How select a perfect gauge wire for Bonsai

Selection of proper wires for wiring  gives Bonsai plant a perfect look. Bonsai is an art of making Plants look like natural trees in shallow pots. To make it possible as natural as it is growing in Mother Nature we will some shaping and cutting, pruning and wiring. By Wiring we are giving a shape to the plant. The plant collected or brought from nursery or growing from seed will have primary branch,secondary branches. 

Bonsai masters use two types of wires. 

1) Anodized Aluminium wire

2) Anneal copper wire 

Both the wires good for shaping Bonsai plants

Anodized Aluminium wire is Aluminium is heated up to some temperature, by heating wire becomes movable , soft to make moves around the branch. 

Anneal copper wire heated to certain temperature and they cool it down to release stress inside the wire , otherwise copper wire will be brittle.

Now we will see how to select a wire.

Below link shows you before buying a aluminium or copper wire, how to text the wire is shown in detailed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tnF_dCAnNA 

Take one end of the wire  in to your hand and move around your finger , when you are doing it it should move freely around your finger just like a ring . it should not bend in 90 degrees angle. The smooth movement of wire around the branch makes the branch move any direction you want to give a style to the plant.

usually copper wire is used for wiring coniferous plants because, in coniferous plants the branch and leaf development is different from deciduous tropical plants. There in coniferous plants there are demonstrative and delicate bends for which copper wire is needed and also color matches with the trunk line of the coniferous plants. dont use any time naked copper wire , because when copper comes in contact with water oxide formation takes place and it there will be rusting on wire which can damage the trunk or branch of the plant.

One more wire is aluminium wire coated with copper or brown color is also available . it is inside aluminium and outer coating is brown color. 

For most of the tropical plants like ficus we are using aluminium wire. Aluminium gives a nice bend to the ficus plants.

we can use any wire depending on availability in your area. 

Below one more link of wiring will show in detail about wires and gauges. usually we use 1mm to 6 millimetre gauge wire for Bonsai. 1 to 2 mm is for thin young branches. for thick branches heavier gauge wire is used for drastic bending. it is difficult to measure at home the gauge of wire , So our great Bonsai masters given a the thumb rule is that when we are wiring one branch usually we take one third thickness of wire compared with that branch thickness, take the wire near the branch and see the thickness ,if wire thickness is one third we can use for bending the branch, 

One more easy method is just take the wire near the branch which you want to wire it and push the branch with wire, if wire is bending its not a proper gauge, if the branch is moving away with wire that is perfect gauge for wiring that branch. Some times we have only thin wire , we need not worry, take double strands of that wire and wire around the branch it gives strength and we can bent the branch.

wiring should be always in 45 degrees angle. how wire a plant we see it in next blog . 

now I will give one more link , it gives explains everything about wires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x65XPdml990&t=57s

How and when to defoliate a Bonsai tree to reduce leaf size of Bonsai plant

Ficus Retusa Or Ficus Green Island Defoliation and Care

Spring and Autumn are  best Seasons  for plants growth, During this season plants will be active because of its favorable conditions of the weather lots of growth will be there. The movement  water, nutrients and food inside the plant will be vigorous,the plant will be  in active stage of developing new branches, leaves. Food preparation in the leaves that is photosynthesis  will be adding energy to the plant in thickening of trunk line. During this period if we defoliate plant by removing all the leaves at nodal point  there will be speedy new growth  because of this weather. 

In tropical countries defoliation can be done two times a year to reduce  size of the leaves. Mostly deciduous plants sheds  its leaves once in year. Defoliating means removing or cutting down the leaves of Bonsai plant. It is a regular practice of  Bonsai artists on their deciduous trees during the autumn season before spring. First we will see what are deciduous trees. Deciduous trees are usually Maple,oak mostly giant flowering trees around the region of equator. Most of these tropical plants they shed their leaves during Autumn season after their flowering season is over.  Leaves of  these plants are broad and the canopy of tree is round or umbrella shape. Ficus is tropical ever green tree with broad leaves. Ficus tree sheds their leaves to reduce the leaf foliage and evaporation of water during dry season to control water storage in the plant. As soon as monsoon returns new leaves starts developing.  Defoliation is a natural process  in nature. 

How to do Defoliation manually.

