I'm going to grow my first bonsai tree (wisteria) and i was wondering when you wire them. I am going to purchase it as a seedling, then turn it into a bonsai.
When/how should i wire it?
- As soon as i get it
- Soon after
- Should I wait until it is the desire height
- Do i wire it the shape i want when it is small, or 'plan ahead' (say i want an S shape. When i buy it do i shape it as an S from the start, or start by shaping the bottom half of an S)

Thanks

Wisteria is not a species that is wired. Training is done by pruning and time. Seedlings will take a number of years to reach flowering size, and will take at least five or more years to reach a size for training and styling. Height is needed to allow for the racemes to trail.

Also, do not do an S-shape.

Yeah, I was thinking of a similar style as on the bonsai empire video.

How do you bend branches without wiring? So you have to albend them by attaching string to something then the branch.

__SCOTT__ wrote:

How do you bend branches without wiring? So you have to albend them by attaching string to something then the branch.

Cutting / regrowing

Wisteria is a different species. It is a vine like grower. The leaves are long and droop down, . Cut and regrow is the only method. Also the tree is usually grown slanting or tilted to one side to allow the flowers to droop down.

Its a tricky species to start on buddy you need good horticultural skills and a lot of patience with them as they take decades unless you splash the cash on a developed tree but that will cost hundreds if not a few thousand.
Maybe start with a juniper or an elm as there almost indestructible especially the chinese elms.