If you are looking for information on how to wire a bonsai tree, this guide will find interesting data that you should know before starting the task.
The wiring next to the pruning are the two techniques to model the design of our Bonsai.
It is the way we have to place and bend the branches and the trunk of our tree to our liking,
and for this reason, we must learn to do it even though it is considered an advanced technique.
Read more: how to prune a bonsai tree correctly.
What Is The BENEFIT Of WIRING A BONSAI Tree?
Wiring a bonsai tree benefits the developing tree in two ways.
The wiring has a practical function since the tree will not grow independently in its desired way.
The wiring of bonsai trees guides the tree’s growth, even if sometimes they inherent unnatural ways like the drooping shakan shape.
It also benefits the tree aesthetically. While wiring allows you to control the basic form.
It also gives you creative freedom to make your Bonsai uniquely beautiful in ways that would not be possible with natural growth and pruning.
Read more; how to choose a bonsai tree.
When Can You Wire A Bonsai, Or When Is The Right Time To Wire A Bonsai Tree
How to wire a bonsai tree: Wiring must be done to a healthy young plant to provide the desired results.
Wiring is typically done when the plant has been reported to support new growth; this is how to wire a bonsai tree.
The right time also depends on the type of plant. The right time for wiring differs between deciduous and softwood trees.
Note: Avoid wiring a plant that is unhealthy. Similarly, don’t wire weak branches. Please spend some time nourishing the plant and improving its vitality before wiring.
Also, avoid wiring a plant that has just been watered. Branches are most flexible when moderately dehydrated.
Read more: How to Water a Bonsai Tree.
The poor flexibility of the branches increases the probability that they will be damaged or broken.
One of the good things about the wire fence is that it can generally be used at any time of the year.
However, it is always advisable to consider the species since some have their peculiarities.
Usually, if we do wiring work that requires large torques, we will wait for winter, although we must be careful with frost.
Also read where to keep your Bonsai on and how to protect a bonsai in winter.
It is advisable to wire deciduous trees in autumn when they do not have leaves since it allows us to work them more comfortably, and we can see the result better.
In addition, this will allow us to leave the wire in place for a longer time since, as its growth rate will be slow, the risk of it sticking is less.
Still, it should be checked occasionally that this is how to wire a bonsai tree.
Spring is also a good time since being active and in a period of growth will solidify before the twists we make.
If we choose this time of most significant activity, we will have to watch more carefully if the wire fits.
The fattening of the branches can cause it to stick, causing wounds that, in some species, are difficult to heal.
Read more: How to make a Bonsai tree grow bigger.
How To Wire A Bonsai Tree: What Are The Best Wire To Use For Wiring A Bonsai Tree?
How to wire a bonsai tree It is recommended to use wire that has been produced for bonsai wiring and not others designed for other uses.
We can use two types of wire for Bonsai: copper wire and aluminum wire.
If you are starting, it is recommended that you use the aluminum one since it is more manageable and economical.
It will also be easier to find than the copper one. Over time, you can use the one corresponding to the species, but starting using the copper one can be frustrating.
Both beginners and experienced bonsai artists may prefer aluminum wire for its greater ease of use than copper.
Annealed copper wire for Bonsai: This type of wire is used above all in conifers since it is a species of solid growth.
Copper keeps them with more incredible guarantees in the position we want.
Copper is good because it will harden over time and exposure to the elements.
In addition, its color blends quite well with the trees, which adds to the fact that (due to its hardening ability).
We will need less thickness of wire than if we used aluminum.
Make it so ideal that we can even see trees exposed in bonsai exhibitions, which have not been dewired and are almost invisible unless you zoom in in detail.
Although at the beginning it is pretty malleable, as it is worked, it acquires rigidity that, depending on its thickness, it can take a great effort to place it as we wish.
In this case, “every turn we realize” and recapitulating by picking up the wire because we have made a mistake will be more challenging when repositioning it.
Anodized aluminum wire for Bonsai: This kind of wire is very malleable and does not lose flexibility.
So there are even people who, with some skill, straighten it again to reuse it once it is removed from the tree.
Unlike copper, we can find this type of material mainly in black. However, it is also easy to see it in silver and brown in some stores, which means that it can go unnoticed when we use it in our plants.
How To Wire A Bonsai Tree: What Are The Wire Thicknesses For Bonsai?
There are many gauges of wire, especially copper, that we can find thicknesses even with decimals such as 1.1mm, 1.2mm, 1.3mm, etc.
The most common measurements are 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm and 2.5mm.
Which Wire To Choose For My Bonsai
How to wire a bonsai tree: Besides choosing between copper and aluminum, choosing the gauge of wire you need for your Bonsai is not tricky.
Choosing enough thickness to keep the branch you want to model in the desired position would be best.
There is a very widespread trick to know if the diameter of the wire you will use is enough to submit the branch that you want to redirect.
Take the end of the roll of wire you have and unroll a few centimeters (with 3 or 4 cm, it will be more than enough).
Once done, gently press that part of the roll that protrudes against the branch.
If you notice that the wire bends easily, it is too thin, and you will have to choose a thicker one.
If, on the contrary, it is the branch that bends, that wire thickness is enough to wire that part of the tree.
