Splitting Tree and Severe Bending

[A Random User]

Thought this thread could use a bump, seeing recent events....

Here again, another crappy home depot special. This one cost $37 dollars. Is it an awesome tree? Perhaps not... but it does show how one can take a piece of crap and begin the tree on it's journey to hopefully becoming something worth while.

If nothing else, one begins to learn how to do different things that one can apply to nicer trees. There is nothing hard about or really advance that I have done here. And if the tree dies, you look at what you have done wrong, asks some questions, and go get another and try again.

There are most certainly things I would do differently than what I have done with this tree, if I was to do it again, but if I hadn't done this tree... then I would not know what those were.

I would be more than happy to help or answer any questions regarding doing a process like this. One can find suitable material at a big box store and should try.
It was alot if fun.

 

[barrosinc]

Have you removed the wire yet?

 

[A Random User]

Have you removed the wire yet?

Sorry, I had forgotten all about this thread!

Yeah, tree has changed quite drastically still since posting of last pics in this thread... these new photos are from last year, haven't taken any this year. All I am doing now is just letting it still grow to recover and get strong.

 

[Giga]

not to shabby

 

[A Random User]

not to shabby

Thanks, I appreciate it!
It was a great learning lesson! There of course are a lot if things I would do different, but that what it is all about.

 

[coh]

So, what would you do differently?

My reaction upon looking at the latest photos is that the technique is too apparent, in other words...it is obvious what was done (and how). I assume maybe one could carve those trunks at some point to make things look more "natural". That's why I've asked in other threads about how these kinds of severe bends look "down the road". Any thoughts or comments?

 

[A Random User]

So, what would you do differently?

My reaction upon looking at the latest photos is that the technique is too apparent, in other words...it is obvious what was done (and how). I assume maybe one could carve those trunks at some point to make things look more "natural". That's why I've asked in other threads about how these kinds of severe bends look "down the road". Any thoughts or comments?

Thanks for the reply! You know, it is funny because on a lot of my posts of work like this I post... I always say I would do things differently if I had the chance to do it over, or if I did another... because I feel there can always be room for improvement and really the whole point is to learn from what you do even if you are doing finishing work on a tree, you can always improve...

But, to be honest, I think you are the first who has read any of these posts, that ever asked what it is I would do different. Kinda sad when you think of it...

Anyways... Yes, right off the bat, the technique is all to appearant. Why, would really have a lot to do with the uniformity of the placement of the split and bent trunks. I mean, almost never in nature would trees have such conformity... that is to say you would never find them running parallel to one another as much as they do in this tree.

What caused this to happen, really has to do with not splitting the trunks all the way up. I would change this from the start. A lot of the decision at the time to keep them attached at the top had to do with having a couple of main branches there, and mostly my lack of understanding at that time to be able to separate the two successfully without the loss of one. I have learned a great deal since and would now be able to successfully accomplish this.

Now, why I am saying this, is that with the split being attached at the top... it greatly hindered not only the placement of wire, but also the range of movement. So, really I was left with a very narrow distance that I could move one away from the other. Where if they had been separated I could have moved them totally independent of each other and even in opposition directions.

This would if given the appearance of the trunks not being split, but instead really two separate trunks growing with sharis running up the length. There could of also been nice twists and tight bends added and I could of even had them overlapping.

As far as the part that had been sawn... yes this will easily be carved. I was just allowing the tree to really heal and put on plenty of growth to be able to support itself, before work was done.

 

[don b]

Holy WOW.. I would have never even though of doing that.

 

[Beanwagon]

Thanks for the reply! You know, it is funny because on a lot of my posts of work like this I post... I always say I would do things differently if I had the chance to do it over, or if I did another... because I feel there can always be room for improvement and really the whole point is to learn from what you do even if you are doing finishing work on a tree, you can always improve...

But, to be honest, I think you are the first who has read any of these posts, that ever asked what it is I would do different. Kinda sad when you think of it...

Anyways... Yes, right off the bat, the technique is all to appearant. Why, would really have a lot to do with the uniformity of the placement of the split and bent trunks. I mean, almost never in nature would trees have such conformity... that is to say you would never find them running parallel to one another as much as they do in this tree.

What caused this to happen, really has to do with not splitting the trunks all the way up. I would change this from the start. A lot of the decision at the time to keep them attached at the top had to do with having a couple of main branches there, and mostly my lack of understanding at that time to be able to separate the two successfully without the loss of one. I have learned a great deal since and would now be able to successfully accomplish this.

Now, why I am saying this, is that with the split being attached at the top... it greatly hindered not only the placement of wire, but also the range of movement. So, really I was left with a very narrow distance that I could move one away from the other. Where if they had been separated I could have moved them totally independent of each other and even in opposition directions.

This would if given the appearance of the trunks not being split, but instead really two separate trunks growing with sharis running up the length. There could of also been nice twists and tight bends added and I could of even had them overlapping.

As far as the part that had been sawn... yes this will easily be carved. I was just allowing the tree to really heal and put on plenty of growth to be able to support itself, before work was done.

Id love an update on this one if it is still around? Is work like this limited to a certain time of year? Would you have to do anything differently to split the trunk totally into two and have it survive? Aftercare etc? I have been keen to tray this for ages but havent got around to it yet so any advive would be much appreciated.

 

[M. Frary]

He's not here anymore.

 

[RobertB]

Great thread though

 

[Johnathan]

Great thread. Definitely going to try that wiring in between instead of next to.

 

[M. Frary]

Great thread though

It is.
And Stacy not only can do this styling he also paints excellent scrolls.

 

[Wilson]

It is.
And Stacy not only can do this styling he also paints excellent scrolls.

It is too bad he isn't sharing his projects here anymore, I always admired his work.

 

[M. Frary]

It is too bad he isn't sharing his projects here anymore, I always admired his work.

He will be back.
He always comes back after he gets run off of here.