Pinus contorta var murrayana progression

[Vance Wood]

If I’m seeing it correctly in the photos, you could have taken a much wider angle on the wedge cut, thus decreasing the fulcrum that caused the tearing on the back side. Here are some shots of a ponderosa that I bent last year with a wedge cut, no rebar required. The major bend was easy. Then I held it down with a guy wire and shaped it further with 4 gauge. There were minor splits on the back side that I sealed with cut paste. Didn’t seem to slow things down.
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Are you growing this tree in the shade? The needles seem way too long for a Shore Pine/Lodge Pole Pine.

 

[PiñonJ]

Are you growing this tree in the shade? The needles seem way too long for a Shore Pine/Lodge Pole Pine.

This is not the OP’s tree. It’s my ponderosa.

 

[parhamr]

Here are some shots of a ponderosa

That’s a smaller and younger section of wood. What I bent was barked up and more than 2" in diameter.

 

[Vance Wood]

This is not the OP’s tree. It’s my ponderosa.

Sorry about that, this is what happens when you mix threads without pointing out the changes. Sorry about that.

 

[PiñonJ]

That’s a smaller and younger section of wood. What I bent was barked up and more than 2" in diameter.

All the more reason to take a wider angle wedge. Just my $.02.

 

[parhamr]

All the more reason to take a wider angle wedge. Just my $.02.

Thanks for the opinion. That wouldn’t work.

To all: I’m not asking for advice.

 

[bonsaichile]

Thanks for the opinion. That wouldn’t work.

To all: I’m not asking for advice.

Then why post in this forum? A bit petulant, dont you think?

 

[parhamr]

Then why post in this forum? A bit petulant, dont you think?

No.

 

[0soyoung]

Then why post in this forum? A bit petulant, dont you think?

No.

I agree --> not petulant. This is @parhamr's thread documenting the progress of his pine, good/bad. But the lesson is that the wedge should have been deeper (i.e., further through the stem/trunk), not wider. Think about it.

Ah well, the proof of expertise/mastery is in how one recovers from mistakes and/or the unexpected; NOT in never erring. The greats in every line of endeavor screw up all the time.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just for the sake of argument or observation cutting a wedge should be done at the beginning of the growing season when the cambium is very active. You should use a very fine saw and cut more than half way through the width of the trunk so that when the tree is bent back the bend will close up and not leave an opening, or tearing the outside of the bend practically killing the branch or trunk. If you do this early enough in the year it should be closed up by fall.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Then why post in this forum? A bit petulant, dont you think?

Just posting does not mean asking other opinion to change ones design or work.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just posting does not mean asking other opinion to change ones design or work.

That's correct but posting on a public forum like this one invites comments and sometimes suggestions. You may not like either but you cannot say you didn't ask for it. The only way you could have not asked for what you got was to not have posted in the first place.

 

[parhamr]

@Vance Wood please stop.

 

[Potawatomi13]

That's correct but posting on a public forum like this one invites comments and sometimes suggestions. You may not like either but you cannot say you didn't ask for it. The only way you could have not asked for what you got was to not have posted in the first place.

In your personal opinion. Otherwise Baloney!

 

[Myka]

Very cool thread (aside from the civilian politics)! Thanks for sharing! I have Lodgepole Pine collecting in my near future so I am paying close attention!

 

[parhamr]

The tree survived and then some. It has been putting on so much tissue that leaving the wire and wraps in place for longer would have caused for damage that’s difficult to heal. It’s fully unwired to relax for a bit.

Here’s an overview of the bend: (that bulge at left is gross but I’m confident it’ll soon look fine)


Here are detail shots of the wound. The red line is where I made the cut and the magenta line is another depression from the bindings I fixed to the tree.


Next season I’m planning to bind it up again, likely with raffia, 4-gauge wire, wood screws, and guy wires to tighten up the bends and to hold it into place while the next layer of tissue builds.

 

[parhamr]

I’m planning to repot this tree around the summer solstice. Today I thinned it out by plucking crotch needles, removing unwanted buds, trimming back to interior growths, and removing branches where there were too many. Its trunk is now just over 2" diameter.

Before:


After:


Here’s the sort of excessively strong growths I’ve removed:


Last year I think I really started to figure out the right growth culture—full day sun with just enough water. It gave me some amazingly small needles:


Now I need to continue prophylactic control of fungal infections. I think I’ve nearly won the war against dwarf mistletoe in my yard… which took only three years

 

[Tycoss]

Cool trunk line. I’ve seen similar ones in the Canadian Rockies near cliffs. It’s good to see it heal so well, as I have several lodgepoles recovering from collecting in my yard.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Looking very healthy. Curious where you're headed?

 

[parhamr]

Looking very healthy. Curious where you're headed?

This is still the long term target. I think I have the plan to get there.