66 - EspritBonsaiInternational #101� Spotlight
on Conifers
Splitting branches
Once the bending was completed, all we
needed to do at this stage was to hone
the ends of the deadwood and to bring
the trunk’s branches closer so that the
foliage matched the deadwood to give
the impression of a single tree. Some
branches that were too long or too large
to be bent were split in two – following
the line of the trunk’s length – to enable
them to move in harmony with the trunk,
and so that the clouds of foliage were
not too far from the main structure.
This was done by splitting the wood in
two with a branch splitter. We smeared
the dry part with healing paste, and
then wrapped the two parts with
flexible tape to protect them from
the extreme Taiwanese humidity.C The front of the tree chosen for work
with a slight change from the initial angle.E Detail of the base and
the tear in the wood forced
by the heavy bending.F Detail of the base and the tear in
the wood forced by the heavy bending.G The central loop of
the deadwood will be the
focal point of the tree.H The tree
after it being
shaped.A The back branches are split in B Detail of the split branch.
two in order to move them more
easily.D The tree’s crown before being shaped.