What species of orphan is this?

MJL · Post by **MJL** » August 25th, 2018, 8:00 am

Hi All,

A few years back - about three I think - I picked up a plant on a sale bench $15 at a Bonsai nursery here in Melboure. It was an ugly unit. With the pictures below - is anyone able to identify it for me please?

Here's a bit of a back story too. (Yeah, yeah -I know, I know ... I ramble on. Skip to the photos if you can't be bothered.

I wish I could find the original picture because this tree had one branch almost complete straight and extending horizontally from the base of the tree. I initially thought I would cut if off. Then I thought, why not try to create a twin trunk.

Here's the first photo I can find. I think this might be a year into me trying to raise the smaller right hand trunk.

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Then I started to play with designs. This photo is about 18 months ago when I moved it into a shallower training pot. I wired the taller trunk but in the end, didn't like the look.

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This is yesterday ... it is now in another training pot, I am going to take the top off both trunks and close try to close the gap soon too.

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Anyway .. with this close up - any idea of the species of my orphan?

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Cheers in advance.

Keep Calm and Ramify · August 25th, 2018, 9:05 am

MJL,
My guess is a shimpaku juniper which is displaying some juvenile foliage (the spikey stuff)
Not 100% sure though. I like the tall slender trunks.
Good future candidate for a literati style perhaps?

MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 21st, 2018, 11:02 am

On a separate thread - Ken made a suggestion that the right hand trunk of this Juniper needed work. I agreed. So this morning, I started .... I’ve never used a technique like this before - using raffia and things take longer that you might imagine.

I’m off to a lunch now - indeed my beautiful wife is driving as I type! Here’s where I got too. The top needs wiring but it’s looking much better I reckon. I hope I sort of did it right!

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 21st, 2018, 11:07 am

I am a tad worried that I created a split the at the base - I was aggressively twisting (as opposed to bending) the trunk at the time. In future I will brace the base better.

I think it should survive - I have pulled it back together and perhaps the remaining cavity will become a feature?

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 21st, 2018, 7:18 pm

This is probably why you shouldn’t come back to your work after numerous wines .... nonetheless, - - wired while half cut; I’ve stopped now. I’ll give it a good haircut next week. I think the bones are better with the 2nd trunk more upright and more reflective of the curves of the main trunk. I think....

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

Ryceman3 · Post by **Ryceman3** » October 22nd, 2018, 11:18 am

Hi MJL,
Compared to where it started (the initial image) I think it is looking a lot better.
I've not used raffia like the stuff in your photos - it looks kinda "papery"! Did you soak the raffia before you applied?? This helps to get it nice and tight against the trunk which obviously helps support it during the bending process. Also, as it dries out once applied it sort of shrinks to make it an even tighter fit.
I wouldn't be playing too much with it now, especially given the split. Give it time to recover and then have another look down the track, if you think it needs more bending then - go for it. As it is, it will need 12 months or more for those new bends to set.
Good stuff, always fun to have a go at something new and get your hands dirty.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 22nd, 2018, 4:29 pm

Thanks for the feedback Ryceman. Funny - I said raffia because I was not sure what to call it! It is effectively unravelled paper string. Go easy .... it’s all I could find!

It seems I have made a few other errors too .... I didn’t wet it either! Well not until after it was applied - I did get a nice tight wrap though - I think! I treated it like I was re-gripping a squash racket - remember that old sport!

It was good to try this though and I hope it all goes ok. As you advise - I’ll rest it now; poor thing has had some trauma!

Bonsai teaches me patience.

RogerW · Post by **RogerW** » October 23rd, 2018, 8:05 am

You can purchase raffia at Spotlite or Lincraft

MJL · Post by **MJL** » October 23rd, 2018, 8:36 pm

RogerW wrote:You can purchase raffia at Spotlite or Lincraft

Thanks RogerW. That'll make a change this weekend when I grab the keys and let my wife know that I'm off to Bunnings... actually no ... Lincraft!

Even Hadley, our mini-schnauzer, might tilt his head at that comment!

MJL · Post by **MJL** » November 17th, 2018, 6:58 am

Nice morning light on this tree and I know this sounds strange but the shadows tell me this tree is heading in the right direction.

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » November 17th, 2018, 7:01 am

Sorry - not sure why two of same photo.... Tapatalk gremlins.

Bonsai teaches me patience.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » September 30th, 2019, 2:27 pm

Sad day today for a number of reasons - the very least being that it seems that some kind of rodent pushed a tree off a bench last night. Bummer.

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Anyway - the poor tree had become unruly and was heading to nothingness so perhaps it was just an orphan tree saying: "Hey, Hey You! Remember me - over here!"

So a much smaller pot, 3" off the top left, 1.5" off the lower left, a haircut and a root trim ....

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Sparse; better.

Still a W.I.P.

AusBonsai