Tanuki

[penumbra]

Was the base of the deadwood treated to prevent rot?

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Was the base of the deadwood treated to prevent rot?

Thats very important with tanukis, seal the wood base or treat it with wood hardener

 

[ShadyStump]

Now it looks like the lizard is holding the tree lovingly, about to kiss it.

Sorta.
It's an amorous drunk lizard.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

 

[crab apple]

Man, that is really cool. I didn't know that was a thing, can't wait to try it myself.

 

[misfit11]

I need to do some serious thinning and wiring on it. It grew well last year. I've been working on trees quite a bit lately (repotting, wiring, styling, grafting, etc.) I just haven't posted anything on the site in a long while. Thanks for the likes. I think this will be a nice Tanuki at some point.

 

[misfit11]

One way or another hanging dead branch should stay exposed. Has great movement/is valuable deadwood.

Yes. I'm definitely going to keep that visible. It's a nice feature of the deadwood. It has become almost completely engulfed in foliage since last year but with some thinning and wiring I'll expose it again.

 

[misfit11]

Was the base of the deadwood treated to prevent rot?

Yes. I treated it with PC Petrifier. I also built a "dam" out of a small plastic pot (kind of how people use them to air layer) that I put on the base to keep damp soil from being in direct contact with the deadwood.

 

[misfit11]

Very cool project. I wonder what type of wood one needs in order to keep the long term viability of such a tree?

You need something very hard and most likely evergreen. Deciduous trees tend to rot more readily. Juniper deadwood is quite rot resistant because of the resins Junipers produce.

 

[misfit11]

Here it is after pruning and wiring

 

[ShadyStump]

Coming along nicely.

 

[misfit11]

Chugging along. I worked on this tanuki yesterday. This is more the shape that I think it will be going as it matures. I wanted more of a true apex on it that was delineated from the main trunk, so I ended up jinning much of the growth on the upper right side. The pads still need to fill in and develop considerably.

I think the front that I was going for previously is more fitting for the tree. I had just moved it into it's current pot somewhat hastily last spring. Also, I'm trying to figure out what kind of pot is appropriate for this tree. I was thinking maybe a nanban, but I don't know. If you have any suggestions, please say so.

I was on the fence about keeping this thing a tanuki or just separating it from the deadwood and making a more "traditional" bonsai. I know a lot of the purists poo poo tanukis. However, I had taken it to a workshop with Adam Toth last year with the intent of taking cuttings off it for use as scions for grafting on a Sierra of mine. Adam liked it. I told him I was thinking about abandoning the tanuki idea and he was like, "Why? Tanukis are cool!". Well, if someone who apprenticed under Taiga Urushibata in Japan for three years thought it was cool, then who cares what the haters say. Plus, Jay McDonald showed his amazing tanuki at the REBS show this year. I don't think anyone can talk smack about Jay's trees... Haters can respectfully go f@#$ themselves

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This is great. So glad it is still thriving and the shape is evolving nicely.

 

[misfit11]

This is great. So glad it is still thriving and the shape is evolving nicely.

Thanks, Leo. It is coming along. The new apex needs to fill in considerably along with the foliage pads. I also think that the drop branch needs to be longer and move to the right more. All in due time