I began the training of this tree by planting it in a wooden grow box on June 24, 2004 [not a recommended re-pot time unless you have experience reading the species you are working with]...Photo #37903 & #37904 show the front and back respectively of the tree...My desire was to remove as little as possible of the existing trunks, branches, and foliage, due to the slow development of wood on the species, to achieve the styling in a minimum number of years...
The best method I have found for bending trunks and branches on boxwoods is to begin with guy wires and bend them in the direction you desire for them to go...The wood grow box is especially well suited for this...I have even used turn buckles fastened to the sides of the grow box with drill screws and slowly pull large [over 1 inch diameter] branches down over a couple seasons...I have found best results are obtained by putting guy wires on in late spring after the initial growth push, and do not remove them until next spring when new growth starts...After the new growth slows the following spring, I redo the guy wires if needed...With this particular tree I did rush this process somewhat by removing the guy wires for a couple weeks, and then redoing them in the same growing season...But of course again, “it’s about time”...
Regards
Behr
__________________
As the Master departed the workshop,
he could have sworn he heard some
one saying rather loudly...
"I thought he would never leave"
San Antonio Bonsai Society, Inc.