The "What The Heck Should I Do With It" Thread

[A Random User]

Somehow I feel @sawgrass would find a way to bend it & create something amazing with it.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

 

[herzausstahl]

I don't know if you have seen any of the vids I have posted as of lately regarding junipers... but you might want to check them out. Good for problem solving design issues.

I have worked numerous junipers with exactly the same issue you have... and it is a very common problem especially with regular nursery stock, that no one has yet picked a line for to make a pre-bonsai out of.

The problem lies not with the material... but with more of a lack of understanding on how to see the value in the material. I say this not to be insulting... So, please do not get upset.
There is a path forward with every piece of material... the key is to think beyond what to do with it... to instead, what not to do with it, and walk through the particular issues the tree has one by one and try and solve them.

If I tell you what to do... or if you get rid of the material... you would not learn. Right?

I will give you hint though that might just be the path you need to take...

Often if you look at junipers, especially some of the really awesome one's coming out of places like Japan. You will notice if you look close, that all of the really heavy material within the tree was killed off and made deadwood.

Why?

By answering this... you will begin to problem solve, and begin to design a tree through what not to do.

Looking at this closer it reminds me a lot of the nursery mugos people post with the short thick trunk with all the branches coming out at the same point. My vision is still greatly lacking which is why I brought up what I've seen @sawgrass do as I've gone through a lot of the old threads. The easy way could be to Jin all the stuff to the right & use the big branching to the left to try & develop something. Or if I'm interpreting correctly, Stacey could be saying Jin that large branch on the left & begin wiring one of the branches on the right as the new leader which should be easier to bend possibly at the same time envisioning changing the planting angle in the future to make it all work. What I really need to do myself is continue looking at more progressions to be able to see things from a new angle. That and actually working a piece of material beyond a simple repot or initial styling.

 

[petegreg]

Finaly found this thread, heh, I only knew it had been started by Vin.

The tree in Q is my JRP "Jane Kluis", the tree from nothing. JRPs are not available often here, so I bought this one online from an landscape e-shop not seeing what I'll receive for my 5€... some 5 years ago.

When it was delivered, hmmm straight trunk, few branches from the same spot, ready for a broom style, grafted on P. nigra root stock. So ugly I didn't take a picture. I did bare rooted the poor thing it's one of the survivors. It comes from the stock like this:


As years passed by I introduced some movement to that straight trunk using that funny red clamps, removed branches at wrong places, wired, bent and here is it now.


Here's the place with three equally thick branches, one was cut off...


I'm quite satisfied with it for what it looked like before. The tree has three small branches at the top and I've lost all my design ideas. One way is keeping it this small. Another way to use one of top branches as sacrifice. And next...grow it a little taller, but made two quick (idealised) sketches and got lost in design. Where would you go with this young pine?

 

[defra]

Hard decision pete its a tall slender tree
Tought of growing the first right branch (or any other branch)
out as literati with some nice angle changes?

I dont know a thing about this species any chance on backbudding?

Still nice tall and slender tree

 

[Vin]

Finaly found this thread, heh, I only knew it had been started by Vin.

The tree in Q is my JRP "Jane Kluis", the tree from nothing. JRPs are not available often here, so I bought this one online from an landscape e-shop not seeing what I'll receive for my 5€... some 5 years ago.

When it was delivered, hmmm straight trunk, few branches from the same spot, ready for a broom style, grafted on P. nigra root stock. So ugly I didn't take a picture. I did bare rooted the poor thing it's one of the survivors. It comes from the stock like this:

As years passed by I introduced some movement to that straight trunk using that funny red clamps, removed branches at wrong places, wired, bent and here is it now.

Here's the place with three equally thick branches, one was cut off...

I'm quite satisfied with it for what it looked like before. The tree has three small branches at the top and I've lost all my design ideas. One way is keeping it this small. Another way to use one of top branches as sacrifice. And next...grow it a little taller, but made two quick (idealised) sketches and got lost in design. Where would you go with this young pine?

I'm glad you found it. Here's my idea:



With the proper pot and a little more age I think it would look outstanding.

 

[defra]

@Vin how did your juniperus proceed?
Mine got wire in and in fact i did bring it over to tentakeleartje and kinda have an idea now ill take a decent pic or video tomorow still its a tree with some hard desicions to make but it does have a future bonsai in it somewere!

 

[Vin]

@Vin how did your juniperus proceed?
Mine got wire in and in fact i did bring it over to tentakeleartje and kinda have an idea now ill take a decent pic or video tomorow still its a tree with some hard desicions to make but it does have a future bonsai in it somewere!

Donated it to our club's annual auction. It didn't sell the first time around so I put a dollar in the pot and gave it away. LOL!

I agree, there's a future in your squamata. Looking forward some pics.

