Juniperus Chinensis 'Shimpaku' #86

[Orion_metalhead]

A shimpaku given to me. It was low and prostrate originally, so last year I wired it more vertically. The trunk has nice bends and curves, but Im having trouble envisioning branch placement. I think the current main leader would look great with/as a shari.

Thoughts?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

With trunks this size, I wire and twist them to half this height.
Bjorn Bjorholm has some videos on young shimpaku development. Those might be worth watching.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Ill check those out. Thanks. What is the goal of keeping the trunk at such a squat height?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Since the tunk is so thin on whips like these (it's just a name, not an insult) I try to grow those out to a thicker size before I start messing with foliage and branching. Bjorn advises in his videos to remove weak foliage and crotch growth, I keep everything until the trunk is the right size. Because I don't start styling junipers a lot before the trunk is the right size and I might want to use foliage that he would've clipped off three years prior to that point. In three years time, weak foliage can become strong and keeping the crotch stuff would mean that I can clip back entire branches and rebuild them from that crotch growth. I'm doing that on one of my smaller junipers as we speak, some branches are pretty leggy and have tufts of foliage on the ends. Making use of the compact crotch growth, I can cut the entire tufts off and still have a branch to work with.

At some point, when that trunk is >1-1.5cm thick, they become impossible to bend without breaking, and healing takes a year or two. So it might be better to get that out of the way first.

What you're doing by crushing the trunk into a lower height is a game of optical illusion; it looks fatter than it actually is and it gives the tree a weathered and beaten down vibe, as if it's been combating the elements for quite a while. This is pretty common for shohin sized junipers, but the larger ones have it too. That's something I copy from Bjorn.

If I don't forget about it, I'll snap a picture of my itoigawa that are roughly the same size as your plant, but only half the height.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Two scrunched itoigawa.


This one was too rigid to bend down low, but it's a perfect example of leggyness in Chinensis, where I'm using the crotch growth. See below:

The crotches can replace the branches come spring, giving it a tighter and more compacted look.

 

[Japonicus]

If you are not going use the bottom branch as the tree itself, it needs to be kept in scale.
In your 2nd picture you wired a branch straight, off of the lowest branch. I would remove that straight fork
next year and shorten the remainder some then wire it again.


If not using the lowest branch as the tree, I would develop the small shoot that is circled here as the new apex
keeping the top leader sacrificial. The branch to the right of that shoot, will need to be scaled back to do this
developing the interior that is just beyond or outside of the shoot circled. Just a thought...or how I would work on it.
Wedge the pot and consider the lowest branch as the tree though.

 

[Hartinez]

I’d say @Wires_Guy_wires is about right. Id wire and bend and twist this guy up very heavy then just grow it out. In 3-5 years time the ridiculous bends will smooth out just slightly and be loaded with character. By then I’d imagine you’ll have a lot more to choose from in terms of branching, leaving quite a bit available for jins as well. Your patience and efforts are very well noted in all your threads @Orion_metalhead and I’ve no doubt youve got the patience to let this tree come in to its own.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks Japonicus.

I see your plan for the apex as a good possibility, however, I don't see any options towards the bottom of the tree. When I was looking at this as the front, I couldn't figure out any natural / decent looking positions for that thicker bottom branch.

I like the idea of using that one top branch as a sacrifice and I agree with your choice of a new leader as well. It's the bottom which gets me, and maybe in that case Wires' advice to shorten the tree would be a good one, as it would pull the otherwise developing apex closer to the ground where I don't seem to have any good options.

I’d say @Wires_Guy_wires is about right. Id wire and bend and twist this guy up very heavy then just grow it out. In 3-5 years time the ridiculous bends will smooth out just slightly and be loaded with character. By then I’d imagine you’ll have a lot more to choose from in terms of branching, leaving quite a bit available for jins as well. Your patience and efforts are very well noted in all your threads @Orion_metalhead and I’ve no doubt youve got the patience to let this tree come in to its own.

Thanks for the compliment Hartinez. This will definitely need some growing out... maybe a larger pot or maybe even put it in the ground for a few years? I guess the options are numerous. I would like to create a nice Shari on this tree, as the trunk has so many twists and turns.

 

[Hartinez]

This is part 1 of the videos @Wires_Guy_wires suggested.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Great video. Just watched both parts. I'm going to go take a second look at the tree and possibly rewire it. Watch this space. Lol.

 

[Japonicus]

Thanks Japonicus.

