Japonicus
Masterpiece
So not an issue with repotting this Spring if I do it now?
My 1st ever work shop
- Thread starter Japonicus
- Start date
Shogun610
Masterpiece
You just saw the guy! LOL Didn’t you ask him in person?
Katie0317
Chumono
@Japonicus I have to share that I flipped back and forth on your pictures to see the lower branches before and an attempt at after and I'm a huge fan of your plan to jin them. There's a heaviness there and I think your plan will be a big improvement. It was somewhat confusing because on the set of four photos the tree is facing one way and in other pics it's facing the other. Which is the front of the tree btw? Just to be certain?
As for questions after you've just workshopped a tree...That's when I seem to have the most questions. I think adrenaline runs high and you're trying to take in so much information and sometimes forget to ask a few of your biggest questions. Plus you had a migraine. On a day with nothing planned. nothing goes wrong but when you have a big meeting your body can throw a curveball.
Look forward to seeing the after photos. I bet it will have a dramatic affect that you'll be crazy about.
Btw, are you saying you'll now wire at 60 degrees on all trees are or only on trees needing a heavier wire?
Japonicus
Masterpiece
Sorry you're confused. The front is front in both locations on my porch.
Lighting, 1st shot facing South, 2nd facing North. I located it in 2 different areas
because the tree is too big to fit in my usual black speaker background area, so I have to
shoot it at night on flash to get the best non static background.
I have managed to keep the tree looking best I could 360º and the back does make a presentable front.
The wire is since removed and branches now begin to spring up, but I will get a shot of it later tonight
and hold for an after shot once jinned. The plan was a coaching suggestion by Adair echoed by Tyler Sherrard
who I don't know, but have heard of Tyler Sherrod, through www.search only. Wasn't my plan at all Oct. 1st
Then the shop was the next day...lol. Had I done this early on, I could've angled the branches down tighter in.
60º on all my conifers best I can guess. I did some wiring on this cascade today I started from a 1 gallon
Lowes nursery stock several yrs ago. I need more practice on transitioning wire size down rather than
trespassing on weak foliage with larger gauge wire, but if you expand the straight down shot on the floor
you can get an idea of 60º spirals in the lower apex right at the bottom of the pic. Sometimes a branch
or foliage dictates a different plan, but using the right sized wire, you use less wire and hold better.
As Adair mentioned in the work shop, imagine a slinky all coiled about. Rather spineless really.
Katie0317
Chumono
I wasn't confusing any in the group of four. I was confused because on page 2 you show it wired with guy wires and it says "spring 2020". It's facing the other way in that pic isn't it?
Think the cascading tree is really beautiful. That looks like a full days work there. I might want to see a bit more space between the upper side left branches but honestly what you did in a day is amazing. Alone and without any other other opinions. It's a beauty. It looks like you carved something lovely out of not much of anything. At least from the pic you showed.
I can understand spacing the wire perfectly on a heavier tree. It makes perfect sense. Am just trying to think if that logic would apply to smaller branches on my tropicals. I think maybe it's a matter of experience and knowing when to widen the angle and when to shorten it. I'm not as concerned about saving wire as I am on doing right by the tree so saving wire would never be a motivating reason but I can clearly understand the reasoning on a conifer like yours.
Looking forward to seeing your new pics.
Think the cascading tree is really beautiful. That looks like a full days work there. I might want to see a bit more space between the upper side left branches but honestly what you did in a day is amazing. Alone and without any other other opinions. It's a beauty. It looks like you carved something lovely out of not much of anything. At least from the pic you showed.
I can understand spacing the wire perfectly on a heavier tree. It makes perfect sense. Am just trying to think if that logic would apply to smaller branches on my tropicals. I think maybe it's a matter of experience and knowing when to widen the angle and when to shorten it. I'm not as concerned about saving wire as I am on doing right by the tree so saving wire would never be a motivating reason but I can clearly understand the reasoning on a conifer like yours.
Looking forward to seeing your new pics.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
oops pg 1. post 17...ah, yes I know what you mean now. Thanks for the clarification.
I was focused on your flipping back n forth between with and without mention, I missed "other pics".
You can blame Adair for that too
I had styled both sides to be best they could, and I liked certain qualities of the now back, then front, better.