 

[defra]

I'm glad you found it. Here's my idea:

View attachment 156895

With the proper pot and a little more age I think it would look outstanding.

That looks great gotta love this thread !

 

[petegreg]

Hard decision pete slender tree
Tought of growing the first right branch (or any other branch)
out as literati with some nice angle changes?

I dont know a thing about this species any chance on backbudding?

Still nice tall and slender tree

Thanks, I forgot to mention it's only 32 cm tall. And yes some backbudding happens, not so low on the trunk but only on branches. I have had no chance to decandle this yet, it grows no candles, ony needles. I think it is still weak, was repotted this spring or a specialty of the cultivar? The only task done this year was removing of all old needles a week ago.

 

[petegreg]

I'm glad you found it. Here's my idea:

View attachment 156895

With the proper pot and a little more age I think it would look outstanding.

Hmmm, thanks for this Vin. So easy, simple and minimalistic. Wouldn't it be too difficult to maintain? I like it but would prefer to grow this tree out to gain some strength and girth first. No need to hurry, the way back is still here. I see the problematic parts you removed, though.

 

[defra]

Pete i was about to startup the pc and do alitle photoshopping for something else il try and do a virtual with something tgat just came to my mind!

 

[defra]

I have another trouble tree it kinda bothers me everytime i look at it

At the chosen front it looks ok


But from the side


It is an amur maple with a good pair of radial roots its a small tree should i cut it off at the first branch to the left increases taper and ads allitle movement
I like the tree to be shohin size and dont realy want to put it in the ground for a couple years lol

 

[petegreg]

I have another trouble tree it kinda bothers me everytime i look at it

At the chosen front it looks ok
View attachment 156902

But from the side
View attachment 156903

It is an amur maple with a good pair of radial roots its a small tree should i cut it off at the first branch to the left increases taper and ads allitle movement
I like the tree to be shohin size and dont realy want to put it in the ground for a couple years lol

I do like it from the side, slightly leaning to the right... I would go for some size reduction, but amur has a little coarse growth for shohin.

 

[Vin]

I have another trouble tree it kinda bothers me everytime i look at it

At the chosen front it looks ok
View attachment 156902

But from the side
View attachment 156903

It is an amur maple with a good pair of radial roots its a small tree should i cut it off at the first branch to the left increases taper and ads allitle movement
I like the tree to be shohin size and dont realy want to put it in the ground for a couple years lol

You could chop it here and start a new leader:



But, I think a better option would be to have a new front. Chop the current leader back a bit and bring the top of the tree to the left and maybe a little rotation to the left or right some. Just a thought.

 

[defra]

That also crossed my mind thnx for pointing it out again tough ill put it on the turntable when leaves have dropped to go over the options once again

Airlayer the top off and place that in the ground for a few years so i might end up with a small and big amur tree sounds good gotta think this trough thnx for the help !

 

[BeebsBonsai]

This works kind of like the Tree Thread, Yamadori Thread and others. However, you don't need to post a tree every time you respond. If you have a tree that you just can't seem to do anything with post it here to get some ideas or help with it. First up, my Seesaw Juniper. There are two branches 180 degrees apart that seem to dominate what can or can't be done it. I've had it three or four years and have already taken a foot or so off each side. Looking at again today, I remembered I was supposed to take that sucker off last year but never got around to it. I think I'm just going to bring it to the club auction this year unless someone has a better idea.


@Vin take that thickest trunk/branch, keep it as your main and get rid of the other two. If you want to be safe, one each growing season, then carve out your deadwood as the livinng vein of those two recede to mitiagte the inverse taper of that knuckle. Then treat the trunk thats left as the tree. Only option that i really see. Unless you use one of the smaller trunks so you can move it easier.

It does seem like a waste to let that thick trunk and base go. Im sure that can be carved somehow.

 

[Vin]

@BeebsBonsai https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/t...-i-do-with-it-thread.27027/page-3#post-482103

 

[Shima]

This collected Ohi'a has been languishing on the bench for many years. No clear messages about it's future so I threw caution to the winds and hacked it way back. These trees are notorious for not reacting well to having their roots tampered with and will croak if you just look at them wrong. But they're unique and seldom seen as bonsai so I'm mostly happy if they just keep living. Before and after. We'll see if enough auxin comes to the rescue. Collected off a vertical rock face growing straight out.

 

[Eric Group]

Ok it has been long enough now- what the heck DID you do with it @Vin ? (The Juniper from your first post)

 

[Stickroot]

I've got about 300 hours in starring at this.
Itoigawa that Kobayashi started.
It was selected and handed to a good friend and teacher of mine by Kunio himself over ten years ago! So until I am COMPLETELY confident that the end design is going to be the ultimate design. I will keep starring.
I know at least 75 % of this foliage will come off, lots of regrowth closer to the trunk,dead wood, reposition,petting, singing, praying.