Another shimpaku

[buddhamonk]

I bought this shimpaku last year thinking I'd work on it but it's been sitting on the bench since...not sure what to do with it...

1) wire everything and hope something good comes out of it...
2) Jin everything except for one branch and start over
3) Sell it...

by the way...anyone know what kind of shimpaku this is? The foliage is light green...very compact...and very rigid...I'm not convinced that it is an itoigawa.

 

[Brent]

If you don't want to spend three to five more years growing it out, then just sell it. The first trunk section is uninteresting and has a major flaw resembling two legs meeting, if you get my drift. This can be corrected by growing it out. It may even correct itself without any help, and you are bound to get some buttressing into the nebari, which you don't have now.

If you want to stick with it, first get it out of that silly bonsai pot. You will never get any decent growth with the roots constrained like that. Repot, put in full sun and fertilize like mad. In your area, you should get close to 1/2 inch caliper per year. Do NOT prune it. You need all that foliage to generate growth.

After it gets root established in a bigger pot, which can take two to three years, it will be time to cut it back hard. This should give you breaks all up and down the trunk and many new choices for branches and a possible new trunkline. I prefer to do this hard pruning well before the new growth starts to appear in the spring, but the timing isn't real critical, except to avoid late summer pruning if possible.

I have a couple hundred five gallon junipers that look just like this and that's what I do with them. It appears to be the standard 'Shimpaku' or possibly 'Kishu', but not 'Itoigawa'.

Brent
EvergreenGardenworks.com

 

[Bonsai Nut]

What he said ^^^^

Put it in the ground with the roots arranged then let it grow for a long time. You'll be much happier and will achieve results much sooner than struggling with it in a pot.

 

[greerhw]

Not Kishu

Harry

 

[reddog]

Sell it. Go to Randy Knights and find something much better.

 

[JasonG]

Sell it. Go to Randy Knights and find something much better.

What Reddog said!

 

[buddhamonk]

I might...but only if I have any money left over after the auction next week

 

[JasonG]

The auction won't have anything that even begins to compare.....you need to come out, you live this close and still haven't been out. When you finally come out you will kick yourself repeatedly for not coming sooner...... Heck, I will even kick you too,

 

[Vance Wood]

Not Kishu

Harry

Why? What do you base that conclusion on?

 

[greerhw]

Why? What do you base that conclusion on?

Foliage and color!

Harry

 

[Vance Wood]

Foliage and color!

Harry

Can you be more specific?

 

[greerhw]

Can you be more specific?

How the hell could I be more specific, did you not see the pictures of Kishu foliage. It's blue green and not bright green or as tight as Itowgawa but a lot tighter than ordinary shimpaku. I can't tell from his pictures what type shimp his is ( I suspect Itowgawa), but I can assure you 100% it is not Kishu.I added a picture of one of my Itowgawa's for comparison.

Harry

 

[Vance Wood]

How the hell could I be more specific, did you not see the pictures of Kishu foliage. It's blue green and not bright green or as tight as Itowgawa but a lot tighter than ordinary shimpaku. I can't tell from his pictures what type shimp his is ( I suspect Itowgawa), but I can assure you 100% it is not Kishu.I added a picture of one of my Itowgawa's for comparison.

Harry

Three points: I did not realize that my question was going to prompt your angry retort, it was a simple question. Point two: My Shimpakus look like this one as long as they are kept out in full sun. However; if you grow them in the shade for about six weeks they turn blue and the growth becomes finer. Point three: You wrote; "I can't tell from his pictures what type shimp his is ( I suspect Itowgawa). This answer is double speak. If you can't tell from the picture how can you make a determination at all?
I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this thing with this Juniper not trying to start an argument, and you seem to be putting yourself into the position of knowing all the in's and out's of Shimpakus.

 

[greerhw]

Three points: I did not realize that my question was going to prompt your angry retort, it was a simple question. Point two: My Shimpakus look like this one as long as they are kept out in full sun. However; if you grow them in the shade for about six weeks they turn blue and the growth becomes finer. Point three: You wrote; "I can't tell from his pictures what type shimp his is ( I suspect Itowgawa). This answer is double speak. If you can't tell from the picture how can you make a determination at all?
I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this thing with this Juniper not trying to start an argument, and you seem to be putting yourself into the position of knowing all the in's and out's of Shimpakus.

Never mind, I don't know s*it.

Harry

 

[mahler365]

I actually say wire the thing, it looks like it has potential. Do what you said you did, put it on the bench, forget about it, and watch it grow. Maybe even trim off the top to get a nice shohin.

 

[shohin kid]

what did you ever do buddhamonk,
keep or sell?