I based my comment on the temps you noted, but re-reading those are daytime temps so I wasn't accounting for that. If you can keep them ~28ºF or higher, I'd suspect you could get by with it. If you're not sure you can do that, it won't hurt to wait a bit. (Some of my contorted J. procumbens 'Nana' (pronanas) have been subjected to 25ºF since wiring and don't seem to have any ill effect, but you have to choose how comfortable you are.)
Makes sense. We tend to get nasty arctic weather late January - mid February, so I'll wait till the other side of that before doing anything just to be safe. I'll keep thinking of ideas for a design while I wait...
Btw, the photo you had posted was super helpful. Idk if you can read any of the text, but am I seeing it right that all 4 images are of the same plant? If so, would you say the side view image has the front to the left and back to the right?
Wiring creates micro-tears along the branch. Analogies always break down, but its like working out. You cause harm to your muscles before you get the results you're after. Wiring causes damage to the tree which is repaired allowing the branch to hold its position. The physical damage by wiring is what makes wired branches more susceptible to cold damage. Nothing to do with conductivity.
Right on. I think that is a great analogy.
*Edit: Thinking about microtears, should I not be bending the juniper by hand? I've been gauging where I can bend some of the branches to get some ideas on placement but maybe that's not appropriate in the temperature
