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It will take a few months before the branches are set in their new shape; the copper wire should now be removed.
When? Wiring can be done year-round for most tree species. During the growth season branches grow thick quite fast as a result the wire will cut into the bark, creating ugly scars. Check on your tree regularly and remove the wire on time.
Material? Using the right material is essential. Basically, two kinds of wire are often used for Bonsai purposes: anodized aluminum and annealed copper. For beginners it is advisable to use the anodized aluminum, which is easier to work with and sold in most (online) Bonsai shops. Wire is available in a range of different thicknesses, varying from 1 to 8 mm. There is no need to purchase all the available wires; buying 1mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm and 4mm thick wire should be ok.
When wiring thick branches it is recommended to wrap them first with raffia, which will protect the branches from being damaged by the wire when bending them.
How? Try to wire two branches of similar thickness located near each other with one piece of wire (double-wiring) where possible, and wire the remaining branches separately (single-wiring). Wire all the branches you want to relocate before actually starting to bend them. When wiring an entire tree, work from the trunk to the primary branches and then start wiring the secondary branches. As a rule of thumb, use wire with the thickness of 1/3 of the branch you are wiring.
Both wiring techniques will be discussed in more detail now and information about how to safely bend the wired branches will be provided at the end of this page.
Double-wiring
1. First select the pair of branches you will wire; these have to be of the same thickness and located near each other on the tree. Do keep in mind that the wire should wrap around the trunk at least once so the wire will not move when bending the branches later on.
2. Before starting to wire, cut off the right length to wrap both the branches and the trunk.
3. Start with wrapping the wire around the trunk and proceed with the first branch. Wire from the base of the branch to the very tip before starting to wire the other branch. The wire should be wrapped around the branches at an angle of 45 degrees; this way the wire will enable the tree to grow thicker while remaining its new shape.
4. When you intend to bend a branch downwards directly at the trunk make sure the wire comes from below (see the blue arrow at photo 1). The wire should come from above when bending a branch upwards (see the red arrow at photo 1).
5. After you have wired all suitable pairs of branches continue wiring the remaining branches using the single-wiring technique.
Single-wiring
1. Like in the double-wiring technique, cut off the right length of wire and start with wrapping it at least twice around the trunk at an angle of 45 degrees.
2. When multiple wires are applied at the same part of the trunk/branch try to put them neatly in line (see photo 2).
3. Now continue wiring the branch.
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