Tree shaping methods

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There are various methods of tree shaping.[1][2] There are strengths and weaknesses to each method as well commendable tree species for each process.[3] Some of these processes are still experimental,[4]: 154 [5] whereas others are still in the research stage.[6] These methods use a variety of horticultural and arboricultural techniques to achieve an intended design. Chairs, tables, living spaces and art may be shaped from growing trees. Some techniques used are unique to a particular practice, whereas other techniques are common to all, though the implementation may be for different reasons.[5] These methods usually start with an idea of the intended outcome. Some practitioners start with detailed drawings[7]: 7  or designs.[8] Other artists start with what the tree already has.[9]: 56–57  Each method has various levels of involvement from the tree shaper.[5][10]

Aeroponic culture[edit]

Chair created using aeroponic root shaping[11]

With Aeroponic culture, the roots of the tree are the main thing shaped by this method.[3] The oldest known living examples of woody plant shaping are the aeroponically cultured living root bridges built by the ancient War-Khasi people of the Cherrapunjee region in India. These are being maintained and further developed today by the people of that region. Aeroponic growing was first formally studied by W. Carter in 1942. Carter researched air culture growing and described "a method of growing plants in water vapor to facilitate examination of roots".[12][5] Later researchers, including L. J Klotz and G. G. Trowel, expanded on his work.[13] In 1957, F. W. Went described "the process of growing plants with air-suspended roots and applying a nutrient mist to the root section", and in it he coined the word 'aeroponics' to describe that process.

In 2008, root researcher and craftsman Ezekiel Golan described and applied for a patent for a process which allows the roots of some aeroponically grown woody plants to lengthen and thicken while still remaining flexible. At lengths of perhaps 6 metres (20 ft) or more, the soft roots can be formed into pre-determined shapes which will continue thickening after the shapes are formed and as they continue to grow.[2][3][11]

Researchers at Plantware Co with Tel Aviv University Professors Yoav Waisel and Amram Eshel realised that "soft roots"[6] when grown aeroponically, stay soft and malleable. Once the roots reach a suitable length to be molded and planted, the roots change and trigger lignification, hardening and thickening.[5][3][14]

Newer techniques and applications, such as eco-architecture, may allow architects to design, grow, and form large permanent structures, such as homes, by shaping aeroponically grown plants and their roots.[6]

Instant tree shaping[edit]

Arborsculpture bench by Richard Reames

Instant tree shaping [3][2][15] is a widely used method.[3] It uses mature trees, perhaps 6–12 ft. (2–3.5 m) long[5][4]: 196  and 3-4in (7.6–10 cm) in trunk diameter.[5][4]: 172  An instantaneous form is created by bending, weaving and sometimes cutting or marking the trees into the desired shape. Then the shaping is held in place till the tree has grown enough annual rings to hold the shape, effectively casting it permanently into place.[5][16][17] Understanding a tree's fluid dynamics is important to achieving the desired result.[1][9]: 69 

Bending is used to achieve a design.[5][9] If the trees are bent at too sharp an angle it may break, which can be mostly avoided by un-localizing the pressure. This is achieved by making small bends or even cuts along the underside of the curve on the tree. The level of resistance depends on the speed of the tree's growth.[5] Bends are then held in place for several years until their form is permanently cast.[5][9]: 80  The tree's rate of growth determines the time necessary to overcome its resistance to the initial bending.[4]: 178  The work of bending and securing in this way might be accomplished in an hour or perhaps in an afternoon depending on the design.[15] Ring barking sometimes called girdling can be employed to help balance a design by slowing the growth of too-vigorous branches or stopping the growth of inopportunely placed branches, using different degrees of ring barking, from simple scoring to complete removal of a 3/8"-wide (1 cm) band of bark.[5][9]: 57, 69  This is a way to stop the tree from overgrowing a part or parts of the design, providing balance.[5] Creasing is folding trees such as willow and poplar over upon themselves, creating a right angle. This method is more radical than bending.[5][4]: 80 

With this method it is possible to perform initial bending and grafting on a project in an hour, as with Peace in Cherry by Richard Reames,[4]: 193 [9]: 56–57  removing supports in as little as a year and following up with minimal pruning thereafter.[18] Though easy to do, the drawbacks to this method are many;[3] for example, the tree's response to the efforts of the practitioner is difficult to forecast.[3]

