Yamadori arborvitae

[jcrossett]

Alright ive been working on this guy for about 3 years now. Did some of my first styling to it last night and going to let it rest.

First some background. The tree was picked from 3 at my in-laws mid summer 2013 honestly can't believe it servived this long. I've cut the heck out of it checked the surface roots and trimmed the crossing ones. Here's a few pics.

Original place of life
Once I got it home.
cut it like this to slow sunlight in to promote back budding.

 

[jcrossett]

After that some more punning and since the energy comes from the foliage you can't just whack it off. No pun intended. So all this was done seems like a branch a month year after year. Lol.

 

[jcrossett]

Now to the fun part I was sitting here looking at this "monster, big goddy ugly monster" and "click!" "If this think was on a coast with the wind beating on it maybe it would kill the front branching. Only issue I cut them lowwww. Well I went with it. It's a work in progress and I need some pointers so here it is and let me have it...

 

[jcrossett]

Now I need to lv out the pad and decide what to do with the back branching. And the one in the front " how did it survive but the ones behind it die?" Lot of questions I have for myself.

Thanks and don't take it easy on me.

 

[Wilson]

You have taken on a good challenge! Hedge cedars can sometimes have a hard time getting sun where it has never touched them before. I think you can surely get a fun battered image from this guy, so don't give up. I think in the last photo where we see the BBQ's on the side, if you rotated the tree so the deadwood was more on the right and branches going left. this seems like it might help convey the message of windswept coastal tree a little better. You also got some fun times ahead doing some awesome carving/burning! keep the forum updated on changes, good luck!

 

[jcrossett]

@Wilson here is turned veiw.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Gotta tell ya, when I scrolled really fast through the first few photos, thinking, ugh, here we go again with another no-potential-foliage-way-out-in-space-dug-up-tree, I was about to close it.

Then I saw it budding back and saw you were committed to using the chunky part of the trunk, and working with new foliage, and putting all new branches on a chunk trunk. Think about carving on it later to add some deadwood where reverse taper is an issue. Your whole tree is in this photo.

I'm looking forward to updates. Good for new folks to see this. Carry on.

 

[jcrossett]

I feel like I'm blocking myself from getting a good view with the extra branching in the back.

 

[jcrossett]

@Brian Van Fleet think I just caught on the this basicly. Start over is what your saying.

 

[jcrossett]

Did some more pruning, wiring, and bending. Here's what I'm leaving for now atleast looks some what apling and great practice if I take bvfs advice. Which I was thinking from the beginning. The one branch in the back ( the straight annoying one ) was to thick and this tree is brittle so I just removed it. Here's what I did. Second picture is where I'd put the branch but not wasting the wire ATM.

 

[sorce]

Sorry it took so long to get to this....

I think the carving....and what you end up with after identifying live veins and such....are going to determine whether or not you can make this a convincing windswept.

Far as finding those live veins...or how these grow, when to safe carve? No bloody clue. Best to find out.

Here's my thing....
Carve it safe to rid the taper issue...but don't worry about forcing it to windswept, to where you may lose some branching etc....
Because this could be styled in another manner pretty convincingly, if not more convincingly.

I would try to identify an entire 1/3 of the trunk which you can safely carve all the way into...and make that the wind side.
Then possibly, over time....remove any extra bulges and such to further help the taper...slowly....to help live veins reconnect elsewhere and such...if that is what these do!?

Either way....you seem to have a great handle on the growth and maintenance, and remaining patient with this puppy...
So I agree...you have a great opportunity!

Sorce

 

[rockm]

This is NOT a windswept candidate. The base is far to hefty for that. Wiring the branches to the side make it look silly (sorry). I'd wire those long shoots into a more or less tiered arrangement, more upright.

 

[jcrossett]

This is NOT a windswept candidate. The base is far to hefty for that. Wiring the branches to the side make it look silly (sorry). I'd wire those long shoots into a more or less tiered arrangement, more upright.

No reason to be sorry. Honesty is key. If you can't handle the truth then you can't make a tree (art ) that everyone appriciates. I'm i right. I was looking at it last night and I'm agreeing with @Brian Van Fleet and also with @sorce the trunk needs to be carved before I can make and good decisions on this guy. And looking more at an informal upright almost like this guy had a tragedy and it broke all its main branches and just a few lower guys servived.

 

[Dav4]

No reason to be sorry. Honesty is key. If you can't handle the truth then you can't make a tree (art ) that everyone appriciates. I'm i right. I was looking at it last night and I'm agreeing with @Brian Van Fleet and also with @sorce the trunk needs to be carved before I can make and good decisions on this guy. And looking more at an informal upright almost like this guy had a tragedy and it broke all its main branches and just a few lower guys servived.

I wouldn't carve anything until you've got more growth down low on the trunk. Whether it comes from back budding or approach grafting (hint hint), you need more foliage there, first and foremost.

 

[Paradox]

These are cool trees and this will be interesting to see how it develops. Good luck with it.

However, just a point of contention for me: this is not a "yamadori". Yamadori traditionally denotes a tree growing in the wild which this isnt.

I think the term "yamadori" is used a bit too loosely some times for trees that are not really yamadori. Perhaps the more recent versions of the term: "yardadori" or "urbandori" would be more appropriate.

 

[jcrossett]

I wouldn't carve anything until you've got more growth down low on the trunk. Whether it comes from back budding or approach grafting (hint hint), you need more foliage there, first and foremost.

I'm going to study this tonight I keep getting ideas. One is tilting to the right on about a 45°. And now maybe bringing those branch's into the bigger straight branch.

@Paradox I like yardadori. Has that been copyrighted yet.

But the house was abandoned for about 5 years before my in-laws got it and those were trimed then so 5 years uncontrolled but ether way yardadori is catchy

 

[jcrossett]

@sorce how would I figure were the veins run.

@Dav4 most of the wood down low is fully dead and dried up.

 

[Paradox]

I like yardadori. Has that been copyrighted yet.

But the house was abandoned for about 5 years before my in-laws got it and those were trimed then so 5 years uncontrolled but ether way yardadori is catchy

Someone coined it a few years ago along with "urbandori". I think both are appropriate for yard grown trees.

 

[sorce]

Perhaps the more recent versions of the term: "yardadori" or "urbandori" would be more appropriate.

And you get the added bonus of driving Vance nuts!

I don't know about live veins....
But Dav4's stuff is getting on to it...

Get some low growth first so you can find them.

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

And you get the added bonus of driving Vance nuts!

Sorce

Did I miss something? How did I drive him nuts?