Shishigashira extreme makeover (still on the way)

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,878
Reaction score
9,248
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6b
I've been following this and was unsure what planet it was from until just now. I watched in amazement as a great deal of work was done to make a giant asshole into a Special, deluxe Giant Asshole. All the while I was thinking, "This is going to enshrine this black mark on this tree forever. Forever."

Every feature of every tree becomes a part of the whole. Good parts overshadow the lesser parts, and really prominent features that are less than appealing are either hidden completely or ruin everything else that could be favorable. There are a few ugly things that can become "The Feature" on a tree, like a lighting strike at the apex, but they are really difficult to carry out. The sooner that the owner separates the wheat from the chaff, the better. Here, the wheat is tossed aside and the chaff is served up in a fancy bowl with bananas and half & half. Lipstick on a pig.

Too many pretty good trees occupy our time for years and years and then as we learn that their faults can't be hidden, we abandon them for better stock and the process continues. There are lots of bad things that can and will and do happen to trees, so even pretty good trees get wounded by bad luck along the way by bugs and storms and squirrels, birds, drought, fungi, and of course, us. But when you start with a scarred reject, your future is guaranteed.

Learning to chose wisely is more than half the game. The same amount of time and effort spent on good stock would have paid off, someday. Or I should say, might have had a better chance at paying off well. If we treat every tree we own as having the destination of being in a Show, we'll be lucky if one out of ten make it. Time is precious and cannot be replaced.
 

AlainK

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,394
Reaction score
9,486
Location
Orléans, France, Europe
USDA Zone
9A
@Davidlpf ,

I wrote "spectacular healing" because I think it shows you can cultivate a tree with some very good skills.

I didn't want to discourage you with a negative comment, but I think that what Bonsai Nut wrote is what I also feel. I think that so far the top and the lower trunk are disproportionate, and that keeping the grafted part, the rootstock, is not a good option. So yeas, an air-layer seems, to me, to be the best solution.

You would then have a strong buttress, and be able to work on the upper part to refine it :

20210409_125026.jpg

You could even keep the base for a second project, so what do you have to lose ?
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,420
Reaction score
27,871
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Maybe an airlayer of the upper part would be the best option.

This year, I'm letting it grow again, so the next year we'll see.

Thanks to all for the comments.

Cheers.

I have a few problem or ugly trees that still have a future... I just don't know what it is yet. I have one shimpaku that I have owned for 26 years, and that at one point I thought was going to die, but then it recovered, and now it sits in my garden while I try to figure out what to do with it. As it stands, it is unworkable as bonsai because of its significant flaws. But I know generally the work I want to do, and it requires a year or two more of growth before I work on it :)
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,878
Reaction score
9,248
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6b
I have a few problem or ugly trees that still have a future... I just don't know what it is yet. I have one shimpaku that I have owned for 26 years, and that at one point I thought was going to die, but then it recovered, and now it sits in my garden while I try to figure out what to do with it. As it stands, it is unworkable as bonsai because of its significant flaws. But I know generally the work I want to do, and it requires a year or two more of growth before I work on it :)
I have quite a few trees that I have had for 15 or 20 years that fall into the same category: too much personally invested in to get rid of, but not really close to where they need to go. They take up space and time and are the bane of collections, everywhere. Newbees, beware...
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
Update 30/09/2021


After the hot summer it has some leaves scorched, but it is still alive.

The two shoots of the root stock had grown quite well, the nex year I'm going to take off both of them and I'll take some cuttings just in case, maybe more space lost, who knows! :cool:

It is remarkable how vigorous the nejikan cuttings are going on!

Cheers! and as always, any comment is welcome.
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
New year, new updates

22/01/2022

08/02/2022

Future new shoes

Update 17/03/2022

The plan for this year is let it grow till the end of spring and airlayer the branches from the root stock and three of the upper part in orde to obtain some sapplins to play with. ;)

We will see how it works.

Cheers
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
Update 15/04/2022

Still a lot of faults, but growing pretty and strong.


Maybe it won't be never a good one, but I enjoy the way.

Cheers.
 

Gabler

Masterpiece
Messages
2,358
Reaction score
3,195
Location
The Delmarva Peninsula
USDA Zone
7a
Is that a grafted tree? Is there a reason you haven’t air layered it above the graft?

Edit: I see you discussed that possibility above in this thread.
 

Srt8madness

Omono
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
1,245
Location
Houston, Tx
USDA Zone
9a
I mean, maybe there's something to be said for keeping a less stunning tree as a testbed of horticultural technique? OP has air layered, wound carved, grafted, reported, root trimmed, and probably a few other techniques. Perhaps it's better to have learned them on a dog when it comes time to apply them to the show pony?
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
Is that a grafted tree?
Yea, certanly it is grafted, it's two very diferent tipes of leaves in the shoots on the botton part of the trunk.
Is there a reason you haven’t air layered it above the graft?

The upper part have big holes than need to be adressed, so I'm woriking on it first.

I mean, maybe there's something to be said for keeping a less stunning tree as a testbed of horticultural technique? OP has air layered, wound carved, grafted, reported, root trimmed, and probably a few other techniques. Perhaps it's better to have learned them on a dog when it comes time to apply them to the show pony?

Yes, it is my personal crash test dummy tree 🤣

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers.
 
Messages
207
Reaction score
78
Location
Elkhart Indiana
USDA Zone
5/6
Hi David,
It is a bit sad that you take fantastic progression photos, but don’t take criticism at all.
Thicker skin might help realise we are all here to help each other, and you not ask for “pat-on-back” reactions from us. I am not trying to be a troll lol.
But makes me wonder why you are posting?
Charles
New to forum but I would say if were giving critic or ascetic advice on the tree or the process or technique I wouls agree with you but when it's about music and like he said mute it is dont like it I don't see that as ignoring advice that matters . If it were too loud and he wad talking and you weren't able make out his comments or explaining what he is doing then yes I'd agree. But again each their own in end I supose. And I'm super deaf in real life 10% hearing right eat fully deaf left so I typically don't register music less max volume so tbf and honest maybe I'm over looking it also, but I only see complaints on the music and nothing on poster responding negatively to technical or anything
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
Update 25/01/2024


The roots are going in the correct way!
shishi.jpg
For this year, I hope a lot of backbuding over the upper part of the trunk, and I wish a good amount of new growth in order to improve the nebary and the healing of the wounds. We will see.

"A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence." so, as Burce lee said "be water, my friend!:cool:

Cheers.
 

Davidlpf

Chumono
Messages
541
Reaction score
1,448
Location
North Toledo, almost Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9
Update 01/03/2023


spring is coming....

For this year I have a plan: let the wip of the left grow until it reach the branch in the back, make and aproach graft, and if all goes well, in the spring of 2025 drill a hole, cut the back branch and insert it in he drilled hole without cut the wip; once the branch will be grafted in the right side (I hope in winter 2025) finally cut the supporting wip.

proyect.jpg

We will see if it works.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:

Dabbler

Shohin
Messages
313
Reaction score
452
coming together very nicely!
 
Top Bottom