AusBonsai

May 2017. The first time that I spent money on some mature stock - it wasn't a heap of money but enough nonetheless. Too much for it to die.

It's a Shimpaku - full of problems. A right angle near the base, long and gangly growth, nebari average, bar branches .... that said, I still purchased it. Probably because I thought it was cheaply expensive - which makes no sense but I often don't make sense . So we'll all just live with that.

Anyway - it looked like below when I purchased it. I thought I would make some form artsy cascade. Yet, I looked at it for a few months and decided I wanted a more squat, chunky tree. So I went reasonably hard on the longer growth and created a rough shari. Back then, I thought I went reasonably hard on the cut backs but I didn't really .... Some time later, I cut more branches off and wired others. Today it looks like this. I'll now make some further changes. Some trimming, more wiring and guy wires ....when I take it out of the training pot one day, I'll change the potting angle.

I am glad I purchased it but I am dancing in the dark a little. Just relying on some of the stuff I have learned and my gut.

Progressing really well there Mark! I really like the angle of it in the second last photo, where the straight lower trunk is not so obvious, and the movement becomes more harmonious.

It's a hurdle to get over for sure; the plants that cost you more than you are comfortable with lest they die. It can be daunting to part with larger sums of money, but mature stock can be a great way to move forward more quickly, especially with species that are slow to thicken.

I keep wanting to dip my toe back into shimpaku after my disastrous first attempt, but the notion of giving space up for something other than maples or prunus is a wrench

Thanks Tim. A bit more work. Re-wiring, trimming back ... I think the front about the angle of the last two photos in this set - 708, 709.

I think.

Bonsai teaches me patience.
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Looks like it is doing quite well under your care.
Final design still seems a bit too tall and skinny for my taste. Lowest branch has bends and lower trunk has strong bends but the upper trunk and branches are still relatively straight. I think you could still compact the top quite a bit more to bring the apex down to a short, compact tree.
Just my so don't feel any obligation to change if you are happy with it as is.

Thanks Neil. I need all the help
I can get!! I see what you’re saying. I certainly don’t think I am at final design yet so I will definitely take further thoughts - indeed, they are much appreciated. Cheers, Mark

Ps - p!ssing down (that’s a technical weather term) here where where I live and we need the rain! [THUMBS UP SIGN]



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Hi Mark ,
Looks like you are having fun. Some nice interesting lines ,angles in there. I like pic705 ,the shari has a nice gentle curve that catches my eye......Cheers John.

boom64 wrote:Hi Mark ,
Looks like you are having fun. Some nice interesting lines ,angles in there. I like pic705 ,the shari has a nice gentle curve that catches my eye......Cheers John.

Thanks for the encouragement John. That photo is the existing front. Perhaps the new front will be an angle that is not a far as 709 and perhaps not as tilted. Also, I can compress more at the top. All those ideas could work. They would better open up the Shari, create a sense of depth and lean forward to wrap its limbs around the viewer.


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Ok - I’ll stop working in this for a while now. Compressed at least another 1.5 inches. Changed probable front angle. Slightly tilted forward. Exposed a confused nebari.
Good fun - thanks for advice.
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Sorry - I’ll stop spamming the forum today but this is made me laugh.

I had to move the Shimpaku because my family finally woke up this fine morning and wanted dad to cook breaky - so I had to use my ‘bonsai bench’! Here’s breaky. Yeah - I stuffed up one of the eggs. Anyway - in moving the Shimpaku , rotated it. Ha! What? I like this angle too!! What a crack up! Another possibility that I hadn’t considered and it’s a byproduct of my work on a different front!

Funny sport this.

Oh, and here’s breakfast- it’s a flexible bonsai bench! Enjoy Sunday.


Bonsai teaches me patience.
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I like your multi tasking bonsai bench, just make sure it cools down before plonking a tree on it.

I prefer the last front you showed. The angles of the lower trunk are really nice and you could make an interesting semi cascade or slanting. Don't forget that you'll find the bends you've already made can be exaggerated after the tree has rested for a bit. Nice tree, keep us posted.

Matt.

Howdy MJL,
I’m in the “compact” camp with this tree, and an angle change I think will certainly help but all in all if you look at what you started with and where you ended it was a productive session.
I think anything you can do to get that top section reduced can only add and as MattS says, once the bends have had a day or so to take their new position you can push them a bit further... slowly, slowly...
Keep moving forward!

Really enjoying this little tree. It makes me smile when I go back to where it started. I am slowly starting to understand this sport - this plant is nothing special but it is special to me - if that makes any sense!

Further to various pieces of advice, I continue to compress the height and it is better for it. There’s a few possible fronts - I am leaning to the first photo and I also like the others... hmmm
A good thing about keeping watch over your plants ... look at this prickly little fellow!
Anyway - this might be repotted out of a training pot in spring.


Bonsai teaches me patience.
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