Pheonix graft , Driftwood or veneering

[alpineart]

This is a simple but effective method of producing a Driftwood style trainer .Choosing a piece of driftwood of old hardwood branch or similar as the framework i simply carved the groove in a spiral fashion around the wood .

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Using 2 Juniper Sabina's /Savin Juniper's i trimmed excess foliage off and trimming the roots to fit snug to the stump ,

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then attached 1 plant at the top using a cable tie after winding around and into the groove

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. i then add the second tree securing both plants at the base and covering the trunks with a piece of split garden hose to prevent damage and adding ties up the trunks as required ..Pot the trainer and wire as required for a very effective almost instant Bonsai .Cheers

[alpineart]

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With a quick wire shape and trim it will now be allowed to grow on for a season or 2 .A close eye will be kept on the cable ties and removed before any damage has occured . Happy Bonsai

[Webos]

Brilliant.... Love it. I have a couple of old dead stumps laying around and I've been wondering what to do with them. How do you deal with rot in the dead stump?

[alpineart]

Hi Webos , i prefer to use Yellow Box or Malaleuca which stands up to this type of treatment .I don't treat the timber at all .I have used Red Gum in the past but it doesn't carve to my liking and tends to split with constant moisture changes ,purely individual taste .Cheers

[Jamie]

awesome, i have a little stump i might do this with a juni aswell.
you have this sort of styling wrapped up, i love how you can get near instant results.
very pleasing to the eye aswell, cant wait to see this in a couple of seasons.
great work.

regards jamie

[alpineart]

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This pic shows the grooves in the wood .Cheers

[alpineart]

awesome, i have a little stump i might do this with a juni aswell.
you have this sort of styling wrapped up, i love how you can get near instant results.
very pleasing to the eye aswell, cant wait to see this in a couple of seasons.
great work.

regards jamie

Hi Jamie , wrapped indeed no good waiting for 150 years to collect an old juniper .Cheers

[Jamie]

agree on that one mate, this has inspired me to use the little stump i got to go out and get a juni and do this tomorrow. might just be able to snag that being fathers day. what do you use to carve the groove in the dead wood? dremel?

see if i can wrap a juni like you do. (no pun intended....or is it )

[aaron_tas]

im tryin my first big pheonix's as we speak, pine on pine, with no grooves.

ill post them in thier own when i finally get them all on...

[Jamie]

do they stay on with no grooves??? i have heard that they should really be screwed in with brass screws aswell..

[aaron_tas]

i smash em with nails and screws

[Jamie]

well thats the way to do it...lol
so the nails and screws just eventually get grown over by bark??? how is the scars?

[alpineart]

agree on that one mate, this has inspired me to use the little stump i got to go out and get a juni and do this tomorrow. might just be able to snag that being fathers day. what do you use to carve the groove in the dead wood? dremel?

see if i can wrap a juni like you do. (no pun intended....or is it )

Hi Jamie .Yes a dremel was used with a small 2mm straight disc cutter .Cheers

[Jamie]

thanks alpine, i will put the 9 inch grinder away then lol.

so it doesnt have to be round it can be v'eed??

[aaron_tas]

yep, tell me a screw head wont grow over in 20 years...