WIRING
THE BONSAI
Wiring is an important part of the process of styling
your bonsai and nearly all well designed bonsai have been wired
at some point in their development. Though at first a daunting technique
to master, it gives the bonsai enthusiast better control and manipulation
of the trunk and branches of his/her bonsai.
By coiling wire around the limbs of the bonsai, the enthusiast
is able to bend the tree into a desired position upon which it is
held by the wire. In a matter of weeks or months, the branch or
trunk 'learns' and stays in position even after the wire is removed.
With the use of wire, straight trunks or branches can be given
more realistic movement. Young branches can be wired into a horizontal
or downward position to create the illusion of maturity. Foliage
or branching can be moved to 'fill in' bare areas of the trees silhouette.
Without wiring, the enthusiast would otherwise have to wait for
shoots to grow in the desired direction. With wiring, existing growth
can be manipulated there instead.
You will use the wire to shape your bonsai into the style that most
fits it. As we have addressed before, deciding on the shape of your
bonsai, study the tree carefully and take into account the natural
form of the species. Observe the way mature trees of the same kind
grow in their natural setting to achieve an impression of age and
reality. Decide on the final shape and size of your bonsai before
starting. Make a rough sketch of what you wish to create, and use
it as a guide.
Aluminum wire is perhaps best to use for beginners. Copper wire
has more holding power but is a bit more difficult to maneuver.
Typically, you will need a wire thickness a 1/3 that of the trunk
or branch you are trying to bend. The wire you use must be thick
enough to bend the branch effectively and for it to remain in position
but thin enough for the wired branch to be manipulated and for neatness.
To make the branches flexible before wiring, do not water the plant
the day before you wire it. Begin at the bottom of the tree when
wiring and shaping, and work upward. Anchor the end of the wire
at the base of the tree by pushing it into the soil. Use foam pads
under the wire to protect the branches.
The process of wiring and bending causes a series of minute splits
and fractures in the layers underneath the bark of the branch; as
the cambium layer repairs and heals this damage, the new position
is 'learnt' by the branch. The faster the branch is growing the
faster it heals, the sooner the wire can be removed without a return
to its original position.
Where possible the wire should be applied at a 45° to the direction
of the branch that is to be wired. Hold the beginning of the wire/anchor
point firmly with your left hand at all times; as you coil the wire
further down the branch, you can also move the position that you
secure using this hand. At all times, the wire that has already
been applied should not be able to move while you continue to wire
the remainder of the branch.
With the wire in your right hand, feed the wire through your thumb
and first finger as you make a circling motion with your wrist around
the branch; carefully work down the branch towards your body.
You can either cut a length of wire approximately 1/3 longer than
the branch you are wiring or as I prefer, you can keep the reel
of wire in the palm of your hand and cut to length when you have
reached the tip of the branch. Always wire from the base of the
branch to the very tip.
The last turn of the wire should be at 90° to the direction
of the branch to secure the end of the wire at the very tip.
On fast growing species it can be worth wiring more loosely to reduce
the risk of the wire cutting into the trunk. When
wiring an entire tree, always start with the trunk, wire the
primary branches and then the secondary branches.
Bend branches slowly and steadily. Listen and watch for signs of
the branch cracking and splitting. If it does, STOP! The thicker
the branch, the more force that will be needed to bend and the less
'elastic' the wood. The branches of certain tree species are especially
prone to splitting or snapping whatever their size.
You should learn which tree species have branches that are likely
to snap rather than bend comes with experience. When wiring an unfamiliar
species for the first time, test the tension of the branch with
your finger prior to coiling the wire.
Some species are virtually impossible to bend to any real degree
without the branches splitting. These can only be wired when branches
are very young and haven't 'hardened off'.
If possible, use your hands as a clamp holding the outside of the
branch with your fingers, push and bend the branch from the inside
of the curve with your thumbs. This gives firmer control while spreading
the force of the bend around the outside of the branch where it
is most likely to split.
Bending branches at the point where they grow from the trunk can
be hazardous; some species can be prone to ripping out of the trunk
completely. Proceed with care.
Allow the soil of trees to be wired to dry out slightly. With less
water, the tree will be less turgid and more pliable.
Above all, be decisive. When a branch is bent into position do not
keep returning to it and moving it, repeated bending can cause an
unnecessary number of fractures in the branch, and so weakening
it.
Make sharp bends at leaf joints and where secondary branches grow;
this is where tree branches naturally have a change in direction.
Bends made in the internodes don't look as natural.
Add movement so that secondary/sub branches are on the outside of
the bend, not the inside. On deciduous species in particular, make
sure you add movement to all straight sections of the branch. Don't
just create movement from left to right; make sure the branch also
moves up and down as well.
If allowed time to recover without any further work being carried
out, all bonsai respond well to wiring. Don't wire unhealthy or
weak trees as it will delay recovery.
Some will advise that when wiring the
trunk of a tree, the start of the coil is anchored into the soil
and roots of the tree. This isn’t necessarily the best technique
as the anchorage is poor and the wire will often move and disturb
the roots as the coil around the upper trunk is made. Unless movement
is absolutely necessary in the first few inches of the trunk, a
good suggestion is to keep the entire coil of wire above soil level.
When is the best time to wire your
tree? That depends!
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