New Muranaka Pine

[ysrgrathe]

It was suggested to me that picking up a starter from George Muranaka would be a good idea; I'm glad I did as this looks like it will be a fun little tree to work with.

Which side do you like best? There is reverse taper from two angles, so I think it comes down to either having the tree move to the left or to the right. I'd like to learn how to build pads with this tree, so I see it turning into a little pyramidal shohin.

I see a number of spots where there are two or three branches coming from the same whorl on the trunk, so I'm guessing I should do some selection there before wiring.

 

[Paradox]

I like the 3rd picture (lower left)

 

[Eric Group]

It was suggested to me that picking up a starter from George Muranaka would be a good idea; I'm glad I did as this looks like it will be a fun little tree to work with.

Which side do you like best? There is reverse taper from two angles, so I think it comes down to either having the tree move to the left or to the right. I'd like to learn how to build pads with this tree, so I see it turning into a little pyramidal shohin.

I see a number of spots where there are two or three branches coming from the same whorl on the trunk, so I'm guessing I should do some selection there before wiring.

View attachment 125436 View attachment 125437 View attachment 125438 View attachment 125435

Nice piece of material! On a short, thick, knobby little pine like this I wouldn't worry as much about branches coming from the same place... just pick the branches that make the best tree, wire it up... if this was a tall, slender Maple where you are going for a perfectly smooth, sinuous trunk line, then you should worry about the inverse taper from multiple branches common by off the same point... a tree like this has a knobby irregular trunk regardless

 

[Smoke]

You have a lot of small branching to work with. An hour and some wire and I could put a killer canopy on that puppy.

 

[ysrgrathe]

Thanks all. @Paradox I think I like #3 too. It is hard to tell in the photo, but from this angle the tree has a slight bow towards the viewer.

@Eric Group I'll try to use all the branches then.

 

[just.wing.it]

To the right, 3rd pic.
And I agree with Eric and Smoke as well, put a little wire on it and see what you can do!
Nice tree!

 

[Smoke]

I like view 4. The trunk line is really full of movement and the branches seem to be in good places.

 

[Eric Group]

I like view 4. The trunk line is really full of movement and the branches seem to be in good places.

View attachment 125460

Boom!

 

[Paradox]

The only reason I did not like #4 was because it shows off the huge (to me) reverse taper that the tree has. It just really bugs me from that angle.

 

[Smoke]

The only reason I did not like #4 was because it shows off the huge (to me) reverse taper that the tree has. It just really bugs me from that angle.

I think that is minimal, and could be adjusted with planting angle or deeper if looks worse in real life.

For me this would be "HUGE" reverse taper.


The reason this tree has any issue at all is the technique to make them. It is easy to see the wire scars in the trunk from the buried wire and getting a good transition from soil to trunk is difficult because the trunk at the soil line does not swell as fast as the part right above it with the wire constricting it causing the swelling. Still can be an awesome tree.

 

[Paradox]

@Smoke

Yeah I hate it when they grow them like that. Ruins the tree for me.
This one isnt that bad and it is a nice little pine though