Best Time to Wire Our Bonsai Trees (Cold Climate vs Warm Climate)

The best time to wire our bonsai trees is when the branch of the bonsai tree that we want to wire is still young and flexible.  New shoots are not only easier to wire, but also quicker to recover from wounds.  As soon as the branch has grown strong and long enough to let a thin wire wind around it, we can start training the branch by wiring.  Of course, with these young branches, we should be extra careful and gentle when wiring our bonsai trees. Very old branches, on the other hand, can be very thick and stubborn, and may need other bonsai training techniques.

Wiring Bonsai in Colder Climate

As climate concern, theoretically, most species of bonsai trees can be wired almost all year round, though bonsai trees wired during winter in areas where temperatures regularly drop below -10°C (~15°F) will need frost protection.  In such cold weather, fractures that have not yet healed will be exposed to the cold and may possibly cause further dieback of the branches.  Hence, if your bonsai tree is still wired in the winter, give it frost protection when temperature drops below -10°C.

Wiring Bonsai in Warmer Climate

While I wire my bonsai trees almost all year round, from spring till early winter, many bonsai gardeners like to wire their bonsai trees in the autumn when the branches are bare. Without any leaf on the branches, it is much easier to wire and has a complete view of the bonsai tree.  The branches should heal all cracks, but the most severe, before the tree goes completely dormant for the winter.