As promised here is the result of my experiment with the Literai Juniper.

Introduction: This juniper had a fairly straight up trunk until about 12 months ago ( 12 July 2004) when the guy wire was applied to introduce some movement in to the trunkline. The trunk itself has never been trained with coiled wire.

Pic 1: Guy wire intact and under tension
Pic 2: two hours after guy wire was cut (please note that there is no tension on the bottom wire)
Pic 3: both pictures superimposed to show movement

Result:
The trunk did move quite a bit. This did not however happen instantly but slowly over a period of one hour. (I waited another hour before taking the photograph to be sure no further movement took place). It did not return to the completly to the straight up position.
The bend in the botom third held better than the bend in the top third.

Conclusion:

Further questions to be answered:
Was 12 months long enough to set the trunk?
Would the same happened if the trunk had been shaped with coiled wire?

Only one thing to do- I will wire the trunk in July and repeat the experiment in another 12 months
Someone remind me please!!

Regards

Mike

Attached Images

	Literai guy wired post_bt.jpg (15.3 KB, 49 views)
	Literai guy wire cut post_bt.jpg (14.7 KB, 47 views)
	Literati superimposed post_bt.jpg (13.4 KB, 54 views)

Nice.

You are correct in the thought that you now have to wire the tree as normal to test it against the guy wire. However the results will still be a little off as the trunk has been bent and held once already.


Will

If this is any further proof of the usefulness:

I pruned the contorted filbert in my Mom's yard last year and used stakes and twine to raise some of the branches to give it a better shape. After around 9 months, the stakes and twine were removed, and the branches held their new place for hte most part.

Even though this is landscaping and not bonsai, I think it still applies.

FWIW,
pootsie