My very own Shimpaku group planting

[buddhamonk]

With all this talk of Shimpaku group planting. I thought I'd try my own.

Had a bunch of little shimpakus in the yard. Got them several years ago as whips and forgot about them. Cleaned them up and planning to form a group planting. Here are pictures of the process.

Total price since the other thread talks about how much a group planting is worth...

Several shimpaku whips $15 for the whole lot. There were several others that I've used for other purposes.

Cheap chinese pot $20

Picked the ones I would use

Clean up...those trunks really grew in 3-4 years (these were just whips before)

No so final product but a rough idea

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[edprocoat]

BuddaMonk, I am sure this will be nice but those are some very distinctive plants to put into a group. You have two that should be worked on their own IMO as they have such nice trunks and branch definition it would be a shame to lose all that in a group. The first pic and I believe its the third picture are the two I am talking about.

ed

 

[jk_lewis]

Well, he said he had others that he'd used for "other purposes."

Besides, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using decent trees for forests. While it's true you can made a forest with otherwise nondescript trees, it's always nice to have a couple of nicer trees as the centerpiece of the forest.

These all look like ideal candidates to me.

I can't really see it, but the pot looks just OK. It looks to me like it is perched up on quite large feet, which would have the forest "floating" in the air. Smaller feet or a slab might be a better choice. But this one will be fine to get the forest established.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Tough to do a forest with shimpakus. I have only seen a few. However the ones I have seen have been very effective. One reminded me of the top of a mountain with a very scraggy / windblown appearance.

 

[DaveV]

Nice shimpakus. I had the same thought as you 4-5 years ago and someone told me that shimpakus deveolpe the pom-pom effect and therefore a grove or forest planting using shimpaku may have the effect that you are looking for. I made mine into individual bonsai ( I am happy I did this too).

 

[Vance Wood]

Well, he said he had others that he'd used for "other purposes."

Besides, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using decent trees for forests. While it's true you can made a forest with otherwise nondescript trees, it's always nice to have a couple of nicer trees as the centerpiece of the forest.

These all look like ideal candidates to me.

I can't really see it, but the pot looks just OK. It looks to me like it is perched up on quite large feet, which would have the forest "floating" in the air. Smaller feet or a slab might be a better choice. But this one will be fine to get the forest established.

Good luck and have fun.

The only problem I have with this point of view is that it is possible the individual dynamics of the individual trees may work against the continuity of a group or forest dynamic. JMHO

 

[buddhamonk]

I agree that group planting need a few good trees. Trees that could stand on their own to enhance the overall quality of the composition. I am not set on the pot yet but it is the shallowest that i have right now. The initial pot will be mostly for developing the group planting. I am also planning to add some stones to make it more of a saikei but i have nit decided on which stone at this point. More to come soon...

 

[buddhamonk]

Quick update

so I decided to go with a bigger pot for now

Root work

Front of the group planting

Front at a different angle to show the depth

Side view

Back view

Next spring - will wire the trunks and branches to get uniform movement. Then develop over the next few years...

I used really thick/long moss all over to protect the roots from freezing this winter since this is not an ideal time for root work but the PNW weather is pretty mild anyway so I am not too worried as long as the trees are protected from freezing.

 

[jk_lewis]

Decent start, but it's going to take some heavy-duty wiring to get movement in those trunks. I think I would have wired before I planted.

 

[reddog]

wiring

Nice potential but will need time. I think I would have wired the trees first before planting then made adjustments to branches.

 

[october]

Nice potential but will need time. I think I would have wired the trees first before planting then made adjustments to branches.

At first, I thought the same thing. However, on second thought. If this was the case, you would have had distinct trees that all had to be planted like pieces of a puzzle. Doing it this way, when this is wired, it will be wired as one unit. A nice composition that forms one visual image. Am I correct in assuming this is your plan? It may be a bit more difficult to wire seeing as how the trees are close together though.

Rob

 

[buddhamonk]

Yes the one problem with wiring and styling first was that I didn't know exactly where each tree was going to do. It will be difficult to wire from now on but not impossible. What I should have done is place all the wires beforehand, then place the trees in the pot and then apply the bends needed. I'm not super happy with the way it came out actually and it mostly has so do with the lack of secondary branching which can only come with time.

I may end up taking the whole thing apart and starting over in the next few days. I don't like the pot either and I really want to have stones now...

 

[october]

Yes the one problem with wiring and styling first was that I didn't know exactly where each tree was going to do. It will be difficult to wire from now on but not impossible. What I should have done is place all the wires beforehand, then place the trees in the pot and then apply the bends needed. I'm not super happy with the way it came out actually and it mostly has so do with the lack of secondary branching which can only come with time.

I may end up taking the whole thing apart and starting over in the next few days. I don't like the pot either and I really want to have stones now...

lol... Don't you hate that.. when you planned something or used a certain pot or planted on a certain angle and then find something you don't like. About 5 years ago, I repotted the straight trunk bunjin I posted in another thread. Anyway, after the repot, I found a better angle... I was like ahh..oh well. Have to wait a few years, then I can change it. Anyway, shortly after the repot, the tree blew off the ledge. Amazingly, no damage was sustained. However, it was practically half out of the pot. I did an emergency repot and put it on the angle I wanted. The tree never missed a beat. It was almost like nature said..I'll help you out...lol. Anyway, this is the reason why in almost every pic, the tree is tied and wired to a second bonsai pot underneath.

Rob

 

[edprocoat]

lol... Don't you hate that.. when you planned something or used a certain pot or planted on a certain angle and then find something you don't like. About 5 years ago, I repotted the straight trunk bunjin I posted in another thread. Anyway, after the repot, I found a better angle... I was like ahh..oh well. Have to wait a few years, then I can change it. Anyway, shortly after the repot, the tree blew off the ledge. Amazingly, no damage was sustained. However, it was practically half out of the pot. I did an emergency repot and put it on the angle I wanted. The tree never missed a beat. It was almost like nature said..I'll help you out...lol. Anyway, this is the reason why in almost every pic, the tree is tied and wired to a second bonsai pot underneath.

Rob

I noticed the wire on that tree a few times and I figured with the height of teh tree and the small pot it was a smart thing now I know, as Paul Harvey used to say " The rest of the story "

ed