Alpineart's Blog

This is one of 2 large Spruce purchased from Melbourne .I decided to set air layers using the open pot method that is always used here as the results are far better than sealed wrapped methods i have employed in the past . It much quicker to set and to maintain an open pot as watering is simply dome when the host required watering , simple squirt with a hose . These were layered in February 2011 and maintained during that period . The smaller trunk had an infestation of curl grubs and unfortunately never recovered with new root growth , I do believe if it was left on for another season it would have in my mind sprouted new roots as the callous was very healthy . I severed this layer off and removed the custom fitted pot from the trunk to reveal the excellent root mass produced using a grow medium of soft red scoria and pin bark at 80%-20% ration . This is a blend somewhat similar to my own bonsai mix . I do vary the ratio slightly for different species from Deciduous to Conifers . After removing and combing the roots out a simple trim of the roots and the removal of 7 branches the new trainer is then potted into a large shallow bonsai pot . This could have been removed from the base in Autunm as the root ball was well developed . I have place a coated wire over the upper whorls and around the pot to stabilize the tree to prevent the wind from toppling it over . With so much thick foliage it would be like a wind sail and definitely be blown over . For now i can sit back on this one and concentrate on the base which is basically ready for it first major wiring and shaping. The original trunks has had a major cut back of the root mass using a handsaw the raked out to selectively trim the roots . It was trimmed when the layer was set . The second trunk needs a good work over also . Cheers Alpineart

This is a collected trunk which was split down to make 2 usable trunks rather than waste the material .I have considered inarch grafting for quite some time . Due to a topic at a club meeting the opportunity to see first hand the results of grafting Shimpaku juniper to Needle juniper . Having an impressive trunk to use was the motivation to go ahead and graft the new foliage . After purchasing some quality Shimpaku  stock i re-potted them in bigger pots to allow root run then they are ready for the project . I have set many inarch grafts on Japanese Black Pines so this would be a walk in the park . I have used some pine timber as supports for the pots to sit on and wired them to the stubs .The pots are the sat on the supports and wired to prevent any chance of being knocked off , i can’t afford to allow the grafted stock to be dislodged over the next 12 months while the inarch grafts fuse to the new host . With the pots secure i set about locating the new branches on the host plant , then with the grafts positioned i then begin to slice the bark down to the cambium on both the Sabina and Shimpaku. I need to make sure the cambium layers line up for a good graft to take . The Graft is embedded into the host plants groove then grafting tape is applied around the area to be fused . This took 2 pair of hand to locate and secure the grafts in the ideal position to ensure a good graft . I continued on setting 6 grafts around the host trunk more so on the upper reaches to allow for carving of the lower stubs . This will now be allowed to grow freely for another 12 months then if the grafts have fused they will be severed and the work begins on styling and shaping the new foliage . This project will take a couple of years to become a Shimpaku Trainer so for now its onto the benches and into the next task at hand .

Cheers Alpineart

This is one of the Juniper Sabina -Savin Juniper collected recently along with many others . This was long and leggy with too much material and a lot of waste . I have decided that this along with another one has more than  1 trunk worthy of using . I used a sabre saw to split the trunks down to a more usable plant . They still have impressive trunks with plenty of character however i will most likely inarch graft Shimpaku Juniper onto the smaller of the two or graft more Savin juniper back onto the lower trunk . It will make for a very impressive Shimpaku with attitude and plenty of carving to be had on this 150mm base. The remaining larger trunk has various options from informal upright to semi cascade , there is even the possibility of a huge raft style in there if i was inclined to layer another section off . I’m looking forward to the next couple of years designing and styling these big buggers into something quite unique . Now 8 big trunks become 9 and no doubt i could split a couple more to increase my future stock .

Cheers Alpineart