Restyling a Japanese Black Pine:  Part 2

Doubts Arise

After completing the work shown on the previous page, I was satisfied that it was done well, but concerned that I could bend the upper trunk enough to bring the apex back over the center of the tree. The upright portion of the wrapped trunk springs from a cut to replace the original apex. I was worried that the tree would split. Should I remove the raffia and notch the trunk for a better bend? Or even split the trunk a little, rewind with raffia and wire, and then bend?

Resolution

In the end I decided to go for broke (no pun intended) and bend the tree as it was prepared. I was confident that I had, if anything, overwired the upper portion, so there was no fear that it would hold. I attached a piece of rebar to the top of the tree, wiring it in two places. Unfortunately, there are only the two of us, so no photos were taken during the operation. With my assistant holding the pot in place, and me holding the lower part of the raffia-wrapped trunk, I applied pressure on the rebar and the trunk bent effortlessly into place! There was no groaning, cracking, or any other sign of stress for the tree. I attached a guy wire to the jin to hold the upper trunk in place and to help draw it down further. To pad the guy wire, I used a bit of serpentine automotive belt. The serpentine belt has convenient grooves on the underside that can grip the wire and avoid unfortunate slippage of the wire.

I found one difficulty after bending the trunk. My double wind of #8 wire loosened where I did not expect it to. I supposed this was due to the places I was obliged to use as fulcrums for the rebar lever. It seems not to have had adverse effect. So the wiring was effective if not beautiful. We seek before we attain.

Completing the Work

With the trunk repositioned, the only remaining work was to wire the upper branches, moving them in harmony with the rest of the tree. I was happy and excited with the outcome, as the entire tree is far more harmonious. Hopefully, the value has been enhanced. After increasing ramification and density, I will be decandling to reduce needle size. The back branch will be shortened to use the upper buds and ramify closer to the base.

The Results, Before and After

The former front

The new front

After repotting, thinning old needles, late September. Now that the tree is more open, I can certainly see that I need to bring the branches down farther and closer to the trunk. I will rewire this winter.

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