Trunk splitting for bending

[lennard]

This one was done by drilling a hole in the middel of the trunk and removing a 30 degree piece/notch?

notch1.jpg

notch 2.jpg

Lennard

[Makkanan]

Nearly a year ago I watched several demonstrations and participated in a group workshop by Mr Song from China.
He was very keen to use this method on junipers but strongly advised that other methods be used for different species.
Took a while to find but I recently purchased splitters. I recommend that you get a big pair as it is usually a thick trunk which requires this technique and the tool must open wide enough to fit the trunk.
It was only a few days ago when I used this method on a juniper squamata, bending was really easy and I expect little or no scarring.
1- Split the trunk where you wish to bend.
2- Flex the trunk to loosen fibrous tissues
3- Apply cut paste
4- Apply raffia (Mr Song likes to use string)
5- Wire and bend

Hi I don't remember him applying cut paste. Did he use the tube or putty type?

Grant

I don't recall Mr. Song using cut paste along the whole wound area....he did though use some putty sparingly.... I asked Simon (Mr. Song's translator) about this and the reply was that the paste might in fact hinder the healing. I'm not sure about that one... it makes sense but there's a juggle between healing the wound and protecting from infection. I then asked what he would think about using grafting mastik to perhaps achieve both ends, but the response was a bit ambiguous.... (any thought/experience from out there on this?) By the way, the tree Mr. Song worked on during his visit to the Yarra Valley Club has since 'gone to God.'

[Gerard]

I was not at the Yarra Valley demo, but at BSV and also the group workshop at Simon's nursery where cut paste was used on the entire length of the split