Sooo, can you bend a native?? Apparently so

[Josh]

After reading Bodhidharma's post on a "radical approach to an ugly Cedar", and the comments relating to can that process work on a native species I decided to give it a go. I had a callistamon (swamp paperbark I believe) that had a fairly straight trunk. It had re shot well on the top and a few shoots down the trunk. I removed the shoots on the trunk so I could groove out the trunk and wrap it totally. The trunk is about 53mm at the base and 34mm just below where the two braches fork.

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I will now let it sit for about a week and then put a new turn bukle on it and try getting some more out it.
The question is....How much more will I get out of it? and.....How much further am I game to go

Josh
Will keep you updated as I do more. I was happy with this so far though. Maybe there is hope to bending thick native branches and trunks.
Any bets on how far I will get this to bend?????

[MattA]

Hey Josh,
Great work, as you have discovered, with a bit of care preparation you can bend a native. I reckon you can get a fair bit of movement into that especially as you are going slowly doing a bit at a time. Look forward to seeing where you end up

[kcpoole]

Nice effort and description Josh and i also think you will get much more bend in there.

Ken

[bodhidharma]

We are all watching Josh It will be of interest to see how far it will go. Be brave and continue on.

[Josh]

Thanks guys, I ran out of room in the turn buckle and for the life of me can't find the 2 spares I have. I will drop into the big green shed and get another and then start cranking big time on it. I'm half tempted to just bend it till it breaks to see how far it will actually go. But I also would like to go slow and see if I can turn this into a wind swept with time and pressure. I have the next 2 days off so some more playinf will happen.

Josh

[Ben10000]

Hi Josh

I found this callistamon captain cook, at a local nursery, initially i used a crappy trunk bender as you can see in the beggining that did absolutely nothing to bend the trunk and serve as an anchor point for bending the top down, then i got bored of seeing the way it was and went all out bending it which was the second photo, then a mate showed me how to use thicker wire which is the result of it's current state, btw i did crack the trunk at a couple of places, but dont think it was severe, so i will let it heal on its own.

[Pup]

Yes you can bend them. My problem is although they are the same family Myrtaceae, the Callistemon and the swamp paperbark ( Melaleuca ) they are different species.

I do like what you are trying though, and will watch this thread, for progression if it does not die.


Cheers Pup

[Josh]

Yes you can bend them. My problem is although they are the same family Myrtaceae, the Callistemon and the swamp paperbark ( Melaleuca ) they are different species.
Cheers Pup

Good pick up there pup. I believe mine is Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia).

[Josh]

Well I changed the turn buckle today and cranked down on it a bit more. There is some serious pressure on it I can tell you. Here is the result.

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I am now looking at my other trees with a glint in my eye

Josh