Tanuki Shimpaku Juniper

[alpineart]

Found some spare time to do a little carving after having to fix up a dog day afternoon or was that night ,

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still plenty to do and it all takes time .Tomorrow's another day so i will tidy up the carving and wire the branches and style it for the finish of it initial styling .

Cheers Alpine

[fiveoffive]

thats looking great dude

[alpineart]

Hi Fiveoffive , mate you could say i was in the groove for 4 hours , now i need to wire brush it , sand , then another application of lime sulfur and it will be into the styling of the junipers . I have to stay off the leg so i might as well sit on my butt and cut loose on some detailing of the numerous Tanuki i have here . The Sabina's are looking real good this season plenty of new growth .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Well its into another pot ,

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hook in with a wire brush to tone the grooves down a bit ,

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on with the lime sulfur

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, then on with the wire ,

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bend and twist and that's it for another season . It can grow on and produce the required apex over the next season and the lower branches will most likely be jinned .I have re-positioned 2 of the side branches also embedding them into the host stump , just in case i need another live vein for the future .I've had a good look at this and it would make for 2 very nice slim Tanuki if i was up to the challenge of splitting the stump that is .

Cheers Alpineart.

[matty-j]

Alpine that is looking fantastic mate!
I'm excited to see the photos after a growing season or 2
Sorry to ask so many questions but
I got my hands on some old twisted callistimon
Trunks and branches would this type of wood
Be suitable?

[alpineart]

Hi Matty-j, mate as far as i'm concerned Tea Tree and bottle brush are hardwoods so there shouldn't be a major problem . Fungus is the greatest threat to any hardwood so i would lime sulfur and try to keep the bacteria at bay. Using a course gravel immediately under the stump base helps keep the moisture to a minimum .If you notice the pic of the dark brown pot the base is actually sitting on the lip of the pot to give the root more clearance some 50mm below the base . A gravel/scoria covering has been added to the new pot this will reduce the constant moisture at the deadwood base .

I have seen fibreglass resins used to seal the trunk base and create a flat bottom to sit inside the pot , this is hidden in the bonsai blend . These pine roots are full of resin and yes they seem to outlast any hardwoods i have used before including Red Gum and Red Box . In all cases none of the hardwoods weren't sealed . You can always treat with Earls wood hardener first then lime sulfur.Hope this helps .

Cheers Alpine

[bodhidharma]

No comments needed Alpine..nice job five years should do it.

[Josh]

Hey Alpine, That is simply amazing. I stand in awe. Will these trees actually attach to the stump (become one) or do they just grow on the side. It must be very frustrating having to stay off ya leg. Does give you time to sit and look for the tree within. Looking forward to see it progress over the next few years.

Josh

[matty-j]

thanks alpine much appreciated mate

i think ill be working with some dead wood this weekend

[alpineart]

Hi Bodhi , mate it will be very nice in 5 years even if i do split it up . Its a pity i didn't use Shimpaku on the others as Sabina's are relatively slow compared to these .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Hey Alpine, That is simply amazing. I stand in awe. Will these trees actually attach to the stump (become one) or do they just grow on the side. It must be very frustrating having to stay off ya leg. Does give you time to sit and look for the tree within. Looking forward to see it progress over the next few years.

Josh

Hi Josh , the plants are actually embedded into the deadwood via a groove deep enough to hold 80% of the plant then anchored with screws either stainless or solid brass , not plated screws they can kill the plant . In some cases it just sits proud this gives a bit more movement .Over a few seasons they lock themselves into the groove not actually fuse . If they are just screwed on they would push themselves off unless dozens of anchors were used .

Mate its a real bastard breaking the tibia last week , no i wasn't doing anything stupid just rotated the lower leg and snap crackle and pop . Its slowed me down but still moving around as no Surgeons are available . I was thinking of get the nail gun out a shooting a couple of bit of 4x2 together to hold it . Opted for a motorcross boot and knee brace instead .

Don't get time to sit and ponder , i just see the tree in a passing 30 second glance and that's what i aim for at that particular time , or in these cases plan the tree's future from day one with an option along the way as die back happens to plants in most cases for various reasons .

As Mr Bodhidharma said , Give it 5 years and it should be a worthy specimen as far as a Phoenix Graft goes anyway .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

thanks alpine much appreciated mate

i think ill be working with some dead wood this weekend

Hi Matty-j , mate give it your best shot , they are definately worth the effort . Use young stock plants as the respond much quicker than old material . Good luck .

Cheers Alpine

[anttal63]

hI ALPINE, this is certainly not my cup of tea but i gotta tell ya this one is pretty impressive ! There are so many crap ones out there !!! Once the carving ages and cracks a little more it will be even more convincing. Would have been good to have done the carving before hand, burnt the wood then steel brushed and sulphured. No i wont be doing one in a hurry !!! Actually not at all !!!

[Josh]

Hey Alpine, That is simply amazing. I stand in awe. Will these trees actually attach to the stump (become one) or do they just grow on the side. It must be very frustrating having to stay off ya leg. Does give you time to sit and look for the tree within. Looking forward to see it progress over the next few years.

Josh

Hi Josh , the plants are actually embedded into the deadwood via a groove deep enough to hold 80% of the plant then anchored with screws either stainless or solid brass , not plated screws they can kill the plant . In some cases it just sits proud this gives a bit more movement .Over a few seasons they lock themselves into the groove not actually fuse . If they are just screwed on they would push themselves off unless dozens of anchors were used .

Mate its a real bastard breaking the tibia last week , no i wasn't doing anything stupid just rotated the lower leg and snap crackle and pop . Its slowed me down but still moving around as no Surgeons are available . I was thinking of get the nail gun out a shooting a couple of bit of 4x2 together to hold it . Opted for a motorcross boot and knee brace instead .

Don't get time to sit and ponder , i just see the tree in a passing 30 second glance and that's what i aim for at that particular time , or in these cases plan the tree's future from day one with an option along the way as die back happens to plants in most cases for various reasons .

As Mr Bodhidharma said , Give it 5 years and it should be a worthy specimen as far as a Phoenix Graft goes anyway .

Cheers Alpine

Thanks for your time and comments Alpine. That is very interesting. I find it amazing what we can do to trees without killing them (usually). Hope the leg doesn't slow you down tomuch.

Josh

[alpineart]

hI ALPINE, this is certainly not my cup of tea but i gotta tell ya this one is pretty impressive ! There are so many crap ones out there !!! Once the carving ages and cracks a little more it will be even more convincing. Would have been good to have done the carving before hand, burnt the wood then steel brushed and sulphured. No i wont be doing one in a hurry !!! Actually not at all !!!

Hi Anttal63 , mate i was previously carved , wire brushed in a power drill and lime sulfured before it was set . It had to be done again adding deeper grooves and a wire brush in the router/die grinder , there is still some soft wood that will inevitable soften and deteriorate . This will get another lime sulfur coat next season but no more carving , unless i decide to alter the branch placement which will only be grooved out . Don't worry i have a few shockers here , need more time as they are Sabina Junipers which are very slow being aged material .

Cheers Alpine