"Eye-Poking" Branches?

Hi everyone,


This is a small Willow Leaf of mine. I defoliated it last night to get a good look at the branch structure and was giving a thought to one of the "eye-poking" branches. It comes out directly at the viewer. If I recall, those are considered a no-no, right? I was considering shortening the branch to the point of where it's no longer coming toward the viewer.

Here's the tree:


When viewing the tree from the side you can see the branch:


Should I just not even bother about shortening that branch?

Any other comments about the tree are welcome.

Don't bother cutting it Ryan.

The first picture I think is better as front, making the poking branch a side branch. just let it grow longer to catch up with the size of the second branch.

On your selected front(second pic) The nebari has less balance than the first pic.

regards,
jun


PS.
regarding poking branch as a NO NO...is not always true.

jun wrote:Don't bother cutting it Ryan.

The first picture I think is better as front, making the poking branch a side branch. just let it grow longer to catch up with the size of the second branch.

On your selected front(second pic) The nebari has less balance than the first pic.

regards,
jun


PS.
regarding poking branch as a NO NO...is not always true.

Thanks Jun!

The first picture is actually my selected front, the second one is just the view from the side.

It's interesting how you say that poking branches aren't always a no no, I'll keep that in mind.

I thought you were referring to the right side second branch on your first pic as the poking branch. If that is not the case then there is no poking branch at all.

If you are referring on the secondary branch of your first branch on the right side. just cut it then. It wont matter as it won't affect your over all design.

regards,
jun

jun wrote:I thought you were referring to the right side second branch on your first pic as the poking branch. If that is not the case then there is no poking branch at all.

If you are referring on the secondary branch of your first branch on the right side. just cut it then. It wont matter as it won't affect your over all design.

regards,
jun

Thanks again Jun.

I was actually referring to the first branch on the left, which you'll notice comes toward the viewer (this is the side shot).

If you don't have branches coming to the front it's going to look like a fish backbone. Just keep them short.

Russell Coker wrote:
If you don't have branches coming to the front it's going to look like a fish backbone. Just keep them short.

Good point, thanks Russell.

I'm considering removing the two lower smaller branches on the right section of the trunk:

[quote="Ryan"]Hi everyone,


This is a small Willow Leaf of mine. I defoliated it last night to get a good look at the branch structure and was giving a thought to one of the "eye-poking" branches. It comes out directly at the viewer. If I recall, those are considered a no-no, right? I was considering shortening the branch to the point of where it's no longer coming toward the viewer.

Hi Ryan
Branches comming directly to the viewer....or better in a light angle, is not a no-no....It is just considered pretty, if the viewer can enjoy the low part of the trunk a while, before it dissapears into the crown.

Have you thought about making a layering on the trunk, right above the ugly scar, ower the lowest branch....this scar will stay forever....I am sure a another tree, can be made out of the rest, if it is placed in a slightly diffrent angle.

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:
Hi Ryan
Branches comming directly to the viewer....or better in a light angle, is not a no-no....It is just considered pretty, if the viewer can enjoy the low part of the trunk a while, before it dissapears into the crown.

Have you thought about making a layering on the trunk, right above the ugly scar, ower the lowest branch....this scar will stay forever....I am sure a another tree, can be made out of the rest, if it is placed in a slightly diffrent angle.

Kind regards Yvonne

Thank you Yvonne. I have not thought about layering, and it doesn't really interest me. I know the scar will stay, but I'm pretty fine with it. The tree as a whole fits better than two smaller trees, in my opinion.

jun wrote:regarding poking branch as a NO NO...is not always true.

Actually, there is a fine line between it and the "open arm"/"embrace" that is ideal. You can easily modify that branch to convey the later.

I also remember Noelanders (w/ Ryan Neil) using the strip tease analogy...it is nice to keep something a bit covered (trunk or branch with foliage in our case).

About the scar, it can be erased with little work and some time. Brush (copper) or scrape the area to expose the green, over trim the bulge a bit for ramp/transition effect (w/ sharp exacto knife if possible) then let it grow. You might have to do it twice to get the desired result.

When I think of eye pokers, I think of branches centered on the trunk coming right at you.. The way that branch goes out to the side, then comes forward looks fine, natural. Just a little wire, and maybe loose the twig growing back toward the trunk....

I agree with Judy, that branch is not an eye poker. That first branch does just what it is supposed to do - starts out sideways and then moves forward.

- bob