealing with.
Some trees recover very, very well....others, not so well.

For example, I gave a Weeping Willow to a friend, and he left the wires on the lower trunk for too long.
Now there is a deep spiral groove winding up the trunk. However, with a vigorous Willow, the trunk will scarify and everything will blend over time....
or, worst case scenario, one can select a new leader and simply regrow the trunk and canopy.

Josh

{{gwi:18936}}

The tree is a grey bark elm

There really no real way to lose the appearance of a wiring scar in one fell swoop. The only option is to be patient and continue to take care of the tree until the bark slowly heals itself by over layering the existing Cambrian layer. This can take anywhere fro the range of 3-8 years depending on the tree and how sever the wiring scars are.

Its also a good example of how its better to wire multiple time in short intervals (with apple time in between for the tree to adjust) than to try and overstay a wiring regiment and result in damaging the tree. I have a friend that hung an old shoe from a branch for three years to train it.

Some types of trees take care of wire marks more quickly than others. With deciduous trees,I plan to make the wire scar the branch, which then sets the direction and grows out later. I do the same with ficus, and even pines can do this without too much trouble. The key is technique. It has to be learned preferably at the side of a teacher.

Your tree is a fukien tea, which does not add trunk girth as fast as some trees, and this looks like a fairly deep mark. I would feed the tree heavily and let the branches grow to try to accelerate growth. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: bonsaikc.com

Some tips:

* If your wire is biting in and the branch is almost set, remove only the portion of wire that is biting into the bark.

* If your wire is starting to bite in, and the branch is not yet set, unwind the wire and wrap it on the same branch in the opposite direction; IOW, so the new wire lines forms an 'X' with, or crosses the old wire lines. This allows you to leave the wire on twice as long w/o scarring.

Al

Actually it's never a good idea to unwrap or unwind wire from something you've had wired. In the process, no matter how careful you are, you are re-flexing the branch and doing the opposite of what you wanted to accomplish in the first place.

Using a cover of raffia or light rubber (like innertube or roofing rubber) will act as a cushion and slow the cutting. Also stepping up the gauge of the wire so that the bending works without the need to use several wires nor wire as tight.

There are also many other things that can be done; use guy wires to pull a branch, hanging a stone or other weight, bracing, etc.

Bob

These are tips gleaned from bonsai masters while observing their workshops; Kathy Shaner was one of them, and I think Ben Oki may have been the other, though I really can't remember. I've been practicing them myself for quite some time (15 years +), with nothing at all negative to note ..... not even once.

There should be no argument about the first suggestion, because it's done with wire cutters & simply removes the segments of wire showing signs it's about to begin cutting into bark, leaving the remaining wire in place to help position the branch.

Re the second tip, if your branch is not yet set and the wire is about to bite into the bark, the wire has to be removed and the branch rewired in the opposite direction anyway (to prevent new wire from being applied atop of where the old wire was positioned). I hope Bob isn't suggesting that unwiring a branch that doesn't yet have wire biting in and rewiring with the same wire going in the opposite direction is going to destroy the branch's positioning, when rewiring the branch is a must, regardless. If I have it right, unwiring the branch will flex the branch but wiring it won't?? Somehow, this doesn't seem logical.

You have to use common sense - it may not be appropriate when using copper (wire) because it work-hardens as you apply, and aluminum wire 3.0 mm and up might not be a good candidate, but it certainly works very well and saves on the expense of wire when the wire size is appropriate.

I don't know about others, but when I'm not using raffia or other support to help keep the cambium intact when making extreme bends in heavy wood, I have too many trees to mess with laying down rubber & raffia to protect the bark for everyday normal wiring applications. I find it much easier, far faster, less expensive, and just as effective to simply unwire & rewire in the opposite direction.

Al

BTW - I just remembered who (most recently) gave the advice to unwrap wire that was starting to bite in and rewire in the opposite direction. Marco Invernizzi was doing a BYOT workshop in Ann Arbor, MI. I find I learn much more as a SO in these workshops because I can follow the master from tree to tree, which is why I was there as a SO. He stopped what he was doing and said "People, people! I want to show you something. You don't always have to cut off these wires that are just starting to bite into the bark. See - like this ..... just unwrap them and put them right back on the branch, but wrap them in the opposite direction, but make sure the end is still secured."

I had heard the same thing many years ago in another workshop or demo, as I mentioned, probably another BYOT affair, so it's not at all a unique practice in the bonsai community, or even my idea. I just thought I'd pass along the tips for those who didn't know about it and might be able to add it to their bag of bonsai tricks.

I think EVERY accomplished bonsai practitioner has walked past one of his/her plants and noticed a wire starting to bit in and unwrapped the wire and rewrapped in another direction. I might be watering or fertilizing and don't feel like getting wire cutters and wire, not to mention interrupting the chore I'm performing, to rewire a branch that needs attention, when I can cure the problem in a minute or two, w/o tools. I've done it hundreds of times.

I'll let you guys on the forum decide what sounds reasonable. You're the ones I offered the tips to.

Al

How about we go about disagreeing civilly? There are as many right and wrong answers as there are enthusiasts. I take my teacher's lessons to heart and wire carefully with copper for pines and junipers, with aluminum for deciduous and tropicals. I never wire heavy branches, if they are too straight, they should be replaced by any of a number of techniques from grafting to back budding.

I wire tightly without squeezing the cambium, and in many cases hope to see the wire cut in. This fear of wire marks is based on poor information. I recommend (for wiring education) any of the Japanese trained young masters coming up such as Peter Tea, Michael Hagedorn, or Boon Manakitivipart (their original teacher).

Technique for wiring really does matter. It looks better, holds better, and uses less wire. Good luck to you!

Here is a link that might be useful: bonsaikc.com