Oh Shimpaku Shimpaku what shall we do?

Stickroot

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I recently picked this over grown Shimpaku up in a trade with an old friend who has to many of these to pay attention to, I guess ;)
I was really attracted to it for its crazy trunk. After looking at this guy for way to long, I am thinking cascade, or semi anyway. I know it is really hard to tell by pics without being able to dig through its tufts and see what's in there, but maybe we'll get lucky.
What do you nuts think?
And of course verts are highly recommended:)image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpegimage.jpeg It is in a 10" pot
 

Soldano666

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Gnarly little trunk on that beast. Sorry I can't help with style suggestions. i have a bunch of junipers that are driving me nuts, I'm pretty sure I'll eventually remove all but the lowest branch and go for shohin since I can't find a suitable use for most of the branches
 

Stickroot

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My inclination would be to train it as an informal upright and carve some spiraling shari into the trunk. Nice little tree. Good luck with it.
Definitely spiraling Shari... Definitely!
 

garywood

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Tilt to the right 45 degrees and reduce by half would be a good place to start looking for a tree with good proportions. Shari is also a good option for small dynamic tree. Good material!
 

YukiShiro

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Shimpaku Health Tree health is always something we strive for here at Aichien. ... Sometimes trees will become unhealthy and leaving them alone might not ... don't worry, you would have thought about it soon enough
http://www.bonsainut.com/

I spammed the link just to have a good laugh and then used the multiple tabs to satisfy all of me.... scizo much :rolleyes:o_O

so what's with linking the home page of our nuthouse?

no pun intended, or pun intended...

hahaha it's FRIDAY!!!!!!

Herman
 

Stickroot

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I spammed the link just to have a good laugh and then used the multiple tabs to satisfy all of me.... scizo much :rolleyes:o_O

so what's with linking the home page of our nuthouse?

no pun intended, or pun intended...

hahaha it's FRIDAY!!!!!!

Herman
Yeah, no joke... Or is it :)
It seemed like a Sorce post to me. Made absolutely no sense.
 

Vance Wood

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Have any of you Nutters out there with Shimpakus notice something really peculiar about the way the grow and age? Have you noticed how straight and seemingly stiff they grow? Have you noticed how twisted and contorted they become as they age? Have any of you asked yourselves the questions of how and why? I am going to leave this right here till I start getting some answers, because; I believe the awareness of this phenomenon/foible is crucial in developing good bonsai of this material.
 

just.wing.it

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Have any of you Nutters out there with Shimpakus notice something really peculiar about the way the grow and age? Have you noticed how straight and seemingly stiff they grow? Have you noticed how twisted and contorted they become as they age? Have any of you asked yourselves the questions of how and why? I am going to leave this right here till I start getting some answers, because; I believe the awareness of this phenomenon/foible is crucial in developing good bonsai of this material.
In nature, isn't it due to being crushed by snow and ice over and over, and wind sometimes too?
 

Vance Wood

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Yes but what causes the tree to grow the way it does after being crushed as opposed to being broken and sundered? I am wondering if anyone has noticed this trait.
 

Vance Wood

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I guess I will have to provide the simple truth. If you take the branch of a Procumbens Juniper in your hands you will notice that it seem very flexible and limber but when you try to bend the branch it is likely to break. Shimpaku on the other hand seems to have branches that are very stiff and seem to be brittle but can be bent and twisted in some pretty extreme positions without breaking or cracking. That was the point I was trying to get at. Why is it that a tree that seems so angular, stiff and immobile when young can, with maturity, seem to be kissing it's own butt?
 
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