? To clean bark on a shimpaku, looks simple enough...

[Japonicus]

A juniper task I've never tackled is removing old bark.
On shimpaku, the bark is flaky and looks to be an easy task.
? How long till it builds the flaking texture back as it grows?
I'm sure it depends on the development stage...I will be feeding well
as with most other trees I have, repotting this coming Spring.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes, the bark of scale-foliage junipers like Shimpaku is usually cleaned off, and the bark of needle junipers is usually left on.
use the back of a knife and gently remove the flakey bark, and follow behind with a good scrubbing with a wet toothbrush. The red and smooth live veins contrasts well with deadwood and the soft bright green foliage. The ”bark” returns in a year it two.

 

[Japonicus]

Yes, the bark of scale-foliage junipers like Shimpaku is usually cleaned off, and the bark of needle junipers is usually left on.
use the back of a knife and gently remove the flakey bark, and follow behind with a good scrubbing with a wet toothbrush. The red and smooth live veins contrasts well with deadwood and the soft bright green foliage. The ”bark” returns in a year it two.

Yup looks easy enough, but how long would you typically say
that it takes for the bark to return in flake fashion?

 

[sorce]

"if it's red go ahead, if it's brown wait around"
That's what I tell myself after what BVF told me.
Of the color underneath and when to remove bark.

Depends on growth and this seems dependent on the root foliage connections as they are.... what's the technical term....

Anyway that, makes for only sections of vertical bark to actually become loose, the lesser growing sections is what keeps them attached.

Could be one year for fast growing sections, but usually it is still held at another part for longer.

Sorce

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yup looks easy enough, but how long would you typically say
that it takes for the bark to return in flake fashion?

Like I said, a year or two. Here are a few shots. Cleaned off late August 2016:

And the same tree in December 2017:

 

[sorce]

Like I said, a year or two. Here are a few shots. Cleaned off late August 2016:
View attachment 267111View attachment 267112View attachment 267113
And the same tree in December 2017:
View attachment 267110

I've viewed the canopy of that, the upper trunk and Shari...
Never really got down to the base, those lines are wonderful.
This tree must look so much better in person!

Sorce

 

[Japonicus]

Like I said, a year or two. Here are a few shots. Cleaned off late August 2016:
View attachment 267111View attachment 267112View attachment 267113
And the same tree in December 2017:
View attachment 267110

Huh I’ll be darn. I swear that last line was invisible where you said a year or two.
I know i read it 3 times before I replied, sorry. Ok will post a pic of it after I eat my oatie oats
and have a strong cuppa Joe. Have a swell weekend!

 

[Japonicus]

Ok so here I start

getting here with a knife, and then...

Here after some damp tooth brushing, but it leaves a fibre like coconut fibres.
I pull on those and it strips obviously, more. Is that more too much, just leave the
stringy fibres or take it on down? I'm not going for a full on polish look.
Just enough to slap some wire on before Winter and possibly be more sanitary for the tree.

?Going into Winter, potting up in Spring, is this considered an insult?
I'm ready for Winter to be over and pot this up already

 

[Japonicus]

Like I said, a year or two. Here are a few shots. Cleaned off late August 2016:
View attachment 267111View attachment 267112View attachment 267113
And the same tree in December 2017:
View attachment 267110

BTW your juniper Brian is outstanding!
What time of year does the tree prefer to do that level of cleaning up from the mess mines in?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looking pretty good. Keep going, and yes, try to get the long stringy fibers too. I don’t have a specific time of year to do this, usually it’s more for show-prep, and I try to do it a month or so before show so the tones even out a bit.

 

[Adair M]

You can apply something like camellia oil, or walnut oil to the cleaned area, and the cinnamon color will really pop!

 

[Japonicus]

You can apply something like camellia oil, or walnut oil to the cleaned area, and the cinnamon color will really pop!

Know nothing about camellia but I do like walnut and cinnamon
Some of the red seems to be terribly thin. How is that?
Again, my 1st time performing any amount of this task.

 

[Japonicus]

That's about the sum of the bark and trunk cleaning I plan on for now.
The more I get at the small fibres the more white sap wood gets exposed.
Really thin skinned from what I'm finding. Will get a couple better photos up later.

 

[Cable]

How do you keep from going too deep and accidentally girdling the tree?

 

[Japonicus]

How do you keep from going too deep and accidentally girdling the tree?

Don't go in circles?

 

[Japonicus]

Seriously though @Cable we're not removing the cambium like a layer.
It does bother my ignorance though, when I see white wood exposed, and I get a feel
of what I did to get to that point. After 2 exposures, I at least learned my comfort zone
for my 1st time of doing this, and in Autumn at that. Just leave colour if you're not sure.
Do you have one that you're wanting to do this on now? I just wanted to remove the nasty flaky
bark that's gonna get trapped with wire if I left it, and ended up starting this thread to ask.
You're welcome to post any pics or video here and tag anybody you wish to reply.
Timing, is a good point...when is it best. Does it count as an insult?

EDIT
@Brian Van Fleet

Does the dark "live vein" wood have a thin skin in parts? Is it dark through to the heart?
I peeled some reddish brown that was at most 1or 2 mills thick. Felt odd finding white wood under the red...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Does it count as an insult?

Done correctly, no, not at all.

@Brian Van Fleet
Does the dark "live vein" wood have a thin skin in parts? Is it dark through to the heart?
I peeled some reddish brown that was at most 1or 2 mills thick. Felt odd finding white wood under the red...

Yes, it’s thin in parts, but it’s normal to expose some (a little) of the bright white. It will darken and even out in a few weeks.

 

[Japonicus]

Done correctly, no, not at all.

Yes, it’s thin in parts, but it’s normal to expose some (a little) of the bright white. It will darken and even out in a few weeks.

Awesome! Looking at your pictures it helps me feel like I did not get at it too deep.
I mean there's more to go before I would polish it, but I did order some walnut oil
that I can eat, put in salad or put on my ugly face if it's not doing anything for the tree.
I see you use baby oil on your "in a pinch" before an unexpected show shimpaku in your blog.
Thanks for sharing these pics and your kind helps.

Anyway I assume where there's white underneath, that I'm not right on top of a live vein.
I need to learn more about these veins...

 

[Cable]

Seriously though @Cable we're not removing the cambium like a layer.

Right, not intentionally. I'm wondering how you know when to stop. Like, when I'm making jins sometimes it just peels down the trunk into a shari all on its own. Brian said to use the dull side of a knife and a toothbrush but I'm still uncertain how you know not to go too far.

I don't have any junipers ready for this yet I'm just curious about it.

 

[Japonicus]

Right, not intentionally. I'm wondering how you know when to stop. Like, when I'm making jins sometimes it just peels down the trunk into a shari all on its own. Brian said to use the dull side of a knife and a toothbrush but I'm still uncertain how you know not to go too far.

I don't have any junipers ready for this yet I'm just curious about it.

Well I went further than JUST the back of a knife. I couldn't get those fibres otherwise
so sharp side and tweezers in meticulous fashion. If it killed my tree I will let you know...
I think you run a risk of interrupting "back bud points" with a sharp, what's the term...dormant buds.
Seeing his pics, just look at the smoothness of the wood, I think my tree will be ok.
Timing...not so sure, but my shimpaku is very healthy leading into the potting up.