Initial Styling of Juniper No7

[kcpoole]

A few months ago, I collected a few junipers ( about 14 of them ) and posted the collection effort here, viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12673

Happy to say that all but 2 of them are growing really well and seem to be recovering nicely, and I have been cleaning out the dead foliage and tidying them up a little. It is far too early to do anything much withthem as they need to recover for about 2 years, but one had heaps of roots and was just a groundlayered branch with little to go for it.
I have decided to use this one as and Experiment to see what sort of work i can do to them wile the others are developing.

I have an idea what I will like to do to this one, but thought i might throw it out to everyone to have a go at first and see what you all can come up with to bet the brains moving after the Chrissy new year torpor
have a sketch or do a virtual, and see what you can come up with.

The vertical section of trunk will be probably too stiff to bend much, the horizontal section feels like it has some "give" in it, and with some splitting will move a bit I think if needed.
I have no idea what the roots / Nebari is like, but probably not that great
Foliage is all on one side ( the front) as it was just a long branch that was laying on the ground and layered itself.

look forward to some different ideas. and over the next month or 2, I will update as I do work on it to experiment.
Ken

[kcpoole]

Lots of looks and no comments!
either everyone is stumped from ideas or you all think I am a looney

I have been doing a liitle bit of experimental wiring and testing on this to see what sort of work night be achievable with the size of the trunk and top rail , and think maybe with an application of a branch splitter and lots of Raffia, I will get some movement in the thicker sections, but not to much. We will see. the Branches coming off that main trunk will bend easily with a good amount of wire and no wrapping so all good

I have had a play with the GIMP over the last few weeks and come up with this.
the foliage masses might not end up as large as these ( more literati), or maybe they will.

As mentioned it is an dexperiment tree to see what is achievable with them before attacking the others I collected

Any other suggestions gladly accepted

Ps I tried starting out with a Paper sketch, but that failed miserably

Ken

[Bougy Fan]

Could you cut a channel and put some wire in the trunk Ken ? Seems to me the trunk goes out way too far - it should come back in towards itself

[Webos]

I think that for the distance from the soil that the foliage is, combined With the lack of taper in the trunk, it would have to be treated as a literati tree and would need really light foliage and only a few branches to be believable. Difficult to make stock like this into bonsai since it doesn't really have much that makes it desirable apart from a bend in the trunk.

I think you should have some fun and see what kind of limits can be pushed with stock like this.

Adam

[kcpoole]

Dunno Bougy, I suspect that the sise and age of the trunk it will most probably crack if it gets moved too far. Even with a channel it may not bend. Lat resort maybe, and if that fails then reduce the lenght and make a Much shorter tail

Webos, I think so too but finding it hard to get a decent looking Virt with only a little Foliage.

Another thought I had was to Jin the lower of the 2 tails and the remaining one can then be lifeted up and back to the trunk to raise it up
Have to do another virt of that one.

Ken

[GavinG]

Tough one, Ken. Do the roots allow you to tilt it way to the left, so the next bit of the trunk is almost upright?
Or at least, so the head is almost over the base of the tree? Just a thought. If you are going to bend it, the next bend after the first sharp bend has to be similarly sharp, - if it's too rounded, it won't work. And I think it might be too old to get a sharp angle.

The other possibility might be to tilt the trunk over to the right, so the next section of the trunk is almost vertically downwards. Like in your drawing, but maybe even more.

If it's bare, like a literati, then the trunk is basically just two straight lines - you might need to do a bit of clever trunk-covering with foliage masses to make it less straightforward.

Best of luck - it'll certainly make you think.

Gavin

[matlea]

Hmmm this could be way off the mark but how about this?



Would need substantial growth near these areas... Maybe also some deadwood on the main trunk?

[kcpoole]

Interesting Idea Matlea. Only problem would be growing the foliage on the small branch / Trunk Section. I think it has not liked being bent at all and this bit has died off

Regardless I took the tree to School on Tuesday night and got stuck in with Georges large branch splitter to releave the stiffnes sand allow me to work it. today I wrapped it with raffia and wire then tried some bends with a large bending bar.

Thoughts and virts from here most welcome.

Ken

[kcpoole]

After wrapping and applying wire, the bending starts
Sorry I did not take a pic of the bending bar, but is just a flat steel bar with 2 bolts thru it spaced far enough apart to be either side of the trunk. ( about 2 inches).
Slip it it around the trunk and heave on it.

Try not to move it all too many times as bark and tissue damage under the raffia cannot be seen.

Trimmed back and wired all the foliage stems, and will now leave it for a few weeks to recover and see if any sections die back.
Wire and Raffia will stay on at least 2 months until late next summer / Autumn. Then reassess ( unless anyone else comes up with a good idea before then)

Ken

[matlea]

Looking good hope it pulls through!

[kcpoole]

Looking good hope it pulls through!

Hope so too Have not done any work to the roots and there was heaps of them when I potted it up.

Only Split the trunk and bent it so should be good
Well I hope so Eh! After all it is a test subject so everything I can do will be a learning process and add to the experience with them so all good.
Some may say its to early to work these and the larger collected trees I agree, but this being just a piece of bonus junk will be good to play with.

Bending limits , and Foliage pruning with a mind to find out quickly whether it will look good or will I have to graft on other species to make the foliage look any good?

[Jag01]

I am lovinging you attitude.

What better way to learn than to do! especially with a tree that had little potential in the place and you are not emotionally invested in. This give you the freedom to push your techniques to the limit and hopefully learn things that will benefit your masterpieces in the future.

cheers,

Jeff

[bodhidharma]

A good result Ken, betcha you had fun. If i could work it (were it mine) Remove the branches at the first trunk bend and kink that first bend a little more. The flow out of the pot is not dramatic enough to create an impact for the viewer. this should be an "over the top" sort of tree.

[kcpoole]

A good result Ken, betcha you had fun. If i could work it (were it mine) Remove the branches at the first trunk bend

Are you meaning the one on the top / back?
and yes i did have fun

I may get some more bend on the top bend by pulling the trunk together but will have to use a turn buckle or wire twist. It is pretty stiff in that area and could not split much around that section

thanks Jeff, it's good fun when you get an opportunity to play.

Ken

[bodhidharma]

Are you meaning the one on the top / back?

Yes, basically the highest point of the tree. Get rid of or, jin those branches, then more kink or movement at that bend. Work on your end foliage and that would be a dramatic tree. Wish i could virt.