Tanuki recommendations

[leatherback]

So.. I have a LARGE piece of interesting deadwood that I would hate to toss. So I am in the process of tanuki. I have plastificized the bottom 6 inches of the deadwood. I have carved a canal for placing the sapling. I have a Juniperus whip of 3 feet to integrate. Now..

- The canal is inverse wedge shape. But narrower than the sapling is thick, so I can make the trunk tapered and slide it in, leaving only the front and little bit of the side of the whip with active bark. Would it be right, or should I make the containing canal much wider so the tree grows into it more? (I am concerned with increaing size busting the canal).
- What is the best time to do this? On ehte one hand.. Today, all growth has stalled and bark is firmly attached so I can push, tease, twist without too much risk. On the other hand.. In 3 months all growth is starting up and plants can respond to any damage fast

Any thoughts?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I did it last winter, worked well without any damage. But I took it apart later on because it wasn't a convincing piece.
I made the channel a bit wider than the whip, hoping that it would eventually overgrow it and latch on to the wood. But I never got that far.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have not done a Tanuki yet. I do have a few pieces of deadwood to which I could use. I have not seen many "good" juniper tanuki, I saw an excellent ficus tanuki once. I think when I do it, I would try a species other than juniper. Perhaps a pine or a larch, or maybe a hornbeam.

 

[leatherback]

 

[AlainK]

I have not done a Tanuki yet.

Neither have I for lack of material - and of time :

1/ "tanuki" are supposed best on conifers, esp. those with a very hard wood.
2/ growing a trunk strong enough for the bark to overlap the dead wood can take a lot of time, esp. with junipers.

But I hope I have some 5 years yet ahead, so I might try Acer buergerianum on dead wood, just for the fun

 

[Shibui]

Make the canal wide enough for the trunk to just slip in. You want the new trunk to grow and thicken into the canal then overflow over the surrounding wood. It can't really do that if you have taken the bark off parts.
The canal does not need to be inverse tapered. Put screws through the new trunk to secure it into the canal as needed. The trunk will grow over the screws as it thickens.

 

[M. Frary]

So I am in the process of tanuki.

I'm sorry.

 

[leatherback]

OK, all put together. In 5 years, give or take, the tiewraps can come off.

 

[RKatzin]

Wow! That's a lot of work! Trying to picture it all grown out. Would you then, say 5yrs or so, work the deadwood back to better suit the foliage attained by that point?
I have yet to go tanuki, but I've put some energy into the prospect. I have a few prospective trees and several pieces of deadwood I've dragged home. I find old yew stumps in old burn areas. I find cedar heartwood on the forest floor and in the high mountain lakes. All kinds of useable driftwood materials congregate in the backwaters. I'm destined to produce something eventually, maybe if someone started a contest. That would be fun.
Thanks for sharing your work!

 

[leatherback]

Thank you

I am not sure what you mean with

work the deadwood back to better suit the foliage attained by that point?

 

[RKatzin]

Well, right now it's a lot of deadwood to a little bit of foliage. As the juniper fills out it will equalize the ratio, but I think you need to get to where you have more foliage to deadwood. This could be accomplished by carving back some of the deadwood, maybe after you see how much can be absorbed into the juniper.

 

[leatherback]

I am not planning on taking off a lot of the deadwood.

 

[RKatzin]

As long as you're happy with it that's the important thing. I'm going to beg off and say no more.

 

[leatherback]

Sad to say.. I was too rough putting it together, and over summer one of the branches died off. I have taken the project apart and am probably selling the deadwood.
- last update-

 

[meushi]

You'd have a far better end result by cutting away the right side and tilting the left side upwards. I've kept a piece of deadwood for over 10 years before starting to do something with it. Don't give up yet.

 

[treepirate]

I have grown a couple of tanukis here is what I've learned.
1, Use larch saplings, so you see results quickly! Don't waste a lifetime growing juniper tanukis.
2, Find a quality piece of deadwood, a skinny long deadwood with no taper will still be just that in 20 years.
3, Spend time carving the groove in a key shape so the tree will lock into it.
4, carve the groove to suit the trees branches.
5, keep all lower growth strong.

Ill get a pic up next time I'm out in the garden

 

[AlainK]

1, Use larch saplings, so you see results quickly! Don't waste a lifetime growing juniper tanukis.

Well, never thought about it, really. Thanks for the suggestion, I have a couple I don't exactly what I want to do with them.

Now I must find some dead wood with nice shapes and hard enough to last years after some "intelligent" treatment.

 

[treepirate]

 

[treepirate]

View attachment 349997View attachment 349998

 

[treepirate]

The seedling used in this was probably 3 years old to start with and only just fit inside the groove.
It has grown in the tanuki now for 3 full years.
I have trimmed the 3 upper branches for the last 2 years to hold back on top growth dominance.
It will be getting the branches wired out this year.
The last pic is a rough generated image of where I would like the tree in the future.
The tree is about 15 inch tall.