Question regarding wiring

[Wally5]

I have this 4yo orange seedling which has decided to put on a sudden growth spurt (right-hand, super-tall stem). It’s also been losing a lot of leaves from the older part of the tree, including fairly new ones, despite the grow light, which is concerning me, but the main thing I was wondering is when to start with wiring the tree/new branch. Worried about snapping it as it is now but also don’t want it to be as rigid as the trunk is.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I can tell you the first advice you'll get is to put your tree outside. It's been a strange spring for everyone, but I would imagine that in Virginia, you shouldn't have to be concerned about freezing anymore. If you visualize an orange grove, the trees are situated so that every tree gets full sun all day long.
Thread 'Why you cannot keep bonsai trees indoors' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/
If I'm giving you information you already know, then you just don't need it.

As far as losing leaves, it could likely be a result of indoor conditions. It could also be that the tree has decided those leaves have served their time and the tree is naturally shedding them to grow new ones.

 

[Wally5]

I can tell you the first advice you'll get is to put your tree outside. It's been a strange spring for everyone, but I would imagine that in Virginia, you shouldn't have to be concerned about freezing anymore. If you visualize an orange grove, the trees are situated so that every tree gets full sun all day long.
Thread 'Why you cannot keep bonsai trees indoors' https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/
If I'm giving you information you already know, then you just don't need it.

As far as losing leaves, it could likely be a result of indoor conditions. It could also be that the tree has decided those leaves have served their time and the tree is naturally shedding them to grow new ones.

Yep, I know about putting it outside, was planning to do that tomorrow! My main question was when to work on wiring/shaping the tree.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Yep, I know about putting it outside, was planning to do that tomorrow! My main question was when to work on wiring/shaping the tree.

I think I'll leave that to someone who knows something. If I learn a little more about wiring, pretty soon I'll at least know nothing.

 

[Shibui]

You can wire and bend whenever you want.
Need to be aware that soft, new shoots can be easily damaged by the wire and by bending. New shoots are not very well attached to the main trunk. If you try to bend right at the join to the trunk it is likely to snap right off. Young shoots = very flexible and easy to bend but also easily damaged.
Citrus are usually quite flexible for at least a couple of years so you could wait until the new shoot hardens up a little before wire and bend. Older shoots = more resilient, less easily damaged but progressively more stiff and becoming brittle so harder to get good bends.

As a newbie you may not be aware that wire and bending is not the only way to shape a bonsai. Many great trees have been shaped more by pruning than by wire.

 

[rockm]

I'd get it outside and Get it growing strongly before wiring anything.