It is a blessing to have a tree you could use either, but Adair's like E.F. Hutton if you remember the commercials...
so I listened. Also in the work shop, if you look at older pics there's a surface root now gone, and that is one
little help now in choosing the front. I had totally forgotten such a big change, but again, I didn't think more than
twice and went with it like it was the plan all along. Again, it's a blessing not an issue.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
In time
This cascade nearly did not rebound from its last repotting after thinning Fall 2017 then potting up Spring 2018.
It also threw a bunch of juvenile growth, so honestly I did more today than I really wanted to.
More of a correction, and I wired the lower half yesterday and quit here today.
With history we have an idea how hard we can push an insult on a tree, which is why I prefer to
do hard cut backs on juniper mid Summer. It's rewarding, and less an issue the following Spring.
I know nothing about wiring tropicals but that has its own place. A slinky is a slinky no matter where Amazon delivers it
If you'd like you can check its thread out here
Cascade/Wooden grow pot for training
Hey Bonsai Nuts. This cascade forum doesn't seem to get as much traffic as others. With the help of several, I'm learning how to make my own bonsai soil and a cedar grow pot. I could buy the cedar box on Amazon for more money, but I have a bit of fun selecting the planks and making my own grow...
Wood
Shohin
This was on display at Nationals, right?
Katie0317
Chumono
That tree was on display at Nationals? In what year and when did you get it?
The tree has quite an impressive history.
The tree has quite an impressive history.
Wood
Shohin
I'm pretty confident that it's the first tree on Jonas' blog post:
bonsaitonight.com
U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Critique - Bonsai Tonight
Earlier this month, Andrew Robson and I got a chance to walk through the 7th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, held on September 11th and 12th in Rochester,
bonsaitonight.com
Yes, it was.
Steve had shown me pictures of this tree about 8 years ago when I met him at Boon’s. We’ve stayed in contact since then, from time to time.
I had no idea it was going to be at the Nationals, but I recognized it immediately when I saw it there.
Steve approached me, and suggested I buy it. He knows of my skills with bonsai, and my interest in Zelkova. Steve wants to be able to travel, and take long fishing trips, and not have to worry about it.
I hope to continue to improve the tree and insure it remains one of the best bonsai in the country. Bjorn, who has worked on it, says it’s the best Zelkova he’s seen in the US. Tyler Sherrard, who has also worked on Doug Paul’s collection says the same thing. So, I feel lucky, and honored, to be it’s curator for the next decade or so.
Trees like this are part of our legacy. I am indeed fortunate to own a few of these trees, and I feel a great responsibility to do everything I can to maintain and improve them. And share them as I can.
Last weekend, I put the Zelkova on display at the Atlanta Bonsai Society fall show. I was part of the judging panel, and I suggested that we NOT give it “Best of Show”, but give it an “Honarable Mention” instead. It was displayed on a central table where it could be viewed from all sides.
If all goes well, I plan on showing it again in December in Kannapolis, NC at the Winter Silohette Show. That is, if it looks good with no leaves! There are some guywires and some small twigs that are wired, that you can’t see when the tree is in leaf, but would stick out if the tree is nekkid. We’ll see.
The tree needs a cut back, which will force more ramification. And improve branch taper. But, once that cut back is done, it will take about 5 years to return to “show ready”. So… that’s another reason I might go ahead and show it, as is, at Kannapolis.
It was on display that Nationals last month. I bought it there, and brought it home with me.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
After leaving the work shop without a new acquisition had experienced a lack of buyers remorse.
Hopefully shipping wasn't too rough on it. Great folks at PCB still honored the work shop day price.
There were two, and I'm still not sure I chose the right one and couldn't see buying both, so I went
with Steves suggestion...Too bad these weren't grown for bonsai. They were low grafted for bonsai
but that's where that part of their journey into bonsai stopped till now. The graft is pretty good and
the taper there at the graft is why I chose this particular one over the other.
The needles are less than 1" long... ~3/4".
Hopefully shipping wasn't too rough on it. Great folks at PCB still honored the work shop day price.
There were two, and I'm still not sure I chose the right one and couldn't see buying both, so I went
with Steves suggestion...Too bad these weren't grown for bonsai. They were low grafted for bonsai
but that's where that part of their journey into bonsai stopped till now. The graft is pretty good and
the taper there at the graft is why I chose this particular one over the other.
The needles are less than 1" long... ~3/4".
