Shimpaku Pads - foliage above branch or level to mostly conceal?

somegeek

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When looking at images of foliage pads on Shimpaku, I've noticed that some trees have the foliage in large pads anywhere from 1/2" above the branch(exposing it) to a point where the foliage is arranged low enough to conceal the branch. What is the desired position for the foliage on the branch?

I kinda like the look where the lower edge of the foliage pad follows a line that falls somewhere between the center line and the bottom surface of the branch but don't know if this is what I should be working to achieve.

somegeek
 

Bill S

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That comes from the old "only way to do it" mentality of continuously pinching, and forming clouds, eventually you have to prune way back and start the clouds all over. A, not necessarily "the" new way to work Shimp foliage is to prune it out and keep ramifying the foliage, it keeps it more open, but looks less like clouds. Both can be rewarding, both can look good.
 

somegeek

Yamadori
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That comes from the old "only way to do it" mentality of continuously pinching, and forming clouds, eventually you have to prune way back and start the clouds all over. A, not necessarily "the" new way to work Shimp foliage is to prune it out and keep ramifying the foliage, it keeps it more open, but looks less like clouds. Both can be rewarding, both can look good.

Thanks for the reply. When you prune way back, are you trying to produce backbudding?

Is this the latter method used here? http://kingii.blogspot.com/2010/06/83.html - images 8-10 here
image

somegeek
 
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