In 1977 David Nash created the Ash Dome with 22 ash saplings, forming a 30 ft ring in diameter. By cutting V-shaped notches into the trunk of the ash trees in the direction of the bending, the trees folded over into the bend. The dome is expected to have a 200 year lifespan.[5] In 1998 Marcel Kalberer and Sanfte Strukuren and their team built The Auerworld Palace in less than 1 month.[3] Weaving together living willows saplings to create the structural supports. Over time the entire palace is covered with the new growth of the willows.[5] In private gardens, public spaces and in schools more than 10,000 living willow constructions have been erected in Germany.[3]

Gradual tree shaping[edit]

"Grownup furniture" by Chris Cattle

Gradual tree shaping as popularized by Pooktre starts with planning out[3] the designing and framing.[15][19][20][21] These are fundamental to the success of the piece.[20][21] The designing stage can take hours to complete.[8]

Once these are set up, young seedlings or saplings[7]: 4 [5] 3–12 in. (7.6–30.5 cm) long[20][21] are planted. The training starts with young seedlings, saplings or the stems of trees when they are very young,[7]: 4  which are gradually shaped while the tree is growing to form the desired shape.[22][3] There is a small area just behind the growing tip that forms the final shape.[19] [23] The shaping zone,[19][23] it is the shaping of this area requires day to day or weekly guiding of the new growth.This is best done in the spring and summer months.[24] The growth is guided along predetermined design pathways; this may be a wooden jig[22][5] or complex wire design that can be accurate almost to the millimetere.[8][5] To achieve the chosen shape a deep understanding of the tree's growth patterns is necessary.[25]

With this method the time frame is longer than the other methods but predictable.[3] A chair design might take 8 to 10 years to reach maturity[26][21] Some of Axel Erlandson's trees took as long as 40 years to assume their finished shapes.[27] Given the amount of hands-on throughout this process the designer has a large amount of control, which would give maximum potential with architecture.[5]

Common techniques[edit]

Framing[edit]

Framing may be used for various purposes and might consist of any one or a combination of several materials, such as timber, steel, hollowed out trees,[28][5] complex wire designs,[8][5] wooden jigs,[22][5] or the tree itself, living[5][4]: 178  or dead.[29]: 58  It can be used in many project designs to support grafted joints until the grafts are well-established. Some processes 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.[5][4] Others might use framing to support and shape the growth of young saplings[23][30] until they are strong enough to maintain an intended shape without support.[5][23] Aeroponic roots can be held in place with frames to form desired shapes.[5]

An architecture example of framing that becomes part of the installation is Cathedral of Hornbeams. The growth of 80 young hornbeams trees is guided by the framing creating living columns. 1 meter in diameter and 12 meters high. The plan is once the wooden framing rots it becomes mulch for the living trees. Given the size of the trees the finished cathedral is expected to be 12 meters high, 80 meters by 8.7 meters.[5]

Grafting[edit]

Grafting is a commonly employed technique that exploits the natural biological process of inosculation.[5] A branch or plant is cut and a piece of another plant is added and held in place. Various types of grafting all share the goal of encouraging the tissues of one plant to fuse with those of another.

Grafting is applied to create permanent connections and joints. In some cases, trees are grafted while they are growing,[31] while in other cases, mature trees may be intertwined and the stems of two or more trees are then grafted together to create chairs, ladders, and other fanciful sculptures.[32]

Pruning[edit]

Pruning can be used to balance a design by controlling and directing growth into a desired shape.[23][29]: 70 [30] Pruning above a leaf node can steer plant growth in the direction of the natural placement of that leaf bud.[5][4] Pruning may also be used to keep a design free of unwanted branches and to reduce canopy size.[23][30] Pruning is sometimes the only technique used to craft a project. Deciduous trees are mainly pruned in winter,[29]: 137  repeated over pruning of tree may stunt a tree or even kill it.[5]

Timing[edit]

Using time as part of the construction is intrinsical to achieving this art form.[33]

Designing[edit]

The practitioners across this field have different approaches to how they design. From free form[9] to very detailed drawings[7]: 7  or designs.[8] Designs can incorporate inclusions, can be for either structural reasons or for aesthetic.[5] Some projects are for indoors and others outdoors or both.[6]

Tree shaping projects are usually designed with an idea of whether they are going to remain living or going to be a harvested piece.

