Ideal time of year for wiring Larch

[ongunslinger]

What is the best time of year to wire larch? I have a young eastern (american) larch, and I wired the branches down. They stayed about 50-60% down, where I had them, but did bounce back up a bit.
I'm curious about lignification, what exactly is happening and when it's at its peak.

 

[Treelord]

Late autumn is best for wiring , they set over winter and remove just as buds start to swell. Also there is no growth, so there is time for the wire to set without biting in.

 

[defra]

wire in late winter.
let it on during growing season untill it bites in then remove.
in my case the wire from last winter is still on as it is now in refining stage and didnt thicken all that much.
i will remove that once needles are fallen of and then i will rewire what needs wire over winter

 

[defra]

Late autumn is best for wiring , they set over winter and remove just as buds start to swell. Also there is no growth, so there is time for the wire to set without biting in.

how they set over winter without growth?

 

[darzuo]

Late autumn is best for wiring , they set over winter and remove just as buds start to swell. Also there is no growth, so there is time for the wire to set without biting in.

I was under the impression that new growth is what holds the branches in the new position, which is why I've heard many say to leave wire on as long as possible, allowing the wire to bite in slightly.

 

[Treelord]

how they set over winter without growth?

internal cell walls slowly adapt to the new position and the branches set into the wired shape without swelling or growing out of it.

 

[ongunslinger]

What I read and watch tells me that it's lignification causing the branches to stay put. So what exactly is happening during lignification?

 

[badatusernames]

Nick Lenz said late winter

 

[Paradox]

What I read and watch tells me that it's lignification causing the branches to stay put. So what exactly is happening during lignification?

The branches are becoming woody.

When you wire and bend a branch, it does damage to the tissues of the branch. It is the healing of those tissues after the damage and then subsequent growth of the branch with new tissue that sets the branch in place

 

[vancehanna]

After nearly 50yrs with my Larch forest, I wire when the needles drop off. I leave it on all season and as the needles drop the second year I remover it.
simple. No nonsense....
take a peek at my larch forset after 45yrs.. (now over 50!

 

[leatherback]

What I read and watch tells me that it's lignification causing the branches to stay put. So what exactly is happening during lignification?

Cellulose of the cellwalls get impregnated with ligning and become less flexible.
In parallel, over winter there still is growth, but a low slower, causing the much denser wood rings that you see when you cut a branch. Wide, open pored rings during the growing season. Dense tight rings for the winterseason.

I wire in fall when I can to use this hardening of immature branches, and in spring I allow the wire to sit on there untill the wire is almost half swallowed, afer which I unwire.