Binding a Bonsai Tree

Wiring the Trunk

• 1

  Select copper wire or anodized aluminum wire that's flexible and strong enough to bend and hold the trunk in the desired position. Ideally, the wire should be a third as thick as the trunk being wired. You may use several wires that vary in thickness to effectively bend various parts of the tree's trunk.

• 2

  Wire the tree in the early spring months. Start at the base of the tree. Stick an inch or more of the wire into the soil at the trunk's base or affix the wire to the side of the pot by making a small hole in the side of the pot. Thread the wire through the hole and tie it off.

• 3

  Wind the wire around the tree's trunk at a 45-degree angle. Continue winding the wire up the tree's trunk. Make sure the wire is tight but not cutting into the tree. The trunk can be held straight with the wire or bent to a desired apperaance.

Wiring Branches

• 4

  Use the same type of wire to bind the tree's branches -- copper wire or anodized aluminum wire. The wire should be one-third the thickness of the tree's branch.

• 5

  Affix the wire to the tree's trunk or adjacent branch. Wind the wire around the tree's branch. Make sure to create equal spaces between the coils. Coil the wire outward on the branch. The wire should be tight but not bite into the tree's bark. Bend the branch and look closely to ensure the wire is not cutting into the bark.

• 6

  Hold the branch at the tip and bend it to the desired shape as you wind the wire outward. The wire will hold the branch in place and train it to grow into the shape you desire.