Other tree training techniques: spreading, bending, notching, girdling, etc

In exploring ways to festoon (train) an older, larger branch, I found this thread from growingfruit.org:
Other tree training techniques: spreading, bending, notching, girdling, etc

There are links to a couple of threads that discus hinge cutting.
It is not really like  this kind of Hinge Cutting.
The cuts are made on the inside of the bend , they are generally more of them and they are not as deep.
I like it, as a way to avoid topping a tree , yet still training it into a useful form.


There are other links , the notching is very interesting to me, as a way to promote or suppress the growth of a branch or bud.

Skillcult explores this in a series of videos, I've watched this one :



All in all, I'm excited to try some new techniques that will help my trees stay useful to me.

I've used spreading and bending with some good results.

Notching and girdling make me nervous. Creating open wounds on these techniques seem like they may encourage infection and disease issues and also weaken the tree.

I barely use spreading, bending, or other training anymore, and have had the best results recently just letting the tree grow. Sometimes when I try to do too much, it causes other problems.

Here's a technique for training very young trees using wires.
Note, the wire is bent into a hook but that hook is not closed into a loop.
This is to avoid girdling.

I needed some happiness so I started the process of "festooning" this pear tree.
It has grown into a very distorted form because of the mulberry and box elder that used to loom over head.

Those trees have been pollarded.
They may or may not survive, but either way, it's OK.

After bending and tying down most of the limbs I came to the center leader.
Using a ratchet strap and a rope I ed as far as I could in the direction I preferred.
I cut into the trunk at a point below and opposite where the rope was applying pressure.
The tree cracked at an angle of about 20 degrees.
I cut a few more relief cuts, including a notch on the inside of the bend.

When I moved on to festooning the last vertical limb, that limb cracked and leader I had just hinged broke off clean.

I then switched over to making cuttings.
I have a few huge 3" diameter cuttings,  about 12  one inch diameter cuttings and around sixty cuttings that are  1/2" or smaller.
With a few  exceptions they are all in sub irrigated planters.