A little maintenance for an old Shimpaku

Eric Group · Jan 2, 2016

Well... not that old.. I bought this from my buddy Ken about 3-4 years ago, stuck it in the ground for about 2 years, dug it last year to work on getting it into shape... Today, I worked it a little more. It had basically grown most of the season, about 2 months ago I got out my carving tool and made some shari along the straightest part of the trunk, didn't miss a beat and it was time to do some wiring.

after:

Eric Group · Jan 2, 2016

Eventually I am thinking of making a Jin out of the lowest branch (almost a second trunk..) At the very least I am going to make a Jin out of a few more of the tertiary branches on that part...
A little detail and one other angle..

I will make that shari bigger and connect it to the branch I decide to remove at the base eventually.

sorce · Jan 2, 2016

Eric Group said:
after

The first picture...after after....
Is real nice.

I think the low branch/trunk...trunk I say..
Makes the image...
I think if it is gone....you will have to bend the trunk for more interest...

Something about the play between the 2 trunks.....it only works with both of them IMO...

But it works well..
Real well....

And the photography makes it that much better!

I keep going back....this tree makes me smile!
Great depth.

Hell Yearic!

Sorce

Adair M · Jan 3, 2016

Eric,

The rim of the pot makes it impossible to see the base of the tree. But from what I can see, it looks like it would make a nice twin trunk. It depends on high that branch starts.

If too high for a twin trunk I suppose it's possible to layer it close to the second trunk to make it be a twin.

But, there may be a great nebari down there that would be wasted if you did that. Can't tell.

I gotta say the photography is great! The lighting, focus, is impressive! I have none of those skills.

Andrew Legg · Jan 3, 2016

I agree with the other guys. Don't take off that branch. I went to Omiya when I was last in Tokyo for business and there was a very old pine there. It had a low branch that most rule-bound folks would cut off like a rat up a drainpipe. It was lovely. If you cut it off this tree becomes ordinary. If you leave it, it could become extraordinary. Think carefully before you cut it.

Eric Group · Jan 3, 2016

Andrew Legg said:
I agree with the other guys. Don't take off that branch. I went to Omiya when I was last in Tokyo for business and there was a very old pine there. It had a low branch that most rule-bound folks would cut off like a rat up a drainpipe. It was lovely. If you cut it off this tree becomes ordinary. If you leave it, it could become extraordinary. Think carefully before you cut it.

sorce said:
The first picture...after after....
Is real nice.

I think the low branch/trunk...trunk I say..
Makes the image...
I think if it is gone....you will have to bend the trunk for more interest...

Something about the play between the 2 trunks.....it only works with both of them IMO...

But it works well..
Real well....

And the photography makes it that much better!

I keep going back....this tree makes me smile!
Great depth.

Hell Yearic!

Sorce

Adair M said:
Eric,

The rim of the pot makes it impossible to see the base of the tree. But from what I can see, it looks like it would make a nice twin trunk. It depends on high that branch starts.

If too high for a twin trunk I suppose it's possible to layer it close to the second trunk to make it be a twin.

But, there may be a great nebari down there that would be wasted if you did that. Can't tell.

I gotta say the photography is great! The lighting, focus, is impressive! I have none of those skills.

Thanks to all three of you for the comments and kind words on my photography.. The camera is the difference maker. I was surprised how cheap I got a lighting set up done and a background put together.

My comment about removing the lower branch was more about making it into a large deadwood feature. I don't like cutting large juniper branches off right at the trunk ever! They just don't heal over well.. This would still be a feature if jinned, and more of a focus in some ways. I definitely hear the comments though and there is a reason I have NOT removed it yet... maybe I am leaning more towards keeping it live and just enhancing it with a few deadwood features.

Thanks!

Andrew Legg · Jan 3, 2016

Eric Group · Jan 3, 2016

ohh, and Adair- I will try to get some pics of the base.

Andrew Legg · Jan 3, 2016

If you decide to take it off do so a year before the rest of the tree is "ready" in the mean time it will also build taper lower down.

Giga · Jan 4, 2016

I have to agree, keep the low branch as it makes the tree have something going for it, without it the material is just meh. Looks like a good start

Dice · Jan 14, 2016

Nice tree, how old is it?

Eric Group · Jan 14, 2016

Dice said:
Nice tree, how old is it?

Ohh not really THAT old, it was kind of a joke really. Like I said in the OP, I had it about 3-4 years, got it from a buddy who grew it from a cutting... All told prolly 8-10 years old if I had to guess, made from a branch of comparable age when it was taken as a cutting... So, total age maybe 20 yrs? No clue man.. I like it though...

Dice · Jan 14, 2016

Thanks for the info. It's a NICE shimp & you did a good job with it. I like it...

sorce · Jan 14, 2016

Dice said:
NICE

Shake em!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

Eric Group · Jan 14, 2016

Dice said:
Thanks for the info. It's a NICE shimp & you did a good job with it. I like it...

Thanks Dice!

Dice · Jan 14, 2016

Thanks Sorce! I have 7 young shimp's, 2 will be 6 years old this coming spring, 1 red cedar, 1 black pine and 1 procumbens nana. I'll start a thread when I can take decent pic's & look forward to learning from everyone.

sorce · Jan 15, 2016

Dice said:
Thanks Sorce! I have 7 young shimp's, 2 will be 6 years old this coming spring, 1 red cedar, 1 black pine and 1 procumbens nana. I'll start a thread when I can take decent pic's & look forward to learning from everyone.

I will be looking......

With snake eyes!

Sorce

Eric Group · Apr 29, 2016

Kathy shaner helped me re-work this one a bit when she was in town last month... Just going to let it fill in for a while right now.

A little maintenance for an old Shimpaku

Eric Group

Masterpiece

Eric Group

Masterpiece

sorce

Nonsense Rascal

Adair M

Pinus Envy

Andrew Legg

Mame

Eric Group

Masterpiece

Andrew Legg

Mame

Eric Group

Masterpiece

Andrew Legg

Mame

Giga

Masterpiece

Dice

Seed

Eric Group

Masterpiece

Dice

Seed

sorce

Nonsense Rascal

Eric Group

Masterpiece

Dice

Seed

sorce

Nonsense Rascal

Eric Group

Masterpiece

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