Mid-May is when I usually begin working on my deciduous bonsai. If a tree has grown well, I’ll reduce the new shoots to 2-4 leaves and wire any branches that need adjusting. An ume in my garden has been growing vigorously this year. It’s time for cutback. Ume It was hard for me to see […]
Wiring
How to measure bonsai wire
There’s not much worse than cutting a piece of wire, applying it perfectly and then realizing, on the final turn, that the wire is too short. I picked up my favorite approach to measuring wire from Daisaku Nomoto. I noticed he didn’t seem to look when he cut wire but the size was often perfect. […]
Tips for anchoring bonsai wire
At the outset of this series, I mentioned that nine of the ten items we’d cover are easy and that one is difficult. Number nine is difficult: learning what it means to properly anchor your wire. This is different from learning how to anchor your wire. Mastering wiring requires good instruction and lots of practice. […]
How to wire a Y branch intersection
Wiring is a fundamental bonsai technique. It helps us guide new growth and rearrange existing growth. Its application can be difficult, and even removing wire from branches can be trying when there’s little space to work. Wiring can also be a lot of fun. We impart a little of ourselves when we wire, and with practice, the […]
What’s with the white stuff?
A visit to the GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt this spring will reveal an intriguing bonsai technique – paper-wrapped bonsai wire. I learned about the technique from the garden’s curator, Kathy Shaner, not long after she completed her apprenticeship to Yasuo Mitsuya in Toyohashi, Japan. Copper wire is more commonly used on conifers than […]