Creating an arch from two trees

[Keith Williams]

Had a query from a friend who wants to join two young oak trees to form an arch - anyone know of a way to join the branches of two trees for this purpose?

His mail "I want to join two oak trees together to form an arch.

Any ideas how to do it.

Two oak trees planted by squirrels are now about 2m high - I trim them to keep the lateral branches 200-300mm - about 9 inches or so.

I have left the central leader continue to grow another metre or so.

If I bend them both together they touch and overlap.

How can I weave, plait, join, connect, them together..."

[Binz]

Hi

suggest he does a search for 'pleaching'. There is reference to pleaching evergreen oaks but not deciduous oaks, see http://www.majestictrees.co.uk/images/stories/press/GDJ70_pg34_36.pdf

of course you dont have to limit it to arches, see http://www.pooktre.com/

[woodbodger]

I think if you actually split one branch you could actually feed the other branch through it and they would grow together I have seen it done with Ash trees.

[carlight]

"how to grow a chair the art of tree trunk topiary "

by richard reames and barbara delbol

arborsmith studios williams oregon

isbn 0-9647280-0-1