Before: The wire has been applied and is ready to bend. The two illustrations in this post are from Bonsai Today issue 107, from an article entitled ‘Wiring a Young Tree.’
After.
A good place to start
Most beginning wiring instructions start with how to place wire and then move toward the actual uses of wiring. Our approach here is a little different: if you can see a simple result of the use of wire, you might be inspired to learn the basics (stay tuned).
Trunk and primary branches
These two illustrations show how wire might be used to shape a young tree’s trunk and primary branches. This is the most important type of wiring as it’s where the basic shape of the tree is established.
Don’t wait too long
This basic shaping should be done while the tree is fairly young and the trunk and primary branches are still flexible. If you wait too long, you’ll be stuck with whatever mother nature decides. This is not always a problem, but why limit your options?
You can learn a lot…
… by taking a close look. Check out the drawings and see if you can follow each strand of wire and see what it accomplishes. Could the same effect be achieved by other means?
Details, details, details
There are quite a few wiring details that can be very helpful if you want the best results. Stay tuned for some good how-to tips.
About Green Workshops
Green workshop are geared to relative beginners. Our last two Green Workshop were on fall transplanting and watering.