Bark clean up and pondering
- Thread starter wireme
- Start date
wireme
Masterpiece
Thanks, I would love to read through those books! Hopefully over the winter I can get them.
I don't know anything about F. Jerker but I am somewhat familiar with the work of Mr Cheng. A lot of his work can be found online and he even used to post to forums a bit himself, IBC I think it was. Most of his work that I've seen was on green wood and the techniques used are much more difficult on old seasoned deadwood. Is working with old dried wood covered in his book too?
This tree actually could benefit from a lot of carving in my opinion. Although I'm all for leaving natural deadwood alone where possible I would probably carve large areas of this one almost all the way down the trunk eventually. A lot of the deadwood is not that great comparatively, speaking of textures and micro features etc. Some soft spots and so on. I see it as an opportunity for fun and interesting carving because most of my junipers have deadwood that I wouldn't even dream of carving into.
So we'll see, truthfully I'm kind of dying to tear into it but the next step is removal of mountain soil and establishment into free draining mix. When that's done I'll likely see if I can sell it. If I wind up keeping it then I will play.
wireme
Masterpiece
I'm not too worried about that for now , deadwood of all kinds lasts a long time in my climate, even fast decaying wood types are slow. This old juniper wood left dirty and untreated would be pretty much unchanged ten years from now if it was left that way. Wouldn't hurt though...
Shima
Omono
Are those oyster mushrooms?
wireme
Masterpiece
Yep, pleurotus populinus.
the1only
Yamadori
Nice tree. Real quick question, recently some guy dug us an old San Jose Juniper, it has a little roots left from the digs. What are the chances the tree will survived? I put it in a 18 gallons planter. Thanks
wireme
Masterpiece
I could only guess. It does happen that trees with very little root that seem to have no chance wind up doing quite well, especially junipers. So I have been told anyways.
Over the years I've wound up bringing home only 3 junipers that seemed to have too little root to survive. Two died and one recovered and grew faster and more strongly than any other tree I've had.
So you never know till you know. Keep the soil warm, humidity around the foliage high and your fingers crossed. Good luck!
augustine
Chumono
My idea would be separating the live vein from the deadwood. Then bend the live part and leave the deadwood for carving.
the1only
Yamadori
Thanks, did you put any root enhancer fertilizer? I bought some 0-10-10 planning on using it.
wireme
Masterpiece
Every time I look at the tree I run that idea by myself as well. So far I haven't been able come up with the spot to separate to and the position to move it into. I'm still trying to envision those possibilities and those of grafting as well.
wireme
Masterpiece
Generally I just fertilize with whatever I'm using on the rest of the trees at the same time as them.
Shima
Omono
Yum. I really miss shroom hunting.
wireme
Masterpiece
Yeah, it's great isn't it? Almost as fun as tree hunting but something I can do with the family. Fall shroom season just getting good here, we had a 10 variety dinner the other night.
wireme
Masterpiece
No time for text, I'm out the door to go skiing. Scribbled some more though. 
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
That low blob of foliage doesn't work for me. I like the small jin.
Maybe eliminate this branch (that carries the low blob)?
Maybe eliminate this branch (that carries the low blob)?
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Great piece of material...that live vein and movement from the base is amazing.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Be dead sure before you change that dead wood!
I'd like to see this lay in here.
This is one of the dopest personally collected trees on here.
Sorce
I'd like to see this lay in here.
This is one of the dopest personally collected trees on here.
Sorce
wireme
Masterpiece
You don't like that pompom hanging down there? It's gotta be good, it looks like a lions tail or a lorax tree tipped over! Yeah, maybe you're right..
For now, I'm miles away from having made any decisions really. It's time to do the first round of root cleaning this spring and I'm pretty sure I'll try to stand it more upright similar to virt, that was the main reason for trying out a scribble. I drew a pot but don't expect to get it into one yet. The drawing is simply shlooping some green over the existing positions of major branches. I'll be considering all the options I can think of for a while yet as possibilities. Bending, moving, grafting down low, radical deadwood breaking live vein separating surgery....
wireme
Masterpiece
Thanks, to tell the truth I came close to not collecting this at all due to the long straight section. (It's actually a bit more problematic in person than it appears in photos, usually it's the other way around and pics kind of enhance any faults.) It had a very collectible rootball though and the base is pretty ok for sure, who's gonna turn down a bottom like that right? Everyone seems to like it..
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wireme
Masterpiece
That does look like a nice layout, short and wide over the base seems to fit, thanks!
The deadwood is safe from me for at least another season but I'm still really tempted to get adventurous with it eventually.