  • One approach is for the harvested piece to be grown outside and once harvested it will be put to use as an interior object.[34][2] A harvest piece will be dried and sometimes carved.[35]
  • Ezekiel Golan and Yale Stav use Aeroponic culture for their Ficus roots to create interior shaped forms for indoor use which are to remain growing while inside the home.[34]
  • Another design angle is to allow the trees of a project to mature in outside landscape and to remain living. Axel Erlandson and many others use this design style for their art.[34]

Tools[edit]

Bonsai tools can also be used

Various materials and tools may be used for creating, shaping, or molding a tree project. For example:- A wire frame can be created with fencing wire and tape[8] or a metal patio bench could be used as a design pattern. Lumber, pipe, rope, wire, string, yarn, twine, wire rope, rocks, sandbags, or other weighting objects, tape, and any number of other materials might be useful in effecting the design outcome. Some of the same tools that arborists, bonsai artists, gardeners, and other horticulturists use, are useful here as well, including hand pruners (secateurs), pruning knives, saws, and shovels for planting.[5] Shears and hedge trimmers are used less commonly, being perhaps better suited for establishment and foliage maintenance of topiary or sheared hedges.

Tree Species[edit]

Woven Ficus-benjaminа

Tree shapers when looking for a new tree species to try generally look for trees that grow well in the area, are less prone to insect damage, and are less susceptible to disease.[5] Given grafting and the trees ability of inosculation form a fundamental technique, trees that graft well are preferred in construction style projects. The region dictates which trees are primary of interest due to the geography and climate. The trees' traits like lifespan and adaptability are useful to understand.[5] Any tree species has the potential for shaping. Each type of tree has its own quirks, but they can be understood with time and experience.[15]

Fullgrown, is currently working with ash, sycamore, hazel, sessile omarkak, red oak, crab apple and the common osier willow used for basketwork. Experimentation has shown that, surprisingly, oak in its early Test pieces to try out finished shaping Successful early grafting experiment of young shoots Growing timber for furniture growth can produce as quickly as the willow. That is, a chair in 4–5 years. Gavin finds the best contender is sycamore.

Some of the trees that have been shaped include:

Ash trees deal well with pollution and wind. They remain healthy in urban context, so are ideal when creating constructions with them.[5]
Gavin Munro of Full Grown has found that Sycamore is working best for his shaping projects as it seems to be the most useful and prolific.[24]
At Full Grown Remarked oak can grow as quickly as willow. With early grafting it can be very successful for their different projects.[24]

Related tree shaping practices[edit]

  • Bonsai – Japanese art of training plants to mimic miniature versions of large trees
  • Topiary – Horticulture practice to shape trees and shrubs
  • Espalier – Pruning/tying branches to flat structure
  • Pleaching – Interwoven branches to form a hedge, fence or lattice

