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In order to shape the trunk and branches of a Bonsai trees, the plant should be wired and trimmed. If you intend to wire the trees and help them with small posts, you need to really know and understand the wiring techniques.
Wiring (tying a tree with wires) is the most used technique, especially with conifers. The branches will be tied up together to the top of the tree. With deciduous trees, the shape may be acquired by using outer cutting and the wires will be used differently from one species of tree to another.
When shaping a tree with a smooth bark, like the beech, elm trees, maple trees or linden trees, the wire should not be allowed too long on the plant, because the embedded wire leaves nasty marks. On the other side, the things really look differently when talking about junipers or pines. Their bark is a lot rougher and the wiring scars dissipate relatively fast. Of course, the wire should not embed in the bark. If it should happen, you will have a spiral like scar which will not look so good.
Tip: You can use pegs to tie branches one to each other.
The wiring should be performed in the winter or the early springs, a time when you can proceed with the cutting, either. The plant is still without leaves at that time and you can easily reach any branch.
In the spring, there is a lot of pith afflux, blossoming and growth, the branches go thicker. This is the main reason why you should check out the wire so that it doesn’t embed in the bark. Three months later, the shape should be close to what you desire, so you can remove the wires. This operation should not be taken lightly: you should unroll the wire carefully, not cut it, because you can easily sever the branches.
Tip: the Bonsai trunks that cannot be wired should be attached to a bamboo stick.
Correct wiring requests exercise and proper handling. Before wiring the fragile branches of a Bonsai, you should exercise this in the garden or in the forests. You should use special Bonsai wire, aluminum covered with copper, in different sizes, from 0.02inch/0.7mm to 0.2inch/7mm, which you can buy in most Bonsai tree online stores.
The basic rule when choosing the wires is this: the thickness of the wire should be at about 1/3 of the branch that is tied up. So, at a 0.3inch/1cm thick branch you should use 0.1inch/0.3cm wire. Do not use an iron wire. It doesn’t bend too easy and it will rust off.
The first time you shape a Bonsai tree from a new plant you should wire all the branches, to the very thin ones of them. No branch should cross with another. Finally, you should shape and trim branch by branch.
Wiring a Bonsai only has an ornamental value: it only changes the shape of the tree. This creates what makes a Bonsai beautiful: the look. This is why you should protect the wired Bonsai trees from being seen: they are not what a Bonsai should like, yet.
The pegs should be used where the wire had failed: strong and thick branches and trunks. Multiple trunks may be tighten to the central trunk with pegs and rectified, if necessary. This requires a forceful pull so you should check from time to time for the wire not to embed and you should change the pegs once a while, also.
Tip: in order to better tighten the pegs, you should use them with some leather underneath.
Bending the thick and strong branches using wire is difficult. They should be wrapped in wire. Unfortunately, this method imposes only one growth direction for all the branches. This technique is mostly used when the branches grow high and they need to be redirected to the ground.
Bear in mind: in order to properly and precisely wiring a Bonsai requires time and exercise. This is the main reason you need to wrap the branches in wire in order to shape them.
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