Twisted trunk shimpaku

[markyscott]

I picked this up at Suthin's sale last year. He had a few tables of trees on benches outside of his garden - there were some real nice trees in there. Wish I'd bought some more. This one was not in that great of shape - it was not wired into the pot and had lost a lot of soil, but was otherwise healthy. It had been poorly styled (not by Suthin, I think) and the wire was still on the tree. I cleaned the soil surface, refreshed the soil and wired the tree firmly into the pot. I removed the old wiring and fertilized regularly and let the tree grow throughout the summer. Here's what it looked like today:

 

[markyscott]

The strong growing tips are a good indication that the tree is ready to be worked:

 

[markyscott]

I cleaned up the foliage and removed a couple of large branches that were unnecessary, creating a couple of new jins. A lot of the branches had grown pretty long and gangly - they'll eventually need to be replaced. This means that some of the crotch growth should be kept untouched so that it can be eventually be used to replace the existing branches. I wired the tree out and restyled.


I cleaned the shari and jins with a toothbrush and water, then applied a 50% lime sulphur solution.


All done for today.

 

[Smoke]

Interesting.......

There was not one single thing you could make an apex out of?

 

[Eric Group]

Interesting.......

There was not one single thing you could make an apex out of?

My same thought!

The twisted shape is cool looking, you highlighted it well scott... clearly you have it healthy and growing well, you did fantastic work on the Jin's a and Shari,.. I just wish there was a little green helmet on top! LOL

This is the kind of Shimpaku I want so bad. I have a few that are a little twisty but not nearly that cool... twisted up a buncha cuttings over the past year or two... probably only take about 15 years to get one to look this good.

 

[MichaelS]

I tend to agree with the others Scott. An apex would be nice. Is something like this possible?

Otherwise....Very nice!

 

[markyscott]

I'd like an apex too. I could have one now by twisting the long branches around and curling them over the top of the tree. But there's so much new growth on top I decided to let that grow and build it out of that over the next couple of years.

 

[Eric Group]

I'd like an apex too. I could have one now by twisting the long branches around and curling them over the top of the tree. But there's so much new growth on top I decided to let that grow and build it out of that over the next couple of years.

I see some crotch growth popping out up there... can't wait to see you develop it

 

[Smoke]

A tree without an apex is like sex with your socks still on.....

 

[MichaelS]

A tree without an apex is like sex with your socks still on.....

But you can leave your hat on...

 

[markyscott]

I tend to agree with the others Scott. An apex would be nice. Is something like this possible?

Otherwise....Very nice!

View attachment 129147

Hi Michael. That's an interesting thought, and I have to admit I hadn't considered this possibility. I had mainly considered bringing branches from the back to the tree to form the apex - kind of the bonsai equivalent of a comb-over. But I wonder, don't you think a more natural and convincing apex can be created out of the new growth on top? I miss the instant gratification, but would that not be better in the long run?

 

[markyscott]

A tree without an apex is like sex with your socks still on.....

Holy crap! I better fix that right away!

 

[MichaelS]

Hi Michael. That's an interesting thought, and I have to admit I hadn't considered this possibility. I had mainly considered bringing branches from the back to the tree to form the apex - kind of the bonsai equivalent of a comb-over. But I wonder, don't you think a more natural and convincing apex can be created out of the new growth on top? I miss the instant gratification, but would that not be better in the long run?

Hard to say from here Scott. That could very well be. There are always so many possibilities with these junipers. If you don't have an option now, it's only a matter of time!

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

I like it. Using an existing branch for the apex will make the tree higher. Not always a good thing. I even wonder if going with the right side alone is an option in the (far distant) future. Depends on the life-lines.

 

[markyscott]

The apex is totally fixable - either by my solution of growing one or by bending one into place. However, there is something that kind of bugged me as I was working on this tree. The total height is approximately 8". The top 6" is really twisted up and beautiful with that rotating life line and shari. But the bottom 2" is pretty straight without any twists. I found myself wishing the soil line started about an inch or so higher up the trunk. Did that bother anyone else?

 

[Random User]

I think it's a nice enough tree, but I will suggest one thing. Perhaps, if you don't like it yourself, but are on the fence about it ever becoming something that you'll really like, how about giving it to a young person as a beginner tree... like a niece or a nephew...

... just a suggestion...

 

[Vance Wood]

Once the newness wears off I believe that Mark will start to recognize that in-spite of the wonderful shape of the trunk, it has it's flaws. Sometimes the most beautiful piece of art is not revealed until it is highlighted in the proper frame. In this case is a wonderfully styled growth around the trunk.

 

[Smoke]

Once the newness wears off I believe that Mark will start to recognize that in-spite of the wonderful shape of the trunk, it has it's flaws. Sometimes the most beautiful piece of art is not revealed until it is highlighted in the proper frame. In this case is a wonderfully styled growth around the trunk.

OK mister, what did you do with Vance and what pit do you have him locked in?

 

[JudyB]

A tree without an apex is like sex with your socks still on.....

Hey now, to each his own. I like argyles...

 

[Dav4]

Hey now, to each his own. I like argyles...

Right, and my feet get cold in the winter.