baby bending branches

As I was responding to another thread (here), I was thinking of bending young branches. I am actuallly trying to put together an article on this, but would like to hear your ideas on the matter too:

For species that are brittle when older, that scar easily, or just to get extreme bends in branches, I have been contemplating that wiring might be easiest/best on the young growth. I think the method has been coined 'baby bending', although I have not really found a lot of info on it. The idea is that you wire the branches before they go woody; First you let the tree go dry a little to reduce cell-pressure (Naturally, choose a nice cloudy period or keep your plant from intense sun/wind in this period!). Then you lightly wire the young sprouts. These can be set in place. Water the plant. And after a few weeks the branches have set due to the natural wood forming in the branches. You let the plant go dry in order to avoid snapping of the young twigs.

Of course, this is also not ideal, as you are playing with your trees' health. But I did a few trials last year and they branches set in record time, and no scarring.

What are your experiences with this ?

Hello Leatherback.
Not all young shoots will allow wiring, they tent to die, for instance acer.
But airwiring is performed, this means wiring very loosly, only to support the shoot a little in a wanted direction.
Sunip

sunip wrote:Hello Leatherback.
Not all young shoots will allow wiring, they tent to die, for instance acer.
But airwiring is performed, this means wiring very loosly, only to support the shoot a little in a wanted direction.
Sunip

yes, the few times i do this, i always airwire 'young branches' or branchlets, like described. With trees in training I dont see any real merit in wiring with more extreme curves on very young branchlets. Only with more mature trees in pot of which these branchlets are secondary but more likely tertiary branches (probably what you are talking about).

Also, I have got similar results with extreme rapid 'settling' of branches, with usual wiring techniques or airwiring. It certainly depends much on the species, and if you time it right, you could always get fast results (weeks). I'm talking about deciduous species, natives species for my region/climate (like acer campestre, ulmus minor, sorbus aucuparia...). And that timing would be for most mid to late spring when wooding of new shoots/branchlets starts.

But, it would be interesting to hear with what species you tried it, at which stage of developing and such. Please document your article with this pls (and include pics?)

Will Hiltz is the expert in this. See his tutorial here:
http://www.bonsaisite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24581