Time to start styling shimpaku

[Shibui]

Here's a couple of shimpaku I've been growing for some years to thicken the trunks.
The trunks were wired then bent and twisted when still thin and flexible to get wild looking trunks.
I've up potted a few times to allow for growth and allowed selected sacrifice branches to grow really strong with the aim of thickening trunks and adding taper.

Trunks are looking reasonable now but the strong sacrifice branches have weakened lower branches and inner growth so i need to start reducing stronger outer growth to promote more shoots close to the trunk.

I may remove some bark from the trunk to start shari this summer but otherwise probably just let it get some new shoots started.


Next tree:
Trunk was also wired when young. This one has had several orientations as it grew. At times I've laid it down as a cascade and other times more upright. Currently leaning toward the left


current back


I know it is really hard to see where branches start and finish, esp with junipers but If you'd like to have a stab at some sort of style for this one please feel free to add comments or virts.

 

[James W.]

How long since your 1st wiring and potting?
Were these grown entirely in pots?

 

[Shibui]

I have way too many trees to keep track of each individual tree so I can only give guesses.
The first shimpaku I started using this wire and twist when young was 2009 or 2010 after one of our local growers came back from apprentice in Japan at one of the nurseries that specialize in small twisted junipers. I've been making more each year since then.
At a guess I'd say these are probably minimum 6 years and possibly 9 years from cuttings.

Yes, definitely grown only in pots for these.
I have grown some in the grow beds and can make thicker trunks in 5-6 years but there's several drawbacks. Tight bends merge into a large lump as the trunks thicken. Any section that wasn't wired and bent ends up real straight and doesn't match well. I've tried wiring and bending in the ground but wires are quickly swallowed as the trunk thickens. Tried other techniques for bending - tie trunks in knots, twist and hold down, etc but none make good bends so far.

 

[Stella]

Can't wait to see the progress on these

 

[MSU JBoots]

Now I really wish some of my cuttings I attempted to root this year had succeeded. Can’t wait to see these in a few more years!