The biggest tree I have collected yet...

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I have less experience with Junipers than other species.

I had my eye on this really big Juniper for a long time growing at an old local farm house. I was nervous walking up to the door and could feel my heart pumping. When I knocked on the door they offered to help me dig it. They had been cutting it back themselves every few years, which is part of why I was attracted to it, so I did not cut more than 5-10% of the foliage. I’ve heard that Junipers get most of there strength from the foliage.

My plan is to let it get really strong and then try a lot of approach grafts with Shimpaku. I’m hoping to make the tree much smaller so it will be manageable and movable.

A lot has to come together to make it work.FDF601D7-F486-4134-AD56-8C1FDBE0A5A6.jpeg0114371A-A218-4908-8F6C-22564F8E6D4B.jpegF26C84AD-894C-42AC-BD32-4BF2F6FD95E9.jpeg
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Nice one!
I left a note at someones home asking for similar size specimens. I'm too much of a pussy to ring the doorbell.
 

Garyh550

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Very cool, it will be a great tree as time progresses and you incorporate some dead wood features on it.
 
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If you keep finding great stuff like that you're going to make us all jealous you know.
Haha , I don’t know Gene you have some amazing trees so I’ll be jealous right back at yah. This one could go either way, pretty cool tree or a failed attempt. I’ve never grafted Juniper before. I figure try 20 in case i only have 15% success rate.

@Soldano666 I collected this late summer early fall. I have asked quite a few people just knocking I would say they go for it about half the time. I tell myself if I start walking toward the door momentum might take me all the way to the knocking... haha
 

Johnathan

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An old landscape guy told me that a lot of older junipers in landscape are already in fact shimpaku. He said they were used quite a bit "back in the day" lol

Of course, he also probably doesn't even know how to spell shimpaku and was probably just being a friendly conversationalist lol

All i all, looks like a great find to me. Did you offer to plant something in its place? I'm going to offer rose bushes lol
 

Potawatomi13

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:eek:! Looks like Spring there:cool:. Wet and dreary here. Humbug!
 

defra

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Cool matterial matt!
It does look like regular chinensis foliage, if so i wouldnt have the urge to graft shimpaku on it, chinensis gets tight enough and especially with larger tree's its good enough imo
 

leatherback

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Nice dig.
I agree with defra; Was wondering myself: Why graft something else on this. The foliage looks nice enough already.
 
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@defra and @leatherback I'm not sure what the foliage type is on this one but your right it really isnt bad. My issue is I want to make the tree alot smaller and would need to graft down the trunk to compact it. I would like to at least try, if the grafting doesnt work I could make a bit bigger tree and do some more bending etc.
 

Wilson

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Nice massive material! It always kills me when I see beautiful garden trees stripped of their branches, or just dried out by the curbside. Their is a tremendous amount of old landscape material all across the continent, so it's fun to see some become bonsai!
 

WNC Bonsai

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Great find. But how are you going to work with it in a pot? Seems like something that big will require either a portable lift, backhoe, or 3 men and a boy to move around. The homeowner who gave it to you seems to have the right solution. At any rate I am keeping an eye out in my neighborhood as this development was built in the mid-1960s and is full of old junipers, boxwood, azaleas, etc. that are now overgrown and need to be replaced with more desirable pants. Unfortunately my wife pulled out most of our azaleas and boxwoods 5-6 yesrs ago, before I got bit by the bonsai bug. I know I killed a dozen or so big chinese privets, 3 common privets, and a couple other big old japanese hollies that would have been excellent subjects. Old developments like this are prime territory for collecting urban yamadori when new owners move in and start ripping out the old landscape material.
 

River's Edge

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@defra and @leatherback I'm not sure what the foliage type is on this one but your right it really isnt bad. My issue is I want to make the tree alot smaller and would need to graft down the trunk to compact it. I would like to at least try, if the grafting doesnt work I could make a bit bigger tree and do some more bending etc.
Consider the possibility of approach grafts using the current foliage. Allows you to grow out the top for root recovery and produce extensions for lower grafts. Spend considerable time defining existing live veins and basic root structure, all as the basis for final design options and grafting locations. Find the natural flow first before reducing , develop the nebari to support the final desired planting angle. Have fun, tons of potential.
 
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Great find. But how are you going to work with it in a pot? Seems like something that big will require either a portable lift, backhoe, or 3 men and a boy to move around. The homeowner who gave it to you seems to have the right solution. At any rate I am keeping an eye out in my neighborhood as this development was built in the mid-1960s and is full of old junipers, boxwood, azaleas, etc. that are now overgrown and need to be replaced with more desirable pants. Unfortunately my wife pulled out most of our azaleas and boxwoods 5-6 yesrs ago, before I got bit by the bonsai bug. I know I killed a dozen or so big chinese privets, 3 common privets, and a couple other big old japanese hollies that would have been excellent subjects. Old developments like this are prime territory for collecting urban yamadori when new owners move in and start ripping out the old landscape material.
This tree is too big for me generally. BUT... its fun to try. Maybe Ill just leave it in the center of my garden and never really move it but just enjoy it. Or maybe I will be able to reduce it enough to make it mobile. I actually collected two, the other one has interesting potential, but I did not have enough soil so the other went straight into the ground. Will be playing around with that one as too.
 
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Consider the possibility of approach grafts using the current foliage. Allows you to grow out the top for root recovery and produce extensions for lower grafts. Spend considerable time defining existing live veins and basic root structure, all as the basis for final design options and grafting locations. Find the natural flow first before reducing , develop the nebari to support the final desired planting angle. Have fun, tons of potential.
Hmm I like you idea. I think approach grafting with long whips of the current foliage might produce a good tree a little quicker. The foliage did have some juvenile at all the bases when it was in the ground and before it was collected. I don't know if I want to deal with Juvenile foliage much. If it had Juvenile foliage after being the ground in the same spot for decades my guess is it will continue to be there if I don't graft? I don't think the angle I planted the tree in will be the final potting angle and you made a few good points about really studying the flow and the live veins before grafting.
 

River's Edge

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Hmm I like you idea. I think approach grafting with long whips of the current foliage might produce a good tree a little quicker. The foliage did have some juvenile at all the bases when it was in the ground and before it was collected. I don't know if I want to deal with Juvenile foliage much. If it had Juvenile foliage after being the ground in the same spot for decades my guess is it will continue to be there if I don't graft? I don't think the angle I planted the tree in will be the final potting angle and you made a few good points about really studying the flow and the live veins before grafting.
The biggest factor with juvenile foliage will be the pace you work the tree. Take your time to create a level of vigor and health before beginning and stage your work! Stress management is the key.
 
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How is this massive trunk doing?
interestingly I collected this tree along with another of the same size that was next to it. This one that I put in a pot had more roots. The other did not come out with very many roots so I put it straight into the ground. This one in a pot died and the one in the ground is very vigorous. I am excited to start some minor work on it next spring.
 
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