May 18, 2012

Winter Wiring of a Japanese Maple Bonsai

When all the leaves fall off in Winter and your tree is going dormant can be a good time to tweak those branches. Wiring is easier and you can see the “bones” of the tree much easier.

In this video, Mike wires a Japanese maple and discusses some of the techniques he uses. To quote Mike, “It may be ugly, but it gets the job done!”

Just remember, when you are wiring, be careful how hard you bend and press the tree when you are shaping it. Sometimes it seems like the tree will never break, then -snap- it breaks like a toothpick.

The Bonsai Channel is brought to you by Dallas Bonsai Garden http://www.dallasbonsai.com

Wiring a Juniper Bonsai

Mike demonstrates how to wire a juniper bonsai tree. This video shows the 2 main branches being wired in a cascade style by referring to an image for inspiration.

The takeaways are, 1) use inspiration to help you design your bonsai trees. 2) Make incremental changes over time. 3) Your tree won’t be a masterpiece the minute you wire it.

Bonsai Channel – Wire and Wiring

Thomas J. discusses the difference between aluminum and annealed copper wire. Included is a short wiring demonstration.