Juniper sabina-Savina Juniper

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 25th, 2012, 8:09 am

Its time for a wee trim of the untidy looking trunks laying around the place .

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This is the first one to get a touch up , clean up . Due to a pending op' i need to move these so i have decide to trim them back a bit and place them out of harms way .

Cheers Alpineart

Andrew F · Post by **Andrew F** » October 25th, 2012, 10:30 am

Keen to see what you achieve with it and how far you push this particular sp. iv got a few sabina and havent been game to touch them apart from digging them.

Post by **kcpoole** » October 25th, 2012, 12:14 pm

Awesome Alpine!
The tree aint bad either

I will be watching this one quite keenly to see where you go with it.
Am I correct to think these were only collected 6 months or so ago?
if so do not think it too early to work them?

Ken

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 25th, 2012, 4:25 pm

Hi Andrew F , Mate i have pushed Sabina's before and they are extremely tough .Not quite as big as this around a 25mm trunk but this mother is 250mm plus at the base . I don't intend to push them too hard just a little tickle to get a basic shape into it and then push it around the back out of the radiant heat , yep its already doing the damage ..

Cheers Alpine

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 25th, 2012, 4:32 pm

Hi kc , mate how do you know if you don't give it a go . This has powered on , some of the others are beginning to struggle with the heat . They were collected the thrown in the scoria beds , they continued to grow then potted up , now they continue to flourished so its just like a wee tree trim twist contort and hope for the best . Easy does it but do it , no good waiting for them to get too leggy then hack them back , on collection the were reduced from 4-5 meters wide to 1.2 meters wide with a chain saw . I didn't pussy foot around then , not about to start now . The 1 i split has grown on very well and the inarch grafts themselves are powering on . If i kill it i will let you know .

Cheers Alpine

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 25th, 2012, 5:27 pm

Well Alps is at it again

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starting with a quick trim of the stubs to remove the damage done by the chain saw ,

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then gently bently , but extreme movement for the future jin material . I have used basic hook and hold wiring to set the branches into a simple layered canopy

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. Then it was time to cut loose on the large branches which will be the future jin and shari material . Out with the sash cramps and screw the living daylights out of the branches

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rather than cut them back and carve small stubs . The largest branch took around 2 hours of screwing jacking compressing and finally wiring into position .

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Some of the untidy lower branches were cut back . Before the exercise the plant was 1.2 x 1.2 meters round and 900mm high , it's trainer size is now 1meter x 850mm and 650mm high to the apex of the canopy and 750mm to to top of the jin and shari material .

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Only 4 of the small lower branches were removed the rest has been compressed into the desired position . Less than 2-3 % of the foliage was removed , and a ring count on a 30mm side branch revealed 52 rings under magnification , i should have done a count on the tap roots as it would be closer than the upper side branch . This can now settle for a month or so , then the foliage will be trimmed and then wired into a basic style and shape .

Cheers Alpineart

fiveoffive · Post by **fiveoffive** » October 25th, 2012, 7:01 pm

i like your ( right photo)

Josh · Post by **Josh** » October 25th, 2012, 7:06 pm

Very nice work there Alpineart. That's a pretty high tec trooley in those first couple of photos. Did you patent it

Josh

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » October 25th, 2012, 7:48 pm

Well now that is one serious project.

How would you treat the blunt ends to make them look more natural? Also - no protection between the branches and the clamp? I'm assuming this is because it is going to be stripped anyway...?

Cheers,

Mo

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 25th, 2012, 8:33 pm

Hi Fiveofive , mate the best feature is the movement in the trunk which at this point in time is still concealed by the foliage . All will be exposed one day .

Hi Kidsandall , mate it took years to find a 24inch all metal fold down handle lawn mower base , most are 18 inch cast alloy . Wait til you clap your peepers on my drop axle trolley , took all of 1 hour to make to make , but years to actually get around to making it .Its purpose built for the bigger heavier trunks .

Hi Moganic , 50 % of this trunk will be jin and shari , no protection needed for material to be carved . Just playing around at the moment , It requires trimming , then the serious work will start with the carving . It will take place first and i would expect 2-3 days possibly more , then the wiring of this monster will take an amateur like me around a week or two at the least . If i kill it , it will be a very nice Tanuki trunk , bold enough to attach half a dozen Shimpaku Junipers too

Cheers Guys . Alpine

Davehsydney · Post by **Davehsydney** » October 25th, 2012, 9:51 pm

Amazing material. Where did you dig up that bad boy?

The Specimen · Post by **The Specimen** » October 26th, 2012, 12:36 am

Wkd project Alpine! Will be following this trumpet to see progressions n updates. Fun As!

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 26th, 2012, 5:09 am

Hi Davehsydney , there's a topic here "My greatest challenge ever", they were collected locally in town . I didn't dig them they were handed to me in the bucket of an excavator .

Hi The Specimen , it will be a good project , plenty of time required for any task involved with these big buggers .

Cheers Guys Alpine

purelydaniel · Post by **purelydaniel** » October 28th, 2012, 8:14 pm

hey i was just wondering where you get that material it looks collected is it? I'm talking about the sabina juniper

alpineart · Post by **alpineart** » October 29th, 2012, 6:25 am

Hi purelydaniel , mate take a look at the topic "My greatest challenge ever". I certainly didn't grow them .

Cheers Alpine

AusBonsai