Straight Shimpaku

n8

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I'd consider cutting a channel in the straight trunk, packing it w/ aluminum, raffia over all of that, wire on top of that, and crank it back down and over itself to drastically reduce the tree. Its surely healthy enough.

Constantly considering this. Just unsure of it working with the amount of dead wood. It would certainly be an improvement.

Unfamiliar with the "packing it w/ aluminum" suggestion. Care to elaborate?
 

bwaynef

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Constantly considering this. Just unsure of it working with the amount of dead wood. It would certainly be an improvement.

Unfamiliar with the "packing it w/ aluminum" suggestion. Care to elaborate?
You create a channel, then put thick aluminum wire in it to act as a core so that the tears and splits don't happen on the inside but its still malleable. Then wrap everything tight with raffia.
 

Potawatomi13

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You create a channel, then put thick aluminum wire in it to act as a core so that the tears and splits don't happen on the inside but its still malleable. Then wrap everything tight with raffia.
Since deadwood on top this would be location of "channel". Unless killing off live vein instead. After bent dead wood would never heal over. Seems most unwise advice🧐.
 

n8

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You create a channel, then put thick aluminum wire in it to act as a core so that the tears and splits don't happen on the inside but its still malleable. Then wrap everything tight with raffia.

Gotcha. I'm skeptical it'll work in this situation. When I started the thread, I brought up the option of bending the trunk, but knowing more now than what I knew then, I don't think it's an option. I've done some pretty tremendous and death-defying bends on other junipers with my teacher (he works with huge Sierras), but only on fully live material. On this tree, I have a 1"+ trunk and four inches of live material to work with above the shari. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's probably not the best idea for the this project.

Here are some closer trunk shots. (Yes! It's raining in the central valley!)

IMG-8419.JPG IMG-8418.JPG
 

leatherback

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but only on fully live material. On this tree, I have a 1"+ trunk and four inches of live material to work with above the shari. I
If you do decide to bend, wrap the deadwood in cloth, and keep it soaking wet for 24+hrs. It will help. Then bend in slow paces.
 
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bwaynef

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In that case, you'd have to separate the live from the dead. The channel would probably end up unnecessary.

Whatever you do, I'm interested to see what you turn out.
 

n8

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Cut back the long branch and did some wiring to pull everything in tighter. Also removed two secondary branches on the main branch to reveal more of the interesting parts of the trunk. I think that very bottom branch needs to come off, too. For now, I just pulled it in with a zip tie.


IMG-8437.jpg IMG-8436.jpg IMG-8435.jpg IMG-8434.jpg
 

hemmy

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I think it’s a nice tree and coming along well. I like the age in the deadwood at the base and the roll of the live vein. But Arnold’s pic above feels like the better front. I like Smoke’s original idea of pushing the apex back over or at least towards the roots. In the Mirai speak, you’d have a tension design there trunk moves left and the defining branch sweeps left with the apex titling left. I think I’d also consider a ~20deg angle change towards more vertical which brings the apex and base closer to a center line. I like the deadwood off the main slanting trunk and would like to see more if it. Maybe drop the right branch in the above pic a little lower to show the end? This tree will look great in the right pot. Nice job.
 
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n8

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The apex doesn't stick out as much to me in person, but it sure looks goofy in my pictures. And yanking the bottom branch does open the possibility of using the current back as a better front. The way it emerges from trunk draws attention, but that's no a problem if it doesn't exist!

I'll repot in a couple months and the take some more steps. Appreciate the input, as always.
 

Arnold

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Vissually dont make much sense have that very long branch to the right and the little one bellow it
 
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n8

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Repot and long-awaited change to the angle. . Yes, the little branch is coming off... soon. I promise.

Will also do extensive wiring soon. The apex is going to stay and I have some ideas on bringing it down, creating jin within the foliage and making so it doesn't look like a little hat.


IMG-9913.jpg IMG-9915.jpg IMG-9914.jpg IMG-9916.jpg
 

Smoke

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You have enough canopy on this tree to make three trees. Open each of those pom poms up and wire out individual branchlets. Cut off what does not need to be there. thin and thin some more. Make sub branches within the pom poms, I know there can be a lot more openings with in each branch.
 

Smoke

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Look at each branch it looks like a fist. Now splay them out like the fingers on an open palm. Turn the tips up slightly. Clean out the growth in each crotch as you build and expose some bark on each tip with growth on the end. It just seems to me that you build a whole bunch of new fists, cut them back, grow out again, and never build any structure, you know, the artistic part.
 

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Smoke

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Here is that same tree four years or so later. Just finished pruning it last week and wire. It was pretty shaggy as it hadn't really been worked since that last photo. Shoots were about a foot long. Check out the close up of a branch and see what I mean about separating into small twigs with just green out at the tip. Its a lot of work and can become tedious, but thats what bonsai is all about.
 

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n8

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Good timing, Al. I had been thinning and wiring in my limited available time this week. Reckon you'll say should have gone harder. This felt about right considering the amount of roots removed three weeks ago. Here are some pictures from yesterday.

IMG-0001.jpg IMG-0002.jpg IMG-0003.jpg IMG-0004.jpg



IMG-9999.jpg
 

Hartinez

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Hey @n8 . I think you’re def getting there. You def thinned, but I think you’re still coming up a bit short in terms of wiring. If you look at a close up @Smoke ‘s branch example vs a close up what you just finished, you’ll notice the difference. Your structural wiring is all there but you have little to no fine wiring all the way to the tips. In order to really develop canopy shaping and define branching it’s imperative that our junipers get an almost 100% wiring done at least once in their lifetime. Like ultra fine copper or aluminum all the way to the tips on every. Single. Branch. You’ll realize real quick how much you can still spread each pom Pom you have formed into pads. It can be tedious but it really yields the best results for current visuals and long term branch structuring.
 
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Bonsai Nut

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Good timing, Al. I had been thinning and wiring in my limited available time this week. Reckon you'll say should have gone harder. This felt about right considering the amount of roots removed three weeks ago. Here are some pictures from yesterday.
Go back and read what he said about bringing the trunk back over and creating a new apex, because I agree with him. I would lose your current apex and create a new trunkline off your major descending branch - either using the entire branch or one of the minor branchlets.

new-apex.jpg
 
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n8

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Appreciate the input. Back with more pictures after a little bit of finer wiring this afternoon.


IMG-0006.jpg IMG-0007.jpg IMG-0008.jpg
 
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