I see your plan for the apex as a good possibility, however, I don't see any options towards the bottom of the tree. When I was looking at this as the front, I couldn't figure out any natural / decent looking positions for that thicker bottom branch.

I like the idea of using that one top branch as a sacrifice and I agree with your choice of a new leader as well. It's the bottom which gets me, and maybe in that case Wires' advice to shorten the tree would be a good one, as it would pull the otherwise developing apex closer to the ground where I don't seem to have any good options.



Thanks for the compliment Hartinez. This will definitely need some growing out... maybe a larger pot or maybe even put it in the ground for a few years? I guess the options are numerous. I would like to create a nice Shari on this tree, as the trunk has so many twists and turns.

I agree shortening the stature and creating curves, particularly higher up where it’s straight.
After watching Bjorne video, I did this with a procumbens last year to a lesser degree.
I guess shimpaku is more tolerable of the crushing effect. I don’t think mines going to make it
and had to remove the top half or more that died from the twist.
I’m sure you’ve seen the shimpaku I got at NEBG that was about this size in 08.
It has loads of curves and twists unlike any of my procumbens.
Anyway, most of the idea I thought on, was doing this shortening you’re all talking about
to the lowest branch. That would set you back maybe 3 years, if you desire this current height,
give you more options on branches down low where you only have one low branch now.
Not contrary to Wires Guy wires, same idea...lower. Of course 2D pics are what they are.
It’s certainly off to a good start

 

[AlainK]

I was given a very straight one, from cutting. It was very thin, so I thought wiring it into a sinusoid would be no good, so I airlayered it in February a couple of years ago.

Now I have two

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I agree shortening the stature and creating curves, particularly higher up where it’s straight.
After watching Bjorne video, I did this with a procumbens last year to a lesser degree.
I guess shimpaku is more tolerable of the crushing effect. I don’t think mines going to make it
and had to remove the top half or more that died from the twist.
I’m sure you’ve seen the shimpaku I got at NEBG that was about this size in 08.
It has loads of curves and twists unlike any of my procumbens.
Anyway, most of the idea I thought on, was doing this shortening you’re all talking about
to the lowest branch. That would set you back maybe 3 years, if you desire this current height,
give you more options on branches down low where you only have one low branch now.
Not contrary to Wires Guy wires, same idea...lower. Of course 2D pics are what they are.
It’s certainly off to a good start

Yes, its difficult to determine the curvature of the lower branches. Neither are straight. Just appear so in the picture.

Ill see what happens to it tonight.

 

[n8]

If this is a 20-year big-tree project, I would say leave your wiring as-is and stick it in the ground in the sunniest spot in your yard.

If this is a 5-year shonin project, then I agree with the advice above: squash it down to half or 1/3 its current size.

I would not cut any branches or trim foliage at this time. Leave foliage to power your growth.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Tried again. Lol. Squashed it as low as I could with the wire I had. Im going to ground grow this in the spring, I think, for a few years. Maybe a grow box. Will see.

Back and Front.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Here it is now. Never got it in the ground. Next spring a repot is definite.

I might have a styling idea after looking at the tree this morning... using a back branch for deadwood. Will see how it grows into the summer, and then I'll prune and style. Ive got a bag of fert on it as well. I did clip a few shoots that were strong back, and am trying them as cuttings.



It also looks like it may be setting seed this year as well!?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Grew well but I still dont know what I want to do with it. Maybe something will come to me next year. I did have success with one of the cuttings I took so I'll try some more next year.

 

[Japonicus]

Grew well but I still dont know what I want to do with it. Maybe something will come to me next year. I did have success with one of the cuttings I took so I'll try some more next year.

View attachment 409109

When did you take the cutting? Green wood about how long?

I would comb through and decide a more lateral direction for the bottom right branch and remove extraneous
conflicting upwards and downwards growing shoots and allow the weak left branch to run and thin the top left
branch trying to divert energy and let light in. The curvature of the rest of the trunk puts the upper left branch
as being the trunk line up there Or apex.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Cutting was taking in.. maybe May?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

End of year. Its gotten thicker for sure since i got the tree which is making me happy. It grew well, even after the mid summer repot. Foliage looks good for this time of year.

I like the front, i think it has good movement and long term the best styling options. Need to wire next year, thin out a bit, do some branch selection. I also want to try air layering the back branch which makes the tree feel lopsided. Do air layers do well on Shimpaku?






Back branch to try air layering: