Twisty shimpaku

[Francesco84]

Really like the bends and twists in this guy, but this little snake of a shimpaku has this one straight weird section (notes w an arrow) and I am not sure if I should try to bend some movement into it, it’s pretty thick and rather short so that Might not be the best route, or if I should jin it, and use that long young leader at its base as the new trunk line. Likely going with the latter. Thoughts?

 

[Japonicus]

Phase ONE???
Keeps options open to keep...or sacrifice the right side, down to the leader that is over the current root zone.
Keeps foliage enough to either pot up or not. Sacrifice keeps trunk girth building.
If not sacrifice, then planting angle could change making the left branches lower to ground
but that doesn't help taper so much.

Really nice movement. Love it!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It looks like a sacrifice branch, and you could use it as a fulcrum to put movement into the smaller branch that splits off from it.

Alternately, you can always split the two branches in the spring, and it should pretty easy to get movement from that point:

 

[Shibui]

That's a good trunk except for the straight section you have identified. One of my first bonsai teachers was fond of saying: "You have ploblem? Cut him off. No more ploblem!"
There are plenty of options for replacement leaders so you can easily cut that straight section short or even right back to one of the smaller branches at the start of the straight section. Rather than cutting off clean you might just jin it. If you wire with heavy wire immediately after stripping the bark you can bend the section so it flows better. It doesn't matter if it breaks a bit while you make bends because it is no longer a living part of the tree.

i would also consider wiring the branches to put some movement in those as well. We expect that trees with contorted trunks will also have similar branches as the same causes that affected the trunk are still affecting the branches as they grow. A twisted trunk juniper with straight branches looks odd but sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint the reason.

 

[Francesco84]

View attachment 279610
Phase ONE???
Keeps options open to keep...or sacrifice the right side, down to the leader that is over the current root zone.
Keeps foliage enough to either pot up or not. Sacrifice keeps trunk girth building.
If not sacrifice, then planting angle could change making the left branches lower to ground
but that doesn't help taper so much.

Really nice movement. Love it!

Thanks! Havent thought about sacrificing that right side...will try to draw it out.

 

[Francesco84]

That's a good trunk except for the straight section you have identified. One of my first bonsai teachers was fond of saying: "You have ploblem? Cut him off. No more ploblem!"
There are plenty of options for replacement leaders so you can easily cut that straight section short or even right back to one of the smaller branches at the start of the straight section. Rather than cutting off clean you might just jin it. If you wire with heavy wire immediately after stripping the bark you can bend the section so it flows better. It doesn't matter if it breaks a bit while you make bends because it is no longer a living part of the tree.

i would also consider wiring the branches to put some movement in those as well. We expect that trees with contorted trunks will also have similar branches as the same causes that affected the trunk are still affecting the branches as they grow. A twisted trunk juniper with straight branches looks odd but sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint the reason.

thanks for advice. Will prob jin that straight section and use one of the two off shoots for new truck line and primary branch. Thanks for reminding about the branch structure!

 

[Francesco84]

It looks like a sacrifice branch, and you could use it as a fulcrum to put movement into the smaller branch that splits off from it.

Alternately, you can always split the two branches in the spring, and it should pretty easy to get movement from that point:
View attachment 279626

Hmmmm interesting... thanks!