Wiring: the first wrap to the last check

Wire holds a branch where you put it while the wood sets in that position — it is a tool for time, not force. Choose a gauge that can just about bend the branch by hand; too thin and it springs back, too thick and it fights you and bruises the bark. Anchor with two turns around the trunk or a thicker branch, then wrap at a steady 45° with even spacing, following the branch's own direction of growth rather than crossing it. Bend slowly, both hands close to the point of the curve, and stop at the first sound of cracking rather than pushing through it. The work is not finished at the wrap: check every few weeks once the branch is growing, and remove the wire before it bites into the bark.