Another JWP: seeking styling advice

[harshadg]

Recently acquired this leggy JWP and I’m trying to think through styling options. The graft is pretty seamless and potentially has a decent nebari. An informal upright is one option but wondering if there’s others that could make sense too before I commit to a trunk chop.

Retaining the length either in the form of a cascade or a literati would not work with the relatively modest nebari - I think.

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

 

[Lorax7]

Well, a shakkan (slanting) style is what it’s already kind of doing naturally, so that’s an option.

 

[harshadg]

Ended up doing this. I’m not super happy about the contrast in movement (or lack thereof) in the long straight trunk and the movement in the branches. Some of the branches will go eventually.

 

[Dav4]

Inspiration, perhaps. A recent creation from Todd Schlafer of First Branch Bonsai. Your trunk isn't that dissimilar from that of this collected Black Spruce

 

[Paradox]

What does it say on the white tag stuck in the soil?

I would wrap the trunk in raffia and bend it more over the base. To the left in the last picture you posted in post #3

 

[harshadg]

Indeed @Dav4. That’s a very nice tree.

@Paradox tag just says P parviflora ‘Eiko Nishiki’ - but I’m not sure that the cultivar is accurate.

 

[Lorax7]

Ended up doing this. I’m not super happy about the contrast in movement (or lack thereof) in the long straight trunk and the movement in the branches. Some of the branches will go eventually.

It looks odd for it to have that long straight section of trunk and then suddently get curvy at the apex. To make it look natural, you're going to need to put some curves in that straight section of trunk. Fortunately, JWPs tend to be quite bendy. It will require quite a bit of effort but is ultimately do-able. To be on the safe side, you're going to want to wrap with raffia. Use thick copper wire to wrap that section of trunk, then bend carefully. You will likely need to use rebar and guy wires to hold the bends in place. Considering that it is newly-acquired nursery stock, it may not be sufficiently root-bound yet for rebar to just stay in place where you put it when you hammer it down into the root ball, so you may have to figure out a way to anchor the rebar to the nursery can so it doesn't shift once it's under load from the bent trunk.

I've got a couple of progression threads showing how I bent trunks on JWP here and here.

 

[harshadg]

Thanks - sounds like I’ll have to try it!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Keep trunk for sacrifice to develop low trunk. Use lowest branch or two to become future tree. Straight long stovepipe trunk does not compute.

 

[harshadg]

Update: it didn’t make it over the winter. I think I should have given it a year before any work. The combination of moving it to a new location and the work along with the winter did it.

 

[Lorax7]

Bummer. Unfortunately, that’s the inherent uncertainty when working freshly acquired nursery stock. You never really know what was done to the tree by the nursery that year before you bought it. It could’ve just been repotted that year and it wouldn’t necessarily be obvious.

 

[harshadg]

Yeah I actually think it was too weak to start with. I didn’t have the experience to identify that at the time.

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

Inspiration, perhaps. A recent creation from Todd Schlafer of First Branch Bonsai. Your trunk isn't that dissimilar from that of this collected Black Spruce
View attachment 511462

Are your two lowest branches growing at the same level, i:e are they BAR BRANCHES if so one needs to be removed, not my opinion but one of the branch placement rules in Bonsai Design, get Peter adams book THE ART OF BONSAI and or BONSAI DESIGN. Might be a good idea to graft a branch under the branch your removing.

 

[Gabler]

Are your two lowest branches growing at the same level, i:e are they BAR BRANCHES if so one needs to be removed, not my opinion but one of the branch placement rules in Bonsai Design, get Peter adams book THE ART OF BONSAI and or BONSAI DESIGN. Might be a good idea to graft a branch under the branch your removing.

It's a good idea to read the prior comments before responding.

Update: it didn’t make it over the winter. I think I should have given it a year before any work. The combination of moving it to a new location and the work along with the winter did it.

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

It's a good idea to read the prior comments before responding.

I did, what's your point, there is no mention of Bar Branches in the above comments as I have read them again. What prior comment should I have read?

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

It's a good idea to read the prior comments before responding.

There is still no mention of BAR BRANCHES just this"Inspiration, perhaps. A recent creation from Todd Schlafer of First Branch Bonsai. Your trunk isn't that dissimilar from that of this collected Black Spruce" So has he been told to select one of the BAR BRANCHES or just a mention of someone elses 1st branch creation, don't mention that he should remove one of the two branches, but you have to find the front of the tree 1st and that's usually dictated by the Nebari. So I haven't said something that's already been said.

 

[shohin_branches]

I did, what's your point, there is no mention of Bar Branches in the above comments as I have read them again. What prior comment should I have read?

The tree died over winter. It was linked in Gabler's response

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

The tree died over winter. It was linked in Gabler's response

I know but at least tell him about not having Bar Branches on future Trees also I did try and give him an idea of getting a lower branch. It's minor advice, thought you were all here to help or get help not try and denigrate someone elses reply.

 

[Gabler]

I did, what's your point, there is no mention of Bar Branches in the above comments as I have read them again. What prior comment should I have read?

There is still no mention of BAR BRANCHES just this"Inspiration, perhaps. A recent creation from Todd Schlafer of First Branch Bonsai. Your trunk isn't that dissimilar from that of this collected Black Spruce" So has he been told to select one of the BAR BRANCHES or just a mention of someone elses 1st branch creation, don't mention that he should remove one of the two branches, but you have to find the front of the tree 1st and that's usually dictated by the Nebari. So I haven't said something that's already been said.

The tree died over winter. It was linked in Gabler's response

I know but at least tell him about not having Bar Branches on future Trees also I did try and give him an idea of getting a lower branch. It's minor advice, thought you were all here to help or get help not try and denigrate someone elses reply.

We're not trying to denigrate your reply. It looked like you thought the tree was still alive, so I was trying to bring that to your attention. As it turns out, I misunderstood your intention.

Let's talk about bar branches. It sounds like, hypothetically, if the tree were still around, you would suggest removing bar branches and replacing them with grafts higher or lower on the trunk?

 

[PBR STREETGANG]

No I had read it had died in the winter was just making a point of Branch Placement and if in the future has another tree with no lower main branch buta high Main Bar Branches, Once you decide your front then you can graft a lower branch under the branch to be removed, looked like he didn't know about the Bar Branch rule which is why I mentioned it and how to get branches on a Trunk with only growth on the upper 1/4 or 1/3.