Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

Carol · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 5:25 am Post subject: Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

Hello, all - I'm a new member to this site - and I have a very simple (I hope) question. I purchased a mulberry tree 6 weeks ago from a nursery - approximately 15 years old, has had some pruning (scars on trunk), but no other training, in fact it hasn't even been potted, even now living in a plastic nursery bag around 12" square and 15" high. It's quite healthy, and has some embryonic mulberries on it. I decided to wire it before putting it into a pot later in the year, but I can only find two references to mulberries in my bonsai books - one says to wire at any time, the other says not to attempt wiring at all. Who's right?
I live in north-west Victoria (Australia), and bonsai is not practiced in this area much, if at all. I've contacted the nursery I bought the tree from, they don't know either, and I can't get any definite information from any of my contacts. It seems that mulberries aren't commonly bonsai'd. I'd appreciate some advice, as I don't want to damage it too much. I'm not a complete novice, but because of the aforementioned lack of other bonsai enthusiasts, my information has come from books. Many thanks. Carol.

Stymie · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 11:08 am Post subject: Re: Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

By all means use some wire if its needed. I wouldn't have it too tight as the bark will mark easily and remove it before it starts to bite in. If more support is needed when it is removed, try winding it in the opposite direction so that it doesn't follow any slight grooves which have formed. It isn't your growing season at the moment and potting up should wait until buds start to swell again.

Dick · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

In the book entitled "The Complete Book of Bonsai" by Harry Tomlinson, there is a complete page devoted to the mulberry with a photo of one in bonsai training as well as other cultural notes on training, etc. See if your local library has it or can get it through an interlibrary loan or purchase it for yourself online if you can. It's a good general reference for all types of trees grown as bonsai with a lotof pictures in cultural information. You can even buy it used from Amazon.com.

Carol · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:23 am Post subject: Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

Thank you both for your advice - gets a bit confusing when different advice is given on the same subject. I'd thought of wiring one or two branches that weren't strictly necessary "just in case" until I joined this forum. Yes, Stymie, were into autumn here in Australia - I'd thought of leaving the potting till spring. Although it's obviously a pretty robust tree, given it previous treatment - or lack of!

I'll look out for Harry Tomlinson's book - I do have one other book of his, but not the one you mention.

Thanks again - no doubt I'll be back with some more complex questions!

Carol

steve · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Wiring mulberry - yes or no?

By all means come back. It's what we're here for. And please keep us up to date on your tree's development.