Page 50 - BSAM 2015 Q1

Top left; David then removes extra deadwood with a root cutter. To create flexibility in the branch, it is necessary to hollow out the wood inside of the branch while leaving the cambium untouched.
Middle to bottom; Heavy gauge wire is used to provide additional support along the length of the hollowed out portion of the branch. Using a drill, David creates a slot big enough for a 7 mm wire.
Separating the Live End
Using a reciprocating saw and jigsaw, David care- fully separated the live end from the deadwood on the trunk. A watchful eye was kept on the protruding side of the blade to ensure that the cut was only made through the deadwood and not through the live end. With the saw, he continued to follow the movement of the live end along the trunk with the saw. He switched between the reciprocating saw and jigsaw as the an- gle on the cut changed. He stopped once he reached the point where he felt the bend could be made with minimal stress to the tree. David then removed extra deadwood with a root cutter. Afterwards, he placed a wedge between the separated live end and the trunk to create space in order to begin hollowing the branch.
Hollowing the Branch
Bending the branch at this point would still be close to impossible. To create flexibility in the branch, it was necessary to hollow out the wood inside of the branch while leaving the cambium untouched. Using a grinder and specialized bit, David began hollowing out the inside of the branch taking care not to hol- low too far as to damage the cambium. By doing so, the branch thickness would be reduced resulting in more flexibility. This would allow him to maneuver the branch more easily.
Although the branch could be bent at this point, David indicated that the branch required additional support to prevent it from breaking. Heavy gauge wire would be used to provide additional support along the length of the hollowed out portion of the branch. Using a drill, David created a slot big enough for a 7 mm wire. A wire was then inserted at the junction of the branch. The wire was then run along the inside of the entire branch. While the wire was secured in place, raffia and grafting tape were both prepared for the next step.
48 | BCI | April/May/June 2015