ONE MORE TIME! Yamadori Style Junipers

[october]

Pretty nice jkd.. May I suggest removing the bottom branch on the right. Generally bar branches are not considered appealing in bonsai. Also, the branch is pretty thick. In time, the branch may thicken to the point where it does not look in proportion to the tree.

Something like this.

Rob

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Good stuff guys...Bill, nice and curvy!
Here's the one I twisted up, about a year after the last photos:



Some bends:


Where the branch "blew out" on wiring, and has now mostly healed:


Looking down into it:

 

[milehigh_7]

My best ones were casualties of last summer. I have one still limping along but I won't be showing it. It is UGLY... However, depending on where I live come fall I will get a few hundred more and try again!

 

[jkd2572]

Yeah I have been debating that branch.

 

[jkd2572]

Who else thinks it should go? I think it really looses its strength without the bar branch.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Who else thinks it should go? I think it really looses its strength without the bar branch.

I'd remove it...Much more dynamic without it. Plus, you can pull the next branch up down a bit into the space and further the illusion of age,

 

[tmmason10]

Unfortunately I think it has to go. It looks pretty nice as is but the bar branches do take away from the image.

I guess I'll provide an update on my twisted shimp. I took the wire off for now, and it has seemed pretty healthy this year. I am going to probably do another one at my next Kaikou class in August, which is focused on wiring.

 

[snowsurf125]

Hey Smoke, how much of this technique can be applied to pines with good results?

 

[Poink88]

Bookmarked!!! Great tutorial Smoke!

Can someone do a similar tutorial for bigger branches? Say 1" to 1-1/2" diameter. If it is out there, I'd appreciate id someone can share.

Thanks!!!

 

[tmmason10]

Hey Smoke, how much of this technique can be applied to pines with good results?

See here. Little-Pine-Big-Character

 

[milehigh_7]

Bookmarked!!! Great tutorial Smoke!

Can someone do a similar tutorial for bigger branches? Say 1" to 1-1/2" diameter. If it is out there, I'd appreciate id someone can share.

Thanks!!!

Check out Vic's work here http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?8478-Rocky-Mountain-Juniper-No-guts-no-glory...

 

[Poink88]

Check out Vic's work here http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?8478-Rocky-Mountain-Juniper-No-guts-no-glory...

Thanks!!!

Bookmarked this one too!!!

 

[snowsurf125]

This winter, on my days when I have the luxury, I have worked on twisting up some shimps. My brother and I have been so inspired by this post thread that we have bought quite a few shimpaku whips and with the plans of twisting the greater majority of them up and then sticking them in the ground or for some, in larger pots, for the better part of 10+ years (our parents have plenty of land at their place in the high desert of southern california and are very loving to let us plant a bit of a growing field, as well as small shade house to grow our trees until we each have our own more permanent location).

Last year I twisted up 2 procumbens which turned out ok. This year, I twisted up a handful of shimpaku whips we purchased. I got about 5 done in the size shown below, and maybe about 6-10 in some slightly smaller whips. The hardest part of this is that I get very eager and want to twist every whip up into tiny little rats nests, which ends up taking a more time than I have to spare. Hopefully in a handful of years, they will be worth it.

Here is 1:

 

[snowsurf125]

Here is another:

 

[KennedyMarx]

I'm curious to see the progress on all of these. Anyone have updates? What about you, Smoke? Do you still have that one in the ground?

 

[Smoke]

I'm curious to see the progress on all of these. Anyone have updates? What about you, Smoke? Do you still have that one in the ground?

It's in a pot. Yea still have it. Repot on that one soon. Going to put it in a large colander this year and blast it with full sun and steer manure.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here's the one from Post #82. The branch that blew out eventually died. It's in the ground, and has some good twists, and last weekend(?) I wired another section of leader and squashed it down too.

 

[Smoke]

I repotted it today. The roots are pretty weak. Tree was in too much shade last year so will move it out into the sun this year. Planted it into a colander and took off all the wire. When I get a better root systen in a couple years I will stick it into the ground, or maybe a larger colander.

 

[edprocoat]

It's in a pot. Yea still have it. Repot on that one soon. Going to put it in a large colander this year and blast it with full sun and steer manure.

I had heard you used a lot of steer manure, I think what was said was that Al is full of steer manure ...

ed

 

[Neli]

One more thing can be added here. Adding a shari.
Start it as early as 1.5 cm, and start with a small portion...at the base.
If you add shari on both sides, as the juniper grows the trunk flattens.since both live veins are on the sides.
Use this to your advantage to create taper...make the trunk wider to the front...
Enlarge the shari each year to create a stepped effect.
Dont forget to wire crazy any future jin, and have a plan from the beginning.
Thank You Al for the informative thread.
I cant stop laughing at one of your statements on your blog. It was funny.
You went to an exhibition...or something...(you bought a tree), then you saw some junipers styled by an Asian gentleman...and together with your friend...decided that he is cheating... while styling them.
That is the article I want to write...(lazy woman) That is not cheating...that is how most junipers are styled in Japan in the traditional style.
As long as branches are not crossing, they can come from anywhere to fill gaps and complete a shape.
A juniper can be styled with just one branch at the top and most of the time that is how they do it. That branch can come down and be a first primary branch, from the base of it an apex is created and the rest of the branches.
I was also shocked when I saw that...so your statement made me realize that we had the same reaction. That is why I will never forget it.