I wanted to share a project tree from yesterday. It isn't really a great specimen for bonsai from a traditional perspective. It's a very large tree, probably about 44+ inches across, and it's lacking a great deal of girth for all that size. Though Daniel didn't discount the notion of a cascading bunjin when I suggested it. I believe this tree has enough presence, and distinctive movement to pull it off exceptionally well. It was only collected this spring in Wyoming, and the pot it's in is by no means it's preferred pot.
The main branch of foliage which appears to be in the front is actually a branch crossing over the main line of the trunk from the back. Daniel wanted to move it a good deal to the left.
While moving large branches is a common enough occurrence in the garden, it was his method in this case, that I felt would be beneficial for others who may have never tried such a move.
The problem with moving this large branch was it's size and it's desired location. With the tree hanging out of the pot so far to one side, there was nothing to anchor the branch into the new location. So Daniel rigged a brace on to the main trunk to give him a place to anchor the branch to.
He took a section of broom stick about 16 inches long and secured it to the underside of the trunk.
He had cut a notch into the end of the stick to hold the wire still on the end of the brace. (In this photo you can get a sense of just how large a branch was being moved, and also it's original position of crossing straight over the top of the trunk.)
Ponderosa Pine is a very flexible tree... so moving it into it's basic position was not a great challenge. (Though to hear Daniel belly-ache about having to hold it while I tied it in... you'd think it was a Herculean effort... :p )
Then he decided to lift that branch in it's new position, as it would free up the full view of the trunk line.
To hold it in this second position, Daniel made a strut to support the branch. He cut a "v" notch into the wood stake and cradled the branch in that. Due to the size and pressure of what we were working with, there was no need to additionally secure the strut. It isn't going anywhere...
One more guy wire was used to turn the moved branch back just a little. And the initial rearranging of this tree was complete.
I think the important thing here is to think creatively about how we approach something problematic.... I'm sure there's some very fancy machinery someone has designed to deal with this kind of issue... but I tell you... a little scrap wood and a bit of wire... and this is what we had.....
Now isn't that something?
Kindest regards,
Victrinia