Basic Wiring Techniques

The technique of using wire to change the shapes and styles of bonsai trees developed around the middle of the 18th century in Japan, so as far as the ancient art of bonsai goes it is a fairly new technique.

- Gary English

It is a relatively easy principle to understand, but one that takes a bit of practice to master. Wire is wrapped around a branch or branches of a bonsai tree. The branches are then bent into a new position, and the wire keeps the branches in the new position until they have grown enough to be able to retain their position once the wire has been removed. This process can be done all year round but is probably best done in spring when the branches are flowing with sap and are a bit more flexible.

For the process to be successful there are a few important rules that need to be observed. Probably the single most important thing is that any piece of wire needs to be firmly anchored at some point. If the anchor point is not secure the wire will never be able to hold the branch in place.

The simplest method of wiring is called double wiring. Two branches of similar thickness and relatively close together are wired using the same piece of wire. The wire is anchored by wrapping it at least once, preferably twice, around the trunk of the tree in between the two branches at a 45° angle. The two individual ends are now wrapped around their respective branches, also at 45°, until each branch is completely wrapped. Only once both branches are wrapped should the branches be bent.