Can you believe this is the same tree?

[Adair M]

Adair, was flush-cutting the big branch a mistake in PAnd he had gotten a little bit of fungus and we kill the fungus but the buds at all, stop growing for a year and they had it so then I had to clean all that stuff out toyour view? Would it have healed quicker to do it in, say, 2 steps (like some do with JM), or to leave a big stub and reduce it over the years?

I never saw it with the big branch.

Was it the right thing to do to remove it? Probably not. For it’s style, it appeared to be an excellent example of the style. The lady who owned it I’m sure approved of the removal. It is what it is. I can hide the scar with some bits of bark. Until I saw the pictures in Golden Moments, I had no idea what had happened to create the scar.

On the other hand, would a tree with a three foot low branch be very attractive?

I don’t know how the cut was done. Did they leave a peg? Don’t know. Would the Ebihara technique of removing a notch in stages have helped the healing? Probably. The branch was removed long before anyone knew of Mr. Ebihara and his advanced techniques. All I can do is give it the best care I can.

 

[Brian Boville]

Great question, Cosmos...would love to hear opinions...(not like I will ever get to cut something that big multiple times to learn!!!)

 

[TN_Jim]

Are you talking about the black and white picture?

Yes. It is difficult to see what exactly is going on in the b/w photo. Is it possible the rock planting was tilted, or the foliage moving “away” was intentional?

If intentional, seems an interesting approach conveying the implied habitat of the tree I’ve never considered.

 

[Cosmos]

I never saw it with the big branch.

Was it the right thing to do to remove it? Probably not. For it’s style, it appeared to be an excellent example of the style. The lady who owned it I’m sure approved of the removal. It is what it is. I can hide the scar with some bits of bark. Until I saw the pictures in Golden Moments, I had no idea what had happened to create the scar.

On the other hand, would a tree with a three foot low branch be very attractive?

I don’t know how the cut was done. Did they leave a peg? Don’t know. Would the Ebihara technique of removing a notch in stages have helped the healing? Probably. The branch was removed long before anyone knew of Mr. Ebihara and his advanced techniques. All I can do is give it the best care I can.

I meant really more in terms of the healing/callousing of the wound. I think your tree is much better without it, these branches look contrived, at least to us Westerners who don’t see the cultural meaning behind it, like what you alluded to with the gardens.

That said, I don’t think the scar looks bad at all, but it’s definitely there.

 

[Adair M]

Yes. It is difficult to see what exactly is going on in the b/w photo. Is it possible the rock planting was tilted, or the foliage moving “away” was intentional?

If intentional, seems an interesting approach conveying the implied habitat of the tree I’ve never considered.

That picture was taken from the back.
Here is the finished composition:


The tree with the “strong arm” is midway up the stone on the right. The semicascade is planted up
on the left.
Interestingly, on the semicascade, you can see how the cascading branch started to grow upwards out towards the end. Evidently, over the years, that became more pronounced, so that it almost became a second apex. Sometime in the mid-2000s Akio Kondo removed the upward portion of the cascading branch. It’s now a pure semicascade.

I think that the upward strong arms, and ascending cascades were “in style” back in the 1980’s In Japan, but are hardly ever seen today. I bet some day those styles will return.

What do you think of the finished composition? Like it? Hate it?

Personally, I think the two trees look better separately than they do forced together on this stone. Mr. Mitsuya wanted to create a spectacle. It certainly was that!

 

[TN_Jim]

That picture was taken from the back.
Here is the finished composition:

View attachment 264108
The tree with the “strong arm” is midway up the stone on the right. The semicascade is planted up
on the left.
Interestingly, on the semicascade, you can see how the cascading branch started to grow upwards out towards the end. Evidently, over the years, that became more pronounced, so that it almost became a second apex. Sometime in the mid-2000s Akio Kondo removed the upward portion of the cascading branch. It’s now a pure semicascade.

I think that the upward strong arms, and ascending cascades were “in style” back in the 1980’s In Japan, but are hardly ever seen today. I bet some day those styles will return.

What do you think of the finished composition? Like it? Hate it?

Personally, I think the two trees look better separately than they do forced together on this stone. Mr. Mitsuya wanted to create a spectacle. It certainly was that!

Aah, I see. Wow that original was busy, spectacle indeed. It looks like toys taken apart and put back together mismatched. It could be the photo as well but it also appeared bushy and unrefined however curious and just oddly interesting all together.

This take is evidence of my lack of grasping bonsai trends of the past I suppose. What you now have and have done is truely impressive knowing the weird Frankenstein’s monster it once was!
...that straight jutting branch...good grief, good riddance!!!

 

[bwaynef]

I've read this is how many Zuisho were created to hasten their trunkening (by letting a low branch run). Once the branch had done its job, folks were hesitant to remove them because of how substantial they were, and what it would do to the composition as well as the scar.

 

[MrWunderful]

The small base on the original comp. gives a weird illusion of reverse taper through the whole piece.

 

[Adair M]

The small base on the original comp. gives a weird illusion of reverse taper through the whole piece.

I agree. It seems all out of proportion.