Category: Wiring

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Journal Wiring

Removing the Bonsai Wire Just Too Late

Bonsai-wire-remove Bonsai-wire-remove

It’s crazy how fast my Chinese elm (榆樹 in Chinese) is growing. Last month, I wired this branch of my Chinese elm right before two weeks of rainy days. When I went back and checked the wiring two weeks later, I found that the branch had already been embedded deeply into the bark 🙁

Bonsai-wire-remove

I quickly went to the other end of my bonsai rack and checked my Surinam cherry (aka red Brazil cherry, 紅果 in Chinese) which also had a branch wired on the same day as the Chinese elm. And I was so relieved when I found that the Surinam cherry was totally fine, looking more or less like how it was two weeks ago.

Here, I have learned two lessons.

One: Some trees grow incredibly fast, especially those in its growing season with proper care, regular watering and fertilization. We should keep a close eye on the fast growing trees such as Chinese elm and Fukien Tea so that we can react right away to any small damage we find on the bark.

Bonsai-wire-remove

Two: Bonsai wires should not be tied too tightly around the branch or twig of our bonsai tree. Wiring two or three times in succession won’t harm our bonsai tree. Yet, we will harm our tree if we have to tear out the wire that has been embedded into the bark.

Ok, lessons are learned but damage is irreversible.    Now I just hope that the scar will recover and look less obvious as time goes by.

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Pruning & Defoliating Wiring

Prune-and-Grow or Wiring?

Before, bonsai care and design skill was limited to the much revered Lingnan prune-and-grow method developed by the ancient Chinese philosophers responsible for the Literati school of landscape painting and design. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that the Japanese, in an attempt to achieve natural shapes in an expedient amount of time, developed wiring as another training technique suitable for bonsai. And these two schools of thought persist today.

Prune-and-Grow Method

Prune-and-Grow is the recommended bonsai training method. This method increases branch ramification, encourages growth in non-pruned branches, and reduces leaf size (Defoliating is another effective method for reducing leaf size). As new shoots erupt from almost everywhere, especially around old latent bud scars and the bases of the removed branches, the bonsai artist carefully selects buds that will grow in the desired direction, and prune off the unwanted ones. If no such bud is found, then, all one can do is… be patient. A bud that grows in the direction you desire will appear eventually.

Bonsai Pruning & Wiring

Lingnan penjing (Southern Style bonsai) artists use mainly the prune-and-grow method.

Wiring Method

Wrapping wire around branches and trunks allows the bonsai artist to create the desired general form and make detailed branch and leaf placements. When wire is used on new branches or shoots, it holds the branches in place until they lignify (become woody), which usually takes more or less one growing season. Some species do not lignify strongly, and branches of some trees are too stiff or brittle. In these cases, we cannot shape the bonsai trees by wiring, but only through pruning.

So… Prune-and-Grow or Wiring?

There appears to be a great philosophical difference between these two training techniques. As for me, I believe wire should only be used in the development stage. While I shape the new branches and shoots of my bonsai trees with wires, I remove the wires as soon as the desired shape has once developed.

Bonsai Pruning & Wiring
I use wire on my bonsai trees as well, yet only during the development stage, and will remove the wire as soon as the shape has formed.

Today, most bonsai hobbyists apply a combination of the two methods, often without giving the decision much thought. While the prune-and-grow method can help to create a bonsai tree with more branches, smaller leaves, and greater details, using this method alone would take decades; a time schedule of no interest to most bonsai enthusiasts nowadays.

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Bonsai How To Featured Articles Wiring

Can Bonsai Wire Be Reused?

Bonsai Wire
As our bonsai trees grow, the branches slowly increase in size. Any wire on the branches of our bonsai trees can become tight, and as it does, mark the bark. In severe cases, the wires may have dug deep into the branches and cause permanent scars. While light markings will grow out in a year or two, heavy markings can be permanent. In order to avoid these ugly wire marks on our bonsai trees, we should check the wires wound on our bonsai trees regularly and remove them before they have a chance to dig into the bark.

While most of the bonsai websites I have visited so far say “no” to reusing bonsai wire and recommend that the wire be removed by cutting each turn with some wire cutters, I don’t hold my ground strongly against the reusing of bonsai wire. I unwind and reuse my bonsai wire, but I only do so when it is safe for my bonsai trees. This means that the wire must not have bitten into the bark, and the branch must be strong and healthy. In addition, it is much easier to unwind wires safely on thick branches than thin ones. Do not try to unwind the wire if the wire has already bitten deep into the branch. In this case, we should use our wire cutters.

Moreover, above suggestions only apply to aluminum bonsai wire. Do not bother to unwind copper wire as it is impossible to remove kinks from it once it is bent and becomes hard. Always remove copper wires with wire cutters.

Either we reuse our bonsai wire or not, checking the bonsai wires wound on our bonsai trees regularly is the best thing we can do for our trees. Like unwinding bonsai wire, using a wire cutter to remove bonsai wire can be dangerous too if the wire has dug very deep into the bark or if we are just not being careful enough.

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Wiring

Best Time to Wire Our Bonsai Trees (by Tree Types)

Bonsai Wire

Wiring Deciduous Trees

Deciduous trees can be wired anytime through the growing season. With leaves, it is a bit harder to study the bonsai tree structure and wire the branches at this time. Yet, nevertheless, I prefer to wire my bonsai trees at this time because branches wired in its growing season, particularly new shoots, will heal very quickly. In fact, for fast growing species, we should keep checking every week to make sure the wire hasn’t yet started to dig in.

Many bonsai gardeners like to wire their bonsai trees in the autumn when the branches are bare. Without any leaf on the branches, one can have a complete view of the bonsai tree and wire the branches easily. The branches should heal all cracks, but the most severe, before the tree goes completely dormant for the winter.

Another favorite time for wring deciduous trees is at the midsummer after defoliating our bonsai trees. Again, with the branches bare, the view is clear and wiring is easy. The branches of our bonsai trees should take to their new positions by early winter.

Bonsai Wire

Wiring Coniferous Trees

Since coniferous trees will continue to heal over winter, we can wire our coniferous bonsai trees at anytime from spring till early winter. As it often takes longer for the branches of coniferous bonsai trees to be trained, the branches may often be wired throughout the winter. If temperature drops below -10°C, frost protection is needed.

Spring is a good season to wire our coniferous bonsai trees since the branches will set into their new positions relatively quickly, and cracks can heal in a faster pace as well. Yet, due to the fast growing rate, if any wire is still kept on our coniferous bonsai tree by midsummer, we need to keep checking the wiring regularly to ensure the wires haven’t yet dug into the branches. Some species, such as Pines, may swell suddenly around this time.

The best time to wire our coniferous bonsai trees is from midsummer to early autumn. In this time of the year, new growth will need wiring. Cracks will heal faster than most other times of the year as well. In addition, many species such as Pines, will have made most of their annual growth in branch thickness by midsummer, wiring after this time will allow the wires to stay on the tree till the following year without digging in and scarring the branches.

Wiring Tropical Trees

Since tropical species are protected from frost and have no dormant period, they can be wired at anytime of the year. Yet, due to the vigorous growth of tropical species, the wire can cut in fast, hence, must be checked very often.

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Wiring

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

Bonsai Wire

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.