Designing a Twisted Juniper Squamata

[Patmet]

I bought this Juniper Squamata as a straight nursery whip, I think a couple of years ago... I've lost track. I wanted to work towards making one of those gnarly twisted junipers from scratch.

I got it healthy first - It was a little weak from the nursery. I then got to wiring and twisting the trunk. I've been slowly up-potting and letting it grow and thicken since then. I figured now would be a good time to go in and start looking at starting to wire some branches before they get thick.

Looking at it now I don't love how the first section of trunk is a bit too much of an even spiral/pigtail, so I'm trying to design it in a way that is still interesting. I'm making sure to keep the rest of the trunk and branches not following that pattetn.

I've ummed and ahhed about all different views and angles for the future, but there's one I like the best right now that I keep coming back to. I've thinned it out, jinned a large sacrifice on the top, but still left most of the branches to keep elongating and thicken. I've also left a large sacrifice low on the trunk to keep pumping it up that will eventually be jinned.

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Before working

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A potential front angle

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The other side which I find less interesting currently

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My current preferred front with branches wired

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Another angle of preferred front

[shibui]

One of the early lessons I learned with this technique was to avoid the spiral. Need to make initial bends in different directions to introduce some randomness into the bends and twists.

This one is not too bad. I've certainly made some much worse. At some stage you could consider a shari on the trunk. If done thoughtfully it could disguise the corkscrew.

Also a good plan to put some bends in the branches. That's another lesson learned here. Straight branches just do not match a twisted trunk. Even straight jins don't look great so I even bend and twist the sacrifice branches now.

[Phil Rabl]

You may hate this idea, but I would cut the tree off below the second branch, gin the remaining trunk and grow the tree using only the lowest branch. I would change the planting angle so that branch is growing upwards (maybe at 45 degrees). You should be able to get some nice bends in that branch, and you will get plenty of side branching. Feel free to reject this thought, but it is the only way I can see to eliminate the unnatural spiral in the trunk.

[Patmet]

You may hate this idea, but I would cut the tree off below the second branch, gin the remaining trunk and grow the tree using only the lowest branch. I would change the planting angle so that branch is growing upwards (maybe at 45 degrees). You should be able to get some nice bends in that branch, and you will get plenty of side branching. Feel free to reject this thought, but it is the only way I can see to eliminate the unnatural spiral in the trunk.

I see what your saying Phil. That is certainly an option and would also help with taper at the same time.

However at this stage I don't want to go down that route just yet. I might change my mind in future, but as Shibui said it's not too bad of a spiral and I personally don't think it's beyond redeeming.

I do intend to do shari on the trunk to help disguise the flaws. I want to think and plan it out well though so I won't rush into this. I also am thinking that maybe as the trunk grows and swells that corkscrew section will become less defined.

I'll definitely keep updating with how I go with it.

[shibui]

I also am thinking that maybe as the trunk grows and swells that corkscrew section will become less defined.

Your bends are not too close together but, depending how much the trunk thickens there's a good chance that the bends will grow together. It will happen eventually anyway but that could be many years away and not worth worrying about.

Taking the bark off inside of bends ensures that the trunk bends only thickens outward away from each other.

A bit hard to see in these photos but these twisted shimpaku have that problem.

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[Miikeboyle]

I made a twisted squamata about 4 years ago. It's still pre bonsai. I bought a small plant from Bunnings and twisted it up and planted it in a terracotta pot where it still remains. It was a bit corkscrew which has now grown tight as the trunk thickens. I have a long sacrifice branch which will hopefully thicken the base up a bit.

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[Patmet]

Taking the bark off inside of bends ensures that the trunk bends only thickens outward away from each other.

That's a good idea I might try that once the gap closes to a point I'm happy with.

[ACooke]

I've been messing about with some branches and a surplus trunk I don't plan on using in a procumbens and shimpaku I have.
I just wanted to jump in and add how truly difficult I find it to twist up something that looks random and appealing.
Everything seems to end up in a semi-symmetrical looking spiral, an S bend or a right-angle.

Being that they're surplus to my needs, I've become content with telling myself that as they thicken and offer branching to integrate or switch-direction to, they'll look better (and if not, ah well).

Looking forward to seeing the progression here.