Always Leaf is attached to trunk with petiole. when leaf matures it changes its color to yellow because the leaf no more can prepare food for the plant. it can't do any photosynthesis activity. then slowly  leaf detaches from trunk or stem and falls down. but when manually doing cutting a leaf  from the stem we have to follow one procedure. Removing the leaf with a sharp  scissors leaving petiole on the stem. below it is explained with photos.                                            

 

                                                    

There are different ways of doing defoliation depending on the Plant growth and health.

1) Complete Defoliating of the plant  

2) Partial outer canopy Defoliation POCD

3) One third leaf Defoliation

4) Removing only Big leaves Defoliation.

1) Complete Defoliating of the plant : Complete defoliation is removing all the leaves on the plant. Complete defoliation some times we will also do it before wiring the plant, so we can see the branches of the plant clearly before pruning and ramification of the plant,

Below link shows how to do . 

https://www.facebook.com/kapilaas/videos/10223129683055672/

Photos One is before defoliation, second is after Defoliation 

            2) Partial outer canopy Defoliation POCD 

In partial outer Canopy Defoliation means  removing only limited outer canopy by keeping inside leaves intact.

                    

                                                                                        Partial Outer Canopy Defoliation                        

                 3) One third leaf Defoliation

One third defoliation is shown below . Cut  one third of leaf leaving behind one fourth of leaf.  Cut all the leaves of the plant in same manner. One third defoliation we will to be done on a plant when the plant is young and the plant is not strong enough to take stress of complete defoliation.

                        4)  Removing only Big leaves Defoliation.                                                                              

Here we are not  touching young small leaves of the plant, we are removing only big leaves of the plant and allowing small leaves to to stay on plant, this type of  defoliation we will do on a planet when plant is not fully ready for complete defoliation and if it is effected with any pests.

Before removing  Big leaves                       

                                

 After removing Big leaves 

                                                                                           

Defoliation on deciduous plants encourages the plant to get more energy with new leaves and ready for it thickening the trunk line by giving more branches. Defoliation is a natural phenomenon on deciduous plants. When we are doing defoliation on Bonsai plants we have to remember some points. Ficus plants responds well for defoliation. Some ficus plant produce fruits. During fruiting stage don't defoliate Bonsai. it may harm the plant. check the health of the plant and do it.

Complete Defoliating of the plant should not

1) Be done on freshly re potted  plants.

2) When plant is infected with pests.

3) If the plant is weak without proper growth.

4) In hot summer months when temperature is above 35 degrees centigrade.

5) when the plant is young.

Care to be after Defoliation

1) Don't keep plant in full sunlight, keep it in semi shade.

2) Reduce watering after defoliation. Just keep the soil moist not wet.

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Terrariums

 Closed terrariums act as an Earth surface where everything is provided by the nature. The light energy provided by the sun helps the plants in food preparation and release of oxygen and water vapor. The water vapor goes up and stays on wall of the jar. Night time plants take oxygen and release carbon dioxide during respiration process. The water vapor slowly condenses and helps the plants watered.in closed terrarium It is a cycle and it continues and helps the plants to grow just like the plants on the Earth.  some people called it as a greenhouse effect. It also a good example for children to show how our plants are growing in nature. 

Craft Class of making a Magnetic Photo Frame

Cut Card board in to 3/5 inches rectangular pieces. we need 2 rectangular pieces , one same size magnet to stick on to photo frame back side, one same size transparent plastic sheet.

Cutting out the middle piece

                             The cut piece is just like a window as shown in below picture.

 

This is first rectangular piece

Two rectangular pieces covered with colour sheet.

                                      

Make flowers with flour . flowers can be made with all purpose flour or corn flour .  Take white glue and mix with water and add colour of your choice .  To this colour glue water Mix corn flour by slowly adding spoon by spoon , make a dough . and seal it in zip-lock bag and keep it a side for one hour ,it becomes smoother. This dough can keep it freeze and can be  used when ever you want.  Flowers and leaves can be made with this dough.  

Making a leaf

Making flowers

Roses made with flour

 This picture shows putting gum and sticking transparent plastic sheet on it , so the photo can be seen clearly.                                                 

 Now stick  both card boards against each other.

 

Transparent plastic sheet is attached to the first frame so the photo can be seen clearly.

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