bonsai wire

[hitsware]

I just got a bonsai kit for Christmas.
The wire supplied with the tray is copper.
I've always understood copper to be
poisonous for plants.
Am I missing something or misinformed or ?

Thank You

[JTred]

Copper and anodized aluminum are fine, it's steel that you wanna watch out for. It's not poisonous to all trees (I use wrapped steel wire for my ficus), but it is poisonous to some, like maples. Stick with the copper, it's what most bonsaists use.

[hitsware]

O.K.
Thank you.....

[manofthetrees]

depending on what styling you are doing you may want to check out some anodized aluminum. its cheap and copper in my expieriance is kinda tough to work with and even tougher to get off the tree when your done.the aluminum can also be reused if your carefull copper you can't

[hitsware]

For sure to begin with all I want to do is secure the roots into the tray.
I don't like the looks of wires pulling on limbs (though I know it is part of the tradition)...........

[JTred]

For sure to begin with all I want to do is secure the roots into the tray.
I don't like the looks of wires pulling on limbs (though I know it is part of the tradition)...........

That's understandable but it is not just tradition, but it is necessary most of the time. However, if your tree is young it may not need any wiring for the time being. It's probably better to let the tree adjust while you decide how you want to style it.

As for the root wiring, is your tree loose in its pot? If not, wiring really isn't necessary. Even if it is loose, as long as its in the position you like and isn't likely to be tipped over it still probably isn't needed. Save your good copper wire for later.

[hitsware]

> Save your good copper wire for later.

My plant is in a plastic pot.
(I haven't installed it in the fancy tray yet)
The tray has the wire already coming up
through some small holes in the bottom,
so I assumed it was for securing the plant,
but I'll wait and see how secure it is when I
transplant it.
Thank You

[JTred]

I'm assuming by fancy tray, you mean a pot which is designed for bonsai and is relatively small and shallow. I'm also assuming that the pot it is already in is larger than the pot you wish to transfer it to. If these aren't true, then this post doesn't really apply.

If this is the case, however, I'd like to offer this suggestion. Determine if you are happy with the girth of the trunk of your tree. A smaller pot will cause your tree to grow much more slowly, especially its trunk girth. Also, decide if you are happy with the placement and sizes of the main branches. Having a tree in a small pot will make it take a lot longer to grow out or thicken up a branch. Generally, nice fancy bonsai pots are reserved for finished or almost finished bonsai. For many people, the pot must compliment the tree, and depending on how mature or finished your tree is, you may not know what kind of pot will compliment it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is IMO, if you think your tree still has some growing to do before it reaches its final form, put/leave it in whichever pot is bigger.