AusBonsai

Is there a special technique when wiring sticky wattle. I have to young trees both snapped. They appear to be very brittle.

No special Technique nut you just have to be real careful and no bend much
The other possibility is to wire when very young before they lignify and become brittle ( Cage wire the young branches and slowly bend)

Or just use clip and grow

Ken

A couple of things that can help when bending:
Bend before the branch/trunk gets hard.
Let trees dry out a bit before bending - well watered plants have cells full of water. As the plant dries out the cells contract and make it more flexible.
Bend slowly. Fibres and cells start to relax after bending so it is possible to bend even further the next day so we can get more bend if we do a little each day.
Wrap the trunk/branch with fibre (raffia is traditional) that holds fibres in place. Even if the wood fractures it will still heal up and look normal after.

I've found Acacia howittii fairly flexible when young but older wood can become brittle. Definitely try to bend early but try some of the above with older wood.

Thanks for the advice. I had not long watered them, so could be the problem.

Hi Mark,
I can't help wondering why you want to wire your Acacia howittii, when they grow in a beautiful weeping style naturally. Just give them time and prune very carefully, selecting the branches in such a way that they don't form a thick cushion around the trunk. And remember: early morning sun is best. Never full sun! The wattle shown here has been growing in full shade for several years. Careful not to overwater; fertilise twice twice in he growing season.

Lisa