Regarding the length, you will need to wire a branch 1/3 more than the length you want to wire.
It is advisable to have several sizes of wire. However, you don’t need to buy all the gauges on the market.
Especially at the beginning, the most typical ones will suffice, such as 1mm, 1.5mm, and 2mm.
You can wire using a double wire in the same area if you need greater thicknesses.
As to which is the most used caliber, it isn’t easy to conclude since it will depend, above all, on the size of your trees.
You can read my complete guide on choosing wire for a bonsai tree which I have prepared for you If you are interested, click here to read.
How To Wire A Bonsai Tree Tips And Warnings
How to wire a bonsai tree: From beginners, bonsai experts practice wiring on a similar type of tree first.
Copper and aluminum wire can be found at a bonsai nursery or online. Bonsai wire is available in 1.0mm to 6mm in diameter.
Aluminum wire is the best for beginners because it is easier to wrap around bonsai tree branches and less expensive.
Use thin gauge wire for minor branch adjustments and thicker for significant adjustments.
For older trees, you can start wiring anywhere on the tree. It is how to wire a bonsai tree.
Wrapping the wire meter clockwise around the bonsai tree branch will make it lean forward.
Wiring the branches clockwise will bend the unit away. Aluminum wire is weaker, and you will need a thicker gauge of wire.
Do not wire a bonsai tree in the fall. It could damage the frame of new buds.
Never rush when putting a wire on a bonsai tree.
Wrapping the wire should be done slowly so as not to break a branch or damage the tree.
To protect the tender bark, use wire wrapped with florist’s tape on bonsai trees, such as pines, azaleas, and maples.
Look at the thread tension. Too tight, and it will cut into the bark, too loose, and won’t hold the branch in place.
Do not cross the wire when wrapping the Bonsai. Overlapping wire will strangle the branch as it swells from sap flow.
Wire left too long will cut into branches and leave bruised bark for many years.
Tools and Materials Needed to Wire a Bonsai Tree
1. Cutting pliers
2. Copper or aluminum wire
3. Shaping Pliers
How To Wire A Bonsai Step By Step: The Perfect Technique
How to wire a bonsai tree: Wiring a bonsai plant and a proper choice of wire. From there, wiring requires patient and deliberate application of the wire.
Take your time, and be very careful to support the plant throughout the process.
When applying the wire, hold the branch with both hands and remember to bend the wire towards the branch and not vice versa.
When wiring, start with the trunk and progress from the thicker branches to the thinner ones.
Bend the wire up the trunk and out into the branches, from the trunk to the tip.
Position yourself so the wiring is facing you. It will give you maximum control and allow you to wrap the cable evenly.
how to wire a bonsai tree: Our wire should be wrapped around the limbs at a 450 angle in a “barber pole ” fashion.
The wire should be formed to the tip and guide its direction, but it should not be too tight.
Keep in mind that your plant is growing and needs space for its size. The wires will also guide growth in unnatural directions.
The plant will want to continue growing in its original direction initially. If the wire is too tight, it will cut the plant.
Accurate but loose limbs will help avoid these problems.
Read more: How to pinch a bonsai tree. [Link]
The anchorage will stabilize and prevent crossed cables or excess stress on individual limbs.
The trunk cable should start with a firm footing on the ground. It should feel stable with a moderate amount of wiggle.
Once firm, the trunk can be wired. It starts at a sharp angle as the cable emerges from the ground and then holds the cabling at a 45-degree angle.
Branches are anchored by wrapping the end of our wire closest to the trunk around the wire supporting the trunk.
The 45-degree angle guideline for wrapping does wire can be adjusted once the limb has a sharp curve.
Wind the cable at a smaller angle as you work past the bend. It will provide the additional support needed to straighten the curve.
You can use the same piece of continuous wire on two branches with the same thickness.
Anchor the cable around the trunk to secure and balance the wiring. Do not try this with branches of markedly different thicknesses.
Use separate cables for each. You can use two or three wires twisted together for added strength and support if it’s a powerful branch.
How Long Should The Wire Stay?
- How to wire a bonsai tree: After wiring, regularly check that the wires are not damaging the bark.
The time until a trunk or branch takes the shape we want depends on the type of plant, its age, and its shape.
- The young branches shape before the older ones, and the thick ones will take longer than the thin ones.
Evergreen trees take up to 9 months (or more) to take the shape we want.
The deciduous ones are faster; with three or six months, excellent results are obtained. However, it depends on the branches’ or trunks’ thickness and age.
- Indoor Bonsai takes shape and keeps its new shape much sooner than outdoor Bonsai.
Here, you can learn more about indoor and outdoor Bonsai differences.
- Remove the wires carefully. Extracting it in small sections rather than all at once is easier.
- If the branch is damaged, cover it with a healing paste. Try not to damage the bark with the tongs when removing the wire.
Conclusion
Now you have read How to wire a bonsai tree; it is essential to wire it carefully and give them the best shape they want.
Wiring a Bonsai tree is one of the basic techniques needed for a bonsai tree. Read the basic techniques needed for the Bonsai tree.
how to wire a bonsai tree: After wiring your bonsai tree, it is recommended to place it in the best location where it will receive enough sunlight.
Read more: How to choose the best location for a bonsai tree. Read now.
