Shimpaku headache

[LLK]

Hello all,

I bought this Shimpaku from Shibui at the CBS annual show last month. It was the last of Shibui's Shimpakus, and that wasn't surprising, becausze no-ne so far had been crazy enough to buy it. As it was shortly before the show closed on the last day, the jolly thing was priced down by 30% and I couldn't help being tempted. I just love a challenge, and who can resist a Shimpaku with plenty of possibilities.... or...... er.....

An hour later, and after the wise counsel of the best CBS bonsai stylists present, plus Shibui himself, plus my own vacillating opinion ( ), it was still not clear what could be done with this shrub. My advisers agreed on only one thing, and that was that one of the trunks should be jinned and shortened. But which? And what to do with the curved tops?
I haven't made up my mind yet. Anyone here have a try?
Thanks!

Lisa

[k2bonsai]

My initial thought? Do some sort of windswept tree by bending the main higher trunk down and then out to the right and the second trunk also down to follow it... You may get some idea of what i mean in my image but excuse how bad it is drawn... Just thrown up as it is the first thing i saw in the last pic.

[alpineart]

Hi LLK , I agree with k2 on this one .I see so many plants chopped back to nothing and regrown basically the same as it was before . Utilizing all the foliage there and creating a twin trunk cascade or semi cascade would make for a very nice tree . I would leave a little more foliage on the upper apex /bend and tilt the whole thing over 30-40 degree's to the right . Good insight from k2 right here .

Cheers Alpineart

[Kyushu Danji]

Maybe you don't have to decide right away how to style this one? You could cut it back just enough to let it backbud down below, then let it grow on for a year or so and see what options present themselves then. I agree with Alpine in that it is senseless to just hack at everything all in one go.

[LLK]

Thanks K2 and Alpine. I was really pleased with your similar opinions, because I had also had the idea of using both trunks in the way sketched by K2. Still, it's not so simple, the reason why being hidden by dense foliage. I'll have to do some more cleaning to show it. My advisers didn't agree with the 2-trunk design because of those problems.
Kyushu: no, that Shimpaku really needs work. Delaying it would accentuate its problems.

BTW, K2, you indicate only 1 year of bonsai experience. Where did you get that bonsai wisdom?

Lisa

[k2bonsai]

I read a lot and look at lots of photos etc. The problem is now that i can see a quick pic of a tree and get a good idea in my head as to where it needs to go, but the problem i have is I need the skills to go from the raw tree into this design in my head. That is the hard thing to master but this month i will join the Sydney club and hopefully each month get some good help from experienced people so i can bridge the missing link into knowing what i need to do and actually knowing how to do it with my hands.

[Craig]

Hi Lisa , any chance of turning it into a twin trunk Bunjin ? nice dilemma.

[LLK]

by k2bonsai » Today, 13:44

I read a lot and look at lots of photos etc. The problem is now that i can see a quick pic of a tree and get a good idea in my head as to where it needs to go, but the problem i have is I need the skills to go from the raw tree into this design in my head. That is the hard thing to master but this month i will join the Sydney club and hopefully each month get some good help from experienced people so i can bridge the missing link into knowing what i need to do and actually knowing how to do it with my hands.

Red letter day!! Here's someone who is doing things right!! He's READING and LOOKING and JOINING A CLUB! He'll go far.
---------------------------------
Craig, hi! and thanks.
A bit doubtful whether two trunks at such an angle to each other wouldn't create problems in a bunjin design. Still it's worth keeping it in mind. At least it's bl...dy original.

Lisa

[Craig]

Craig, hi! and thanks.
A bit doubtful whether two trunks at such an angle to each other wouldn't create problems in a bunjin design. Still it's worth keeping it in mind. At least it's bl...dy original.

Lisa

No probs, I wonder if you would mind taking a clearer pic or 3 of the trunklines please Lisa, I've a few ideas floating around but without clear views i'll not virt it,

[LLK]

I wonder if you would mind taking a clearer pic or 3 of the trunklines please Lisa, I've a few ideas floating around but without clear views i'll not virt it,

Fair enough. I need to remove some foliage anyway, so could bring out the main structure, but I have to be careful not to remove branches that I may need in the new design, and to identify those I need to have an idea of the new design....
Just give me a bit of time to work things out, and thanks for the possibility of virtuals.

Lisa

[Jag01]

Do the two trunks join at soil level?

Another Idea, split the two trunks at soil level, the you have two separate trees.

Then of course you have twice the problem

Cheers,
Jeff

[The Specimen]

I vote for grafting to a magic piece of deadwood. That way it is possible to keep much of the foliage mass and chimps love deadwood !

[Craig]

I wonder if you would mind taking a clearer pic or 3 of the trunklines please Lisa, I've a few ideas floating around but without clear views i'll not virt it,

Fair enough. I need to remove some foliage anyway, so could bring out the main structure, but I have to be careful not to remove branches that I may need in the new design, and to identify those I need to have an idea of the new design....
Just give me a bit of time to work things out, and thanks for the possibility of virtuals.

Lisa

Ok , here we go,

one way to use the bends like this is shown on this Ponderosa pine(notmine),

2pondfa.jpg

your trunk doesn't bend like this one does But,

2869324278_95202dc8a0_b.jpg

and then this tree. yours does not have the girth but
from the rear view ,split the lower right trunk from the main trunk a little, jin off some branches, open up some shari, Maybe as Specimen mentioned add some deadwood to the base area to add visual weight to the trunk. Top the left trunk, open it up and shari/ bend the branches . Can you see where i'm heading Lisa ?

246987_202984813077326_100000974264374_491450_6799076_n.jpg

250361_203136496395491_100000974264374_492776_1699177_n.jpg

somewhat helpful I hope.


(images borrowed from google)

[LLK]

Now I feel I'm getting somewhere. Even got a piece of deadwood lying around that might do the trick. Thanks for the suggestions, Specimen and Jeff, and especially for taking the trouble to find illustrations, Craig.
I'll do some cleaning up of this Shimpaku and get back with more explicit photos. I hope!

Lisa

[bodhidharma]

A good candidate for a Tanuki (phoenix graft) I am doing one with a "Sargentii" and i will send you a photo of an idea.