Tree Shaping - Common Techniques

Common Techniques

Grafting

Grafting is a common technique used by all the different methods. Grafting exploits the natural biological process of inosculation. Grafting is where a branch or plant is cut and a piece of another plant is added and held in place. There are various types of grafting, in all types the idea is to encourage the tissues of one plant to fuse with those of another.

Grafting is applied to create permanent connections and joins. In some cases the trees are grafted while they are growing in others the mature trees may be intertwining and then grafting together the stems of two or more trees in order to create chairs, ladders, and other fanciful sculptures.

Framing

Framing may be used for various purposes and might consist of any one or a combination of several materials, such as timber, steel, tubes made of hollow out trees, complex wire designs, wooden jigs, or the tree itself living or dead.It can be used in many project designs to support grafted joints until the grafts are well-established. Some process might employ framing to hold a shape created by bending or fletching mature trees until the tissues have overcome their resistance to the initial bending and grown enough annual rings to cast the design permanently. Others might use framing to support and shape the growth of young saplings until they are strong enough to maintain an intended shape without support. Still other approaches might employ frames to guide the roots of aeroponically grown trees into desired shapes.

Pruning

Pruning can be used to balance a design by controlling and directing growth into a desired shape. Pruning above a leaf node can steer plant growth in the direction of the natural placement of that leaf bud. Pruning may also be used to keep a design free of unwanted branches and to reduce canopy size. Pruning is sometimes the only technique used to craft a project. Deciduous trees are mainly pruned in winter, while they are dormant above-ground, although sometimes it is necessary to prune them during the growing season. Trees repeatedly subjected to hard pruning may experience stunted growth, and some trees may not survive this treatment.