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This is another Tanuki/Phoenix Graft , this time i have used 2  pre- trained nursery stock plants . Whilst they weren’t destined for this project the stump/root demanded quality Junipers and the Shimpaku were ready and waiting . Another pine tap root was used and cleaned up as previous post and painted with lime sulfur to prevent fungus attack . I did  hit the painted wood with a blow torch just to tone it down a little and to aid drying . Again the juni’s were penciled onto the wood then grooved out to the desired depth ,  the  plants were then   attached with solid brass screws . Where the plant was too thin cable / zip ties were used to hold the trunks/branches in place  . A trim of the unwanted foliage i then placed some wire on a couple of branches to train them  for future jins . This will be power fed  and left to grow on for the next 2 seasons .Cheers Alpineart

This  juniper was a large nursery tube stock 2 years ago . It was planted on a piece of volcanic rock , potted into a large pot to allow for root run , selectively pruned  and power feed for 2 seasons . The trunk was basically trained with a bit of movement then left to grow on .When left untrimmed , root pruned  they quickly double/triple in size from the small stock plant  , allowing for a nice specimen to work with . I find most people hack these back too hard then regret the butchering and loss of jin material . The foliage that is left will still pump the small trunks to a reasonable size ,  then they will be removed for the jins .I estimate another 2 seasons of power feeding then the branches will be stripped and the final style will take place I have wired the future jins and spiraled them like a cork screw , this will give them added depth when completed .I have slip potted it, rotating the tree about 45 degree’s to show off the rock and the movement of the trunk .  The  training pot is about 30 % larger than the previous for extra root run . When slip potting i never root prune as this would defeat the purpose of using a bigger pot , simple tease the roots out and repot as per normal potted plant adding plenty of slow release fertilizer above the root-mass . I  hope to have a tree resembling this sketch in a year or two . Cheers Alpineart

This is another pheonix graft using the same method as the previous post, except younger pre trained nursery stock was used . It is much easier to use young plants to be able to get a closer tighter fit between trunk and deadwood . The time frame is much less also , about 6 hours to produce this trainer . It will be allowed to grow on for a season or two then the lower branches currently used as sacrifice branches will be stripped for the jins . Sacrafice branches are used to pump the trunks on most trees then removed completely or used as jins . The wiring is to add movement and depth to what will be jins . This will hopefully be the finished design that i am aiming for . .Iplan to do numerous grafts using different stock plants . Cheers and happy Bonsai .Alpineart