AusBonsai

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

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.

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

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

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

Well Alps is at it again starting with a quick trim of the stubs to remove the damage done by the chain saw , 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 . 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 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 . 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 . 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

i like your ( right photo)

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

Josh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers Alpine