Japonicus
Masterpiece
Still a lot to shed off, but this is how the branch will look for the near future basically.
Got one of the 2 trees jinned this year, will do the other one next Fall.
Wow! That took a lot of guts to do! I would cut back on it a good bit. The idea of leaving a Jin is you want to acknowledge there was once a branch growing there, but it was a long time ago. If you leave the full skeleton there, it looks recent and somewhat artificial. “Less is More”.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
Yes I know, but I'm following the fact that it is a fresh kill where a branch "died", not where a branch was damaged
by trauma. + I wanted to see the bones of the branch and get some pictures of that before I broke it back
which will look more natural once dried and broken back. It's the in between length of jin that bothers me.
The next branch up is more leggy and will be a much easier task.
I had to glue back on a 2.5" pc of bark over top of the shoulder. Not much was holding it on.
I didn't want to spend my entire work shop unwiring the tree, but was glad to get more experienced
eyes on it and if this makes a better product and use of my time, then it was a trip well spent.
Below, is some trimmings from this tree on the left, and the Atco goyo on the right Steve shipped me.
This (Atco goyo) was one of the 2 JWP I had you look at during the work shop.
Not much blue in it, but I love the short needles and the taper will be nice if it lives.
On the Left ^ this tree (I believe to be one of the Azumas) on the Right P. parviflora Atco goyo.
@Adair M do you think this will survive? And if so, when would you pot it up March, 2023?
I just took a pair of vice grips and rolled the front branch down and out of the whorl.
This is the same tree in post 33.
I think it will survive, but I wouldn’t repot it next year. Leave it alone for a while.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
The acto goyo is surviving, but has lost precious interior growth on the 2 opposing branches
at the 1st major whorl where I chopped to. I agree too much work at one time as discussed in
@David wv 's thread on JWP styling. I kept an extra long stub with twigs to slow the drying process
and maybe jin next year if any of the twigs survived, keeping some life in the upper stub.
I need all the jin carving practice I can get, even if it's to be removed entirely
So, the chop was to a major whorl, not twigs.
They are directly opposing, nowhere near the same side of the tree if that's what you're speaking about.
One of the opposing branches was to be the new apex (trunk continuation as you put it), the other to be the lowest branch at that level.
I never thought of Sun scorch on the previously shaded out, interior growth on those 2 lower branches.
I truly feel like that is precisely what is going on here in this picture now that you mention it.
I can see that now Adair. The exterior that always received light is ok, the back side and interior now exposed, not so much.
This is just something I never thought about having a tree that demands full Sun, but understand what happened I think.
That said, I have left a message and emailed Steve and Sandy to see if the other one with the reverse taper is still available.
Thanks for your efforts and input as always Adair. Very much appreciated.
Japonicus
Masterpiece
@Adair M I've been in touch with Sara Rayner, and the only pot close to the size
of the mica oval this WP is in now is a bit too big.
It measures 16 5/8 X 14 X 3 1/8 all inside she states. The current mica is roughly 15x 10.75x3.25 interior height is approx.
I feel the extra room would not work in my favour at all. I think a good bonsai artist, would be sizing the pot down.
However, as conservative as I am, I wouldn't be making any radical down sizing. No more than an inch in length and probably
upsizing the depth front to back. Last potting I felt the depth could be a little more.
What are your thoughts on the colour and profile? I was thinking a more dark cocoa colour, but thought I'd ask you before
we get into a commissioned pot.
Her rectangle has a shape I think would do my JWP justice shown below...
I love the shape, really like the mahogany colour, but would appreciate your feedback before I pursue this any further.
of the mica oval this WP is in now is a bit too big.
It measures 16 5/8 X 14 X 3 1/8 all inside she states. The current mica is roughly 15x 10.75x3.25 interior height is approx.
I feel the extra room would not work in my favour at all. I think a good bonsai artist, would be sizing the pot down.
However, as conservative as I am, I wouldn't be making any radical down sizing. No more than an inch in length and probably
upsizing the depth front to back. Last potting I felt the depth could be a little more.
What are your thoughts on the colour and profile? I was thinking a more dark cocoa colour, but thought I'd ask you before
we get into a commissioned pot.
Her rectangle has a shape I think would do my JWP justice shown below...
I love the shape, really like the mahogany colour, but would appreciate your feedback before I pursue this any further.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
It is an exquisite pot. Love the color and subtle texture.
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