Wiring 101 (Cont.)

Figure four illustrates a technique for wiring two adjacent branches with one wire without wrapping the wire around the trunk (fig. 4).

When wiring secondary branches, plan the wiring so that wires do not cross over each other (fig. 5). Although it is sometimes necessary, crossed wires are unsightly and should be avoided if at all possible. When applying wire to a branch, the branch and the section of wire that has just been applied should always be supported with one hand while the wire is applied with the other. Do not wrap the wire around the branch by bending the wire against the branch – damage to the bark may result, the wire should be coiled or bent as it is wrapped around the branch so that it barely contacts the surface of the bark.

When wire is applied take care not to trap leaves or needles between the wire and the bark. When bending a branch, to help prevent breakage, support the branch on the inside of the bend with your fingers.

• Other considerations:
• How long should the wire be left on? - The branch should remain wired until it has set into the desired position, however as the branch grows the bark will grow around the wire if it is left on too long, creating an ugly scar that may take years to heal. Therefore, whenever the tree has wire on it, the wire should be checked frequently and removed if it is starting to cut into the bark. If the wire must be removed before the branch has set in position, the branch should be re-wired, wrapping the new wire in the opposite direction, or in a different position from the wire that was just removed. You will find that some fast growing deciduous trees can only have wire left on for a few weeks or months before it must be removed to prevent scarring, while some of the slower growing conifers may have the wire left on for a year or more before it must be removed.
• Can wire be applied at any time of year?
• For the most part yes. However, some times of the year are better than others. Some examples:Deciduous trees are best wired when they are bare of leaves when one can both see the branches, and not have the leaves interfere with the wiring process.
• Some trees do not like to have detail wiring done on small branches in late fall – they may suffer some dieback during winter.
• Spring flowering trees should not be wired too late in the spring to avoid damage to flower buds that are about to open. This also applies to any tree when the buds are just ready to open in spring.

The foregoing considerations touch on some of the basic principles to keep in mind when wiring, from here you must practice to improve your skills.

Copyright 2007 by Inland Empire Bonsai Society