"Andrew G" wrote in message ...
Hi there
Going out on a limb here, different to other replies.
Ok, probably stating obvious here, especially to people who probably know
more about bonsai than I do, but moisture content in soil is no indication
of moisutre content in plant.

I've got to agree with you Andrew; I assumed that was another "Old
bonsai master tale" that didn't have much basis in reality. Since I
spent yesterday inoculating lilacs with "sudden oak death", I can
certainly say that dry soil helps when you are tipping a plant over,
so muddy soil doesn't get over everything! I imagine that with
wiring, it's the same.

With a stalk of celery, high turgor will lead to a "snap", whereas
wilted celery will bend. True. But the snappiness of a woody branch
depends on the *wood*, which is dead and not responding to any change
in water content of the soil. If you think about the anatomy of a
woody tree branch, the only tissue that is going to react to changes
in water content is the inner bark. I might worry about snapping
turgid little twigs, but I'm not going to worry *at all* about larger
branches.

Nina, hoping Frances will give us a little rain here in MD.