Old (and seemingly dead) Junipers

[Ryan820]

Hey all--

So we have two old junipers that we got with our property that we never removed-- my wife hacked at them a year ago and this is what they look like now (though they had some dieback this year, they didn't always look this awful). There is a flush of growth near the bottom...

they'e coming out of the ground one way or another-- but I'm wondering if there is some hidden gem here... the bases are several inches wide-- six plus inches... a lot would need cut away and new branches trained, but I have a feeling there is more to these bushes than meets the eye.

What would you do with these plants???

 

[fourteener]

Hidden gem potential has everything to do with the first 6-8 inches of the trunk. If it's just grown a bunch of stems...not too interesting.

If it was interesting, it would probably need to stay in the ground. It doesn't look healthy enough to survive a transplant. Maybe it will wake up a little more as the temps rise.

 

[Poink88]

Looks like a thuja arborvitae

I agree with 14er...see how it grows and let it recover before attempting a transplant. You may have a treasure hiding under those branches.

 

[GrimLore]

If you want to "give it a try" knock them down to 2 foot tall and remove all the brittle dead stuff. Mist them a lot and do not let them get direct sun. If it works out and they come back dig them or grow them next year. If it does not work out you might land up with some decent deadwood to make Tanuki like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u65YzZ3664I

Grimmy

 

[Dav4]

Hey all--



What would you do with these plants???

Honestly, I'd rip them out and throw them away. They are basically dead now, and if by some miracle they survive what happened to them, I doubt they would survive the collection, and then it would it be years before they are strong enough to be worked on, and this is all assuming they would have potential down the road...which from the pictures is a big assumption.

 

[Ryan820]

Wow... thats a big spread of opinions. Well whats the worst that happens... I leave them in for another year and they die or they die if I cut them down.

At this point, since I have two, I think I'll begin working on one and let the stronger one wait. I'm choosing the smaller of the two for now because even though it looks mostly dead, there is strong healthy growth below all of those dead branches lower on the trunk. They've been here since 1974 and not cared for at all so I imagine they'll make it another season, especially if I leave them in the ground and even care for them (water, feeding etc).

So in the end, if nothing else, they're practice.

Thanks all!

 

[Ryan820]

If you want to "give it a try" knock them down to 2 foot tall and remove all the brittle dead stuff. Mist them a lot and do not let them get direct sun. If it works out and they come back dig them or grow them next year. If it does not work out you might land up with some decent deadwood to make Tanuki like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u65YzZ3664I

Grimmy

Funny you should that this about the deadwood...

came across some dead wood from an old rocky mountain juniper and I plan on getting a whip-ish RMJ to style and put on to this dead wood...

Thoughts?

 

[GrimLore]

Thoughts?

Very nice piece you have there! I meant to give options and I guess many do no go by the old saying "If life gives you Lemons..." I am always looking to reclaim even what looks lost, just my nature.

Grimmy

 

[Ryan820]

Very nice piece you have there! I meant to give options and I guess many do no go by the old saying "If life gives you Lemons..." I am always looking to reclaim even what looks lost, just my nature.

Grimmy

Thanks, Grimmy.... this dead wood has some rot to it but I believe I can fit that easily enough. Now the trick is finding a rocky mountain juniper with whips long enough to train and follow the lines of the wood naturally.

I find a new life for most things... so it's in my nature to try things out, too.

 

[Dav4]

Thanks, Grimmy.... this dead wood has some rot to it but I believe I can fit that easily enough. Now the trick is finding a rocky mountain juniper with whips long enough to train and follow the lines of the wood naturally.

QUOTE]
Why RMJ? If you're going to the trouble of creating a tanuki, why not use a species with better foliage like shimpaku? It may need more winter protection in CO but worth it, imho.

 

[Ryan820]

Thanks, Grimmy.... this dead wood has some rot to it but I believe I can fit that easily enough. Now the trick is finding a rocky mountain juniper with whips long enough to train and follow the lines of the wood naturally.

QUOTE]
Why RMJ? If you're going to the trouble of creating a tanuki, why not use a species with better foliage like shimpaku? It may need more winter protection in CO but worth it, imho.

Ok so I'm going to show some ignorance here.... but what constitutes a shimpaku? To my knowledge I don't have access to a whippish shimpaku... does it go by another name, as in something I might be able to find at tree nurseries etc?

I wanted a RMJ simply because I'm in Colorado AND they're tough as nails... but I do agree, a different juniper might be better.

 

[Poink88]

I'd probably start from this...

 

[Ryan820]

That photo literally made me dizzy.

I like the approach. What tree would you pair with it?

 

[Dav4]

Ok so I'm going to show some ignorance here.... but what constitutes a shimpaku? To my knowledge I don't have access to a whippish shimpaku... does it go by another name, as in something I might be able to find at tree nurseries etc?

I wanted a RMJ simply because I'm in Colorado AND they're tough as nails... but I do agree, a different juniper might be better.

"Shimpaku" refers, very generally, to the types of Chinese juniper that have historically been used for bonsai material. Do a search here, then a search on the web for vendors. Brent at evergreengardenworks sells them and you can't go wrong with him. Many, including me, make cuttings from our existing trees. Here are two of mine along with a cutting from last years.