Part One - The Problem

The tree I was having difficulty with is an Eastern White Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) about 75 centimeters (30 inches) tall, collected from a floating log at the end of a northern Ontario lake. My rationale for collecting it was a) it was naturally hollow up one side, and therefore interesting, and b) it wasn't likely to survive long where it was. Given those two very sound reasons, I brought it home for study. To my chagrin, I found on closer inspection that it contains several faults which presented considerable design problems. The curvature of the trunk bulges the wrong way; its root system is somewhat puny, and doesn't suggest a good front; there aren't a large number of strategically placed branches to choose from; - all in all, it's something of a lemon.

Given that challenge, I have attempted a few solutions. (Cedars are pretty tough and forgiving, if you don't expect too much.) During this process, I reduced the height of the tree by 15 centimeters or so by removing some deadwood at the top. In the end, though, I knew I needed expert help, and decided to bring it along to one of our club's summer evening workshops. Several of our members had enjoyed the recent MABA convention in Detroit, and Mr. Kimura's demonstrations of raffia techniques had excited the crowd. Surely I could benefit from their new-found knowledge.

At the outset, I must thank my colleagues for their forbearance. From the moment they first saw my tree, I didn't hear one snicker.

Part Two - The Proposal

My first ideas rested on selecting a new front, allowing the trunk to sweep backward and then bow to the viewer. By twisting the trunk (my original hopes for the raffia), I hoped to re-align the branches to echo the trunk's curve, and show some of the hollow along the trunk's back side. This was soundly rejected by the members, as there were too many engineering problems associated with this. They soon got into the challenge we circled the tree for some time looking for alternatives. Then someone (Bob Wilcox, I believe) suggested that the upward-angled top branch was competing with the natural apex. Wouldn't it be a good idea to split the trunk and bend part of it down into a bottom branch?

All eyes turned to me. It was my tree, after all. I had already sacrificed the cedar, in my own mind, and I decided to commit it to the realm of Discovery.

Part Three - the Split

The first item required was a pair of root splitters. These were soon supplied by John Biel, our host. With the help of Dick Morton and Bob, I determined the angle of the cut - with consideration to the natural line of the wood - at the fork between the two branches. Proceeding along the split, I extended it down approximately 10 centimeters (4 inches) down the trunk. The onlookers began to hover like hungry vultures around the surgery, delighted that someone ELSE'S tree was at stake.

Part Four - the Wrapping

The next step was to cut several strands of pre-soaked raffia to begin the wrapping process. This had been purchased in 90 cm lengths at the craft store. The wrapping of raffia around the branch is intended to firmly grip the cambium and hold it closely to the wood. There was a problem, however. Normally, a bend should pull the bark into the wood, maintaining good contact. The inward bend we were attempting would push the cambium layer away from the wood, creating a "bubble" effect as the two separated. in this case, the wrapping would have to be extra tight. Of course, it would tighten more as it dried.

Because the branch is only about 2 centimeters thick, extra lengths of wire, normally laid along the branch's length, were not incorporated into the procedure. As it was, Dick held the branches apart while I slid the raffia as far as possible into the base of the split, leaving 5 centimeters extra at the end. This was absorbed by the wrapping process as we continued up the branch. A second length of raffia was added as we progressed. When the entire branch was enveloped, the excess was trimmed off.

Part Five - The Wiring and Bending

Next, John helped me with the wiring. Two lengths of 2.5 mm wire were applied from well below the cut to the very tip of the branch. We were careful to ensure that the wire supported the bottom of the branch just at the bend. This included unwrapping and re-doing the wire for the best result. Later, I would add a "tie down" wire to help hold the branch in place.

Finally, Bob stepped up for the coup de grace, and pried the limb downward into place. One or two subtle cracks evoked a wince or two from most of us.

Part Six - Aftercare

From there, we adjusted the other branches into place, and discussed the cedar's after-care over some bottles of anaesthetic. Over the rest of the summer, I will need to mist the foliage regularly and apply lime sulphur to the wound to avoid rot. The wire and raffia will need to remain on the branch for a year or two. John suggests that eventually the raffia breaks down and disappears. The hollow trunk will remain invisible from the new front. The roots are small enough to be manipulated into better placement. The new branch echo's the trunk's natural line, while the smaller branches pull the line into a stronger dynamic sweep up to the apex. Consistent pinching of the foliage will reduce it to a more suitable scale with the rest of the tree.Ý

My thanks go to all who helped me with their advice and participation. Dick Morton, for his steady hands and patient guidance; John Biel, for his tools and recommendations; Reiner Goebel, for his expert and unobtrusive photography; and Bob Wilcox for his support and step-by-step instruction.

...Wisely, Bob decided to wait until after the whole operation before telling me he had never done this stuff before!

The image on the left shows us what the cedar looked like at the end of the evening. The image on the right represents what the tree will hopefully look like in a couple of years from now.