Lower Trunk Movement

[Hump]

I still Consider myself new in this world, especially in this area. I understand the basics of wiring and creating movement, but one thing I'm still unsure of is if you wanted to creat movement at the base like this, does it have to be done when the tree is younger and the base is smaller. Once it gets to this thickness can you still bend most trees at the base? I assume not. I'm interested in adding a willow leaf ficus to my batch.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Basically yes.

The earlier you get the bends in the easier it is. It's then a matter of leaving the wire on for a season, removing and them going further with the whole trunk development. That might involve ground planting, sacrifice trunks and branches etc etc

Here are some larch I wired up during this last winter.

2020 November/December Larch wiring and bending

Wiring young collected larches to make them interesting...

www.flickr.com

This album takes you through the whole lifetime of one larch.

BP Larch #4

Started 2008/2009 - a couple of years before the first photo.

www.flickr.com

 

[Shibui]

Lower trunk movement is definitely best when the trunk is young. For informal trunks with movement plant young trees at an angle so the lower trunk start moving from the soil and roots are horizontal. Both are more difficult as the tree gets older.

It is sometimes still possible to get movement in older trunks by pruning back to a low branch and using it for the new trunk line. Takes longer than many think to heal large cuts though.