Joanie

Al, this was a really great article. I was especially interested because I use guy wires on several trees, mostly because they are difficult to wire in the more conventional fashion. (I work mainly with mame and smallish shohin flowering and fruiting trees)

It is still a little hard to wrap my mind around the idea that a branch held in position won't stay that way, if it is guy wired. I thought that it had more to do with stretching the cells on the top, compressing the cells on the bottom, and that they eventually become hard wood and remain in position. The analogy of a strung bow seems reasonable, except that the bow isn't growing, and isn't generally kept in the taut position for a year or more(as you pointed out). So why does it take so much longer for the guy wire to work? I know you explained, but there is something that I am not understanding.....

I tried searching the forum for "tensile" to find the other discussion, but it was a discussion of slanting trees and roots and my little brain couldn't make it translate to wrapping wire vs. guy wire.

Joanie