1st shari attempt, too much at once?

jedge76 · Aug 26, 2014

Hey everyone,

I bought this nursery Prostrata a few months back for $7.99 and it has been a lot of fun for me, a less than 1 year doing bonsai newbie, to try my hand at some things that I study. I shaped and pruned the tree. Left the root ball completely alone. And then today I worked some shari on the lower portion of the tree. It was one of those things where you get into and then realize you may have done too much. I don't know the likelihood of survival here, so I wanted to see what others' experience may say about that matter. I really hope it lives, I kinda like the way it's turning out to this point. Thanks for any opinions, good or bad.

--Joe

P.S. This guy needs a good, long rest period, so nothing planned for at least a year.

Dav4 · Aug 26, 2014

The tree will survive but you may lose the lowest branch on the right. I'd leave the tree alone for the rest of the year and let it heal.

jedge76 · Aug 26, 2014

Thanks Dav...I was looking at that one too...figure it can be jinned if it does and the apex will help move the shape of the tree upward hopefully.

Btw, the large branch at the base on the left is a sacrifice branch only. Just fyi.

jk_lewis · Aug 26, 2014

Btw, the large branch at the base on the left is a sacrifice branch only. Just fyi.

Don't make hasty decisions. You may like that second trunk if you study it for few more weeks or months. Cut it off and you may find yourself with a "ho-Hum" bonsai that looks like every other ho_Hum" bonsai.

mc4mc44 · Aug 26, 2014

I usually try not to take off more than a quarter of the bark, it looks like you went for about a third, i wouldn't worry at all. I would probably keep that lowest branch too, you can add character to it over time, a double trunk is always more interesting than a single trunk. And this tree is young, you have plenty of time to add character.

jedge76 · Aug 26, 2014

jkl said:
Don't make hasty decisions. You may like that second trunk if you study it for few more weeks or months. Cut it off and you may find yourself with a "ho-Hum" bonsai that looks like every other ho_Hum" bonsai.

mc4mc44 said:
I usually try not to take off more than a quarter of the bark, it looks like you went for about a third, i wouldn't worry at all. I would probably keep that lowest branch too, you can add character to it over time, a double trunk is always more interesting than a single trunk. And this tree is young, you have plenty of time to add character.

I never thought of that. A good lesson learned and another angle to look at to this tree. It is a bit comforting that I didn't do too much it seems...at least not enough to kill it. Thanks for opinions fellas.

Smoke · Aug 26, 2014

Just as a matter of personal taste, but I like to have 50 percent of the trunk emerge from the ground alive. A live vein visable from the front of the tree is a must for me, less than 50 percent is good though it should not be less than 25 percent.

When the tree is all dead in the front they look too much like a tunuki to me. Shari should also stop well above the ground area, at least half an inch or more. Less than that will wick up moisture from soil and rot away much too quickly.

bonsairxmd · Aug 26, 2014

Smoke said:
Just as a matter of personal taste, but I like to have 50 percent of the trunk emerge from the ground alive. A live vein visable from the front of the tree is a must for me, less than 50 percent is good though it should not be less than 25 percent.

When the tree is all dead in the front they look too much like a tunuki to me. Shari should also stop well above the ground area, at least half an inch or more. Less than that will wick up moisture from soil and rot away much too quickly.

Hey Smoke. Can you post a picture of a tree that contains a Shari the way you are describing? I think it would make it more clear (at least for me) Thanks.

jedge76 · Aug 26, 2014

Smoke said:
Just as a matter of personal taste, but I like to have 50 percent of the trunk emerge from the ground alive. A live vein visable from the front of the tree is a must for me, less than 50 percent is good though it should not be less than 25 percent.

When the tree is all dead in the front they look too much like a tunuki to me. Shari should also stop well above the ground area, at least half an inch or more. Less than that will wick up moisture from soil and rot away much too quickly.

Thanks Smoke, that's a good rule, or whatever you want to call it, to think of next time. There's a Harry Harrington shohin juniper that I used to go back to over and over again some months ago because I liked it's look...I think when I was working on this one, the influence from that vision of his tree came out even though I didn't mean for it too. Anyhow, that tree has shari down to the base, but you make a great point--especially as far as water goes.

Here's the Harry Harrington tree just as a reference: http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATJuniperShohinProgressionSeries page2.htm

Smoke · Aug 26, 2014

bonsairxmd said:
Hey Smoke. Can you post a picture of a tree that contains a Shari the way you are describing? I think it would make it more clear (at least for me) Thanks.

All eight of these trees are awesome. I would be proud to own any of them. That being said, four of them , for me, hold more pleasure than the other four.

First, the four without live wood exiting the ground and supporting the tree.

Smoke · Aug 26, 2014

These four trees have live wood visable on the front half of the tree emerging from the soil. There is no mistake about what is alive on these trees.

Took me amost half an hour to post 8 images. WTF is going on.

Smoke · Aug 26, 2014

Anyone care to take a stab at this?

Not you Brian Underwood.

jedge76 · Aug 26, 2014

Smoke said:
Anyone care to take a stab at this?

Not you Brian Underwood.

Smoke, is it a Tanuki? Or maybe that's your point, it looks like tanuki.

KennedyMarx · Aug 29, 2014

Tanuki or not it looks very cool. I think it's ironic that the Japanese bonsai world considers tanuki some kind of phony cheat, but have no problem grafting totally new foliage onto a plant or grafting a plant onto completely different root stock to make it easier to care for.

johng · Aug 29, 2014

KennedyMarx said:
Tanuki or not it looks very cool. I think it's ironic that the Japanese bonsai world considers tanuki some kind of phony cheat, but have no problem grafting totally new foliage onto a plant or grafting a plant onto completely different root stock to make it easier to care for.

I think it is a misconception to state that the Japanese look down on tanuki... Bill V. has pointed out on several occasions that many of the most highly prized trees in Japan are tanukis....but very old and well done. You almost have to know the provenance of the tree to even know for sure. They may not be willing to advertise the fact that a tree is a tanuki, but it is certainly a technique that is used often.

jedge76 · Sep 14, 2014

I ended up adding a little movement to that 2nd trunk to see what it looks like and I kinda like it. The tips on most of the branches are showing some new growth, so it looks like it came through ok at this point.

jedge76 · May 7, 2015

An update pic...the tree has a lot of new growth and seems to have forgiven me for all of my transgressions. A friend of mine put it into a pot this Spring and it responded very well.

klosi · May 8, 2015

Looks nice. Also I like your shari work

jedge76 · May 8, 2015

Thank you Klosi, I appreciate the comments.

GrimLore · May 8, 2015

jedge76 said:
An update pic...the tree has a lot of new growth and seems to have forgiven me for all of my transgressions. A friend of mine put it into a pot this Spring and it responded very well.

Good to see! Honest I killed or just plain ruined my first several attempts.

Grimmy

1st shari attempt, too much at once?

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