New Sierra

misfit11

Omono
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I'm super excited about this one! I bought this from Ned Lycett the REBS member who had collected it. It's got terrific movement and deadwood. It obviously lends itself to cascade / semi-cascade with an upper and lower apex. The finished tree will only be about a foot above the soil level. Because it's relatively small and Sierra foliage isn't very compact, I may end up grafting it with Shimpaku. I do love the native blue foliage but it can be a bit rangey especially for a smaller tree.
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n8

Shohin
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Very nice. This will be a fun project

Same concern here on a smaller Sierra that I have. Yuzo Maruyama in Sacramento recommends punching/cutting just like you would any other juniper to get more compact pads. One zone/branch at a time, then a few weeks later, pinch another. It's not possible to get as tight as with a shimpaku, but that's OK with me. I started last summer and I'm seeing improvement.

Just the smell of the Sierra juniper alone is worth keeping it's foliage to me. I have too many excellent mountain memories tied up with that scent to graft it away.
 

misfit11

Omono
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Wow! Very cool trunk, I am excited to see what you do with it!
Plans to style this year?
Thanks! I will probably take it to a workshop and do some styling. Like I said though, I'm not sure if I want or should keep the native foliage as much as I like it. I may style it with the Sierra foliage, see how it develops, and just live with it for a while. If I'm not liking the image then maybe I'll consider grafting on Shimpaku.

Cory
 
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misfit11

Omono
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Very nice. This will be a fun project

Same concern here on a smaller Sierra that I have. Yuzo Maruyama in Sacramento recommends punching/cutting just like you would any other juniper to get more compact pads. One zone/branch at a time, then a few weeks later, pinch another. It's not possible to get as tight as with a shimpaku, but that's OK with me. I started last summer and I'm seeing improvement.

Just the smell of the Sierra juniper alone is worth keeping it's foliage to me. I have too many excellent mountain memories tied up with that scent to graft it away.
Thanks, N8Y! I love the color of the native foliage and will try to develop it as is. If I'm not liking the results after a couple years then I may consider grafting. Thanks for the tips for developing pads.

You're totally right about the smell! When I got the tree I was immediately reminded of that smell from my old one. It's very distinct. It's like earthy and herbal. Hard to describe but unmistakable. Is the smell coming from the foliage? So if I removed the native it wouldn't smell anymore?

Cory
 

n8

Shohin
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Is the smell coming from the foliage?

Yup. Especially strong in the spring when sap gets moving again. You'll definitely notice when you get to pinching. My kid told me my hands smelled like Emigrant Wilderness after working on it the other day.

Yuzo stressed to me that it's important to just work one zone at a time. Going at the whole tree at once is a bad idea.
 

misfit11

Omono
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🎶"I'm turning Japanese... I think I'm turning Japanese... I really think so..." 🎶

Four Kishu grafts have taken and are getting stronger. I need to do a few more grafts for back branches. Should be a nice tree someday...0719221841.jpg
 

Hartinez

Masterpiece
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🎶"I'm turning Japanese... I think I'm turning Japanese... I really think so..." 🎶

Four Kishu grafts have taken and are getting stronger. I need to do a few more grafts for back branches. Should be a nice tree someday...View attachment 447943
After finally getting to work shimpaku over the last few years I can’t blame you! It’s foliage really is the best, and I e already got plans my self, to try my hand at grafting.
 

misfit11

Omono
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After finally getting to work shimpaku over the last few years I can’t blame you! It’s foliage really is the best, and I e already got plans my self, to try my hand at grafting.
For sure. Shimpaku gets all the attention for a reason. There's something to be said for the native Sierra foliage and it's bluish cast. But with this one being so small, I think I would have always struggled with bringing it into a nice compact image. Jeremiah (Yenling83) mentions there can be quite a bit of variation with Sierra foliage with some specimens being more compact than others.

Definitely give grafting a shot. It's a great technique to have in your tool box. It's not really that difficult. I have found that I have more luck with the Parafilm (Rasta joint) method over the bags with both Junipers and Black Pine.
 
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