Photos by Rita Elliott

Among the many techniques for positioning branches of a future bonsai are: tying, hanging weights from them, using clamps and directional pruning (grow and clip).

By far the easiest and most effective way to do this is by wiring the branch.

Copper wire and aluminium bonsai wire are the two choices available, and both can produce excellent results. Aluminium wire tends to be easier to bend and apply; anodised aluminium wire is very popular, being brown in colour and therefore inconspicuous when applied neatly.

Never use copper wire on prunus varieties as this species reacts badly to copper.

Start by anchoring the wire securely in the soil mix, before winding around the branch or trunk you want to pull down. If wiring two branches, use one length of wire for both so that they anchor each other. When wiring a trunk, carefully push the end of the wire into the soil to help hold it firmly. Take time to wire neatly and methodically at 45° to the branch or trunk. Depending on the thickness of the branch, wire may be left on for a period of several weeks for very young shoots to over a year for more mature branches.

Note: As soon as the wire shows signs of biting into the bark, remove it so that it does not scar the bonsai. Small wire marks will soon disappear, but deep cuts can scar the tree forever. Rewire if the branch moves from the desired position, keeping away from any previous wire marks.

When planning to bend branches, allow the tree to dry out so that they become less turgid and not as full of sap. This helps make the branches more flexible, but take care not to let the bonsai become too dry as this can be damaging to the tree. Thick branches that are to be bent drastically should be wrapped with several layers of raffia for extra support. By wetting the raffia first, it is easier to bind more tightly. When bending a thick branch, hold it at the required angle as the wire is applied around the branch. This will help the branch to be repositioned more easily.

When repotting a bonsai, the roots should be carefully trimmed as well. - Photos by Rita Elliott

TIPS

1. For extra strength, carefully add another piece of thin wire, rather than using a single thicker wire.

2. Where two pieces of wire cross over, as the branch swells the sap flow will be stopped and the branch will suffer, eventually dying. Watch out for this potential problem.