| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
If you would like to create stunning, shapeful bonsai trees then you will need to become adept at wiring. Wiring is today the most commonly used method of shaping trees into the vision we have for them. By winding suitable wire around the branches or even the trunk of the tree, it is possible for the bonsai artist to create bends which are pleasing to the form of the tree. During the bending process, small breaks are sustained by the plant material which later heal. When the wire is removed some weeks or even months later, the shaped area will remain in that form.
Wiring can be done year-round for most tree-species however during the active growing periods especially in spring, branches thicken rapidly so any wire which is on the tree at that time may bit into the bark. If left long enough this may result in the formation of an ugly scar which may in some species never dissappear entirely. The best time to wire deciduous is in late spring through autumn. Evergreens such as pines and junipers are best wired in winter. This reduces the risk of the cambium separating from the wood when the branch is bent, as sapflow is minimal during dormancy.
Annealed copper wire was the traditional material used, and still is used today on evergreens due to its superior holding power. However the material of choice today is anodized aluminium wire. This wire is anodized with a colour, as the natural colour has a shiny finish and would not blend well with the tree. It is easy to work with as it is quite soft, and it can be easily removed from branches by cutting it off with an appropriate wire cutter. We offer it in 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 3mm and 4mm and this is all you need for 99% of bending requirements. If necessary you can even wire two strands next to each other for really tough bends. In fact this will reduce the risk of damaging bark when trying to apply a single, very thick wire.
Guy wiring is another way to bend branches of a tree downwards especially those which are too thick to bend by wrapping wire. Wire is anchored at two points, one on the branch and the other at some other strategic point. The wire is tightened and tightened until the desired curve is achieved.
A short section of wire is used to hold drainage mesh over the hole at the base of a bonsai pot, to ensure it does not move when the tree and growing medium is placed into it.
Get some drainage mesh here, and prevent your growing medium from washing out the pot.
It is extremely important to secure your freshly repotted tree into its pot, or the fragile new roots it would issue may be broken if there is any movement of the tree in the pot caused by wind or some other factor. Wires are brought up through the holes provided for this purpose in better quality pots (in the economy pots you will need to use the drainage holes) and criss crossed over the bonsai's rootball, and then tightened. These wires remain either until the tree is repotted or until the tree is secure in its pot.