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Mörður Gunnarsson (2012). "Living Furniture". Cottage and Garden. Iceland. pp. 28–29.
  2. ^ a b c d McKee, Kate (2012), "Living sculpture", Sustainable and water wise gardens, Westview: Universal Wellbeing PTY Limited, pp. 70–73
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Vallas, Thomas; Courard, Luc (September 2017). "Using nature in architecture: Building a living house with mycelium and trees". Frontiers of Architectural Research. 6 (3): 318–328. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2017.05.003.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Richard Reames (2005), Arborsculpture: Solutions for a Small Planet, Oregon: Arborsmith Studios, ISBN 0-9647280-8-7
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj Chithra, K.; Krishnan, K. Amritha (2015). Implementing Campus Greening Initiatives: Approaches, Methods and Perspectives (World Sustainability Series)Chapter Title:BIOTECTURE—A New Framework to Approach Buildings and Structures for Green Campus Design. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. pp. 113–124. ISBN 978-3-319-11960-1.
  6. ^ a b c d "Eco-Architecture Could Produce "Grow Your Own" Homes". American Friends of Tel Aviv University. Archived from the original on 11 December 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Erlandson, Wilma (2001), My father "talked to trees", Westview: Boulder, p. 22, ISBN 0-9708932-0-5
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Volz, Martin (October–November 2008), "A Tree shaper's life." (PDF), Queensland Smart Farmer, archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Richard Reames; Delbol, Barbara (1995), How to Grow a Chair: The Art of Tree Trunk Topiary, Arborsmith Studios, ISBN 0-9647280-0-1
  10. ^ Title Turning young trees into living works of art Date 31 August 2014 Publisher Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka, India) HT Digital Streams Ltd.
  11. ^ a b US "A method of shaping a portion of a woody plant into a desired form is provided. The method is effected by providing a root of a woody plant, shaping the root into the desired form and culturing the root under conditions suitable for secondary thickening of the root." 7328532, Golan, Ezekiel, "Method and a kit for shaping a portion of a woody plant into a desired form", issued 12 February 2008 
  12. ^ Carter, W.A. (1942). A method of growing plants in water vapor to facilitate examination of roots. Phytopathology 732: 623-625.
  13. ^ Stoner, R.J. (1983). Rooting in Air. Greenhouse Grower Vol I No. 11.
  14. ^ Stav, Yael (4 July 2021). "Treenovations: a reliable, flexible tree-shaping method". INVIVO Progressive Sustainability. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Swati Balgi (September 2009), "Live Art" (PDF), Society Interiors Magazine, Prabhadevi, Mumbai: Magna Publishing
  16. ^ Rodkin, Dennis (25 February 1996), "The Gardener", Chicago Tribune Sunday
  17. ^ Oommen, Ansel (15 September 2013), "The Artful Science of Tree Shaping", www.permaculture.co.uk, archived from the original on 12 November 2013, retrieved 19 August 2021
  18. ^ a b c Roger, Fox (December 2012), "Artist tree", Better Homes and Gardens Last, p. 140
  19. ^ a b c Cattle, Christopher. "How to grow your stool". Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Living Trees, Living Art". Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h Davies, David (1 June 1996). "Plant your own furniture. Watch it grow". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Peter Cook; Becky Northey (2012). Knowledge to Grow Shaped Trees. Australia: SharBrin Publishing Ptd Ltd. ISBN 978-1-921571-54-1.
  23. ^ a b c "Thinking like a tree". Good Woodworking. GW 296: 60–63. September 2015.
  24. ^ Title Flux Directed Branched Nanowire Growth via VLS-GLAD Author Allan Leo Beaudry A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Microsystems and Nanodevices Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. University of Alberta Supervised by Dr. Michael Brett Year 2014.
  25. ^ a b c "Artists Shape Trees into Furniture and Art" (PDF), Farm Show Magazine, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 9, June–August 2008
  26. ^ Weston, Sarah (3 October 2006), Axel Erlandson's Tree Circus, Mid-County Post
  27. ^ Yuka Yoneda. "Living Growing Root Bridges Are 100% Natural Architecture". Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  28. ^ a b c Hicks, Ivan; Rosenfeld, Richard; Whitworth, Jo (2007), Tricks with Trees, Pavilion Books, p. 160, ISBN 978-1-86205-734-0
  29. ^ a b c "Going on a 'bender'", The Queensland Times, p. 18, May 2012
  30. ^ Musitelui, Robin (30 May 1995), "Santa Cruz Sentinel Article", Architect rescue famous tree, p. 222
  31. ^ Ken Mudge; Jules Janick; Steven Scofield; Eliezer E. Goldschmidt (2009), Jules Janick (ed.), A History of Grafting (PDF), Issues in New Crops and New Uses, Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plants Products, orig. pub. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 442–443 Note large file: 8.04MB.
  32. ^ Zoë Hendon & Anne Massey (2019). Design, History and Time: New Temporalities in a Digital Age (1st ed.). Great Britain: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. ISBN 978-1-350-06066-1.
  33. ^ a b c Smolina, O. O. (2019). "Variability of approaches to arborsculptures". IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 687 (5). IOP Publishing Ltd: 055035. Bibcode:2019MS&E..687e5035S. doi:10.1088/1757-899X/687/5/055035.
  34. ^ Edmistone, Leanne (25 August 2013). "Dare to be Different". Sunday Mail.
  35. ^ Mack, Daniel (31 December 1996), Making Rustic Furniture: The Tradition, Spirit, and Technique with Dozens of Project Ideas (Illustrated ed.), Lark Books, p. 160, ISBN 1-887374-12-4
  36. ^ "Only Natural Grown Chair". Shawano Leader Newspaper. Wisconsin Historical Society. 19 October 1922. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  37. ^ a b c d e f Ladd, Dan (22 January 2009), Sculpturefest 2008: Daniel Ladd, archived from the original on 2013-04-15, retrieved 7 September 2021
  38. ^ Reddy, Jini (23 January 2010). "Trail of the Unexpected: The root masters of India". Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  39. ^ a b Mark Primack. "Pleaching". The NSW Good Wood Guide. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
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