Tips for developing bunjin juniper from scratch?

[Promethius]

Yep, that’s my understanding. I have limited shari experience (aside from killing things, but that was more than the carving), but Neil has shared a memorable example previously about the importance of sap flow. See this thread: viewtopic.php?t=31480

[Mickeyjaytee]

Yep, that’s my understanding. I have limited shari experience (aside from killing things, but that was more than the carving), but Neil has shared a memorable example previously about the importance of sap flow. See this thread: viewtopic.php?t=31480

Thanks mate, I really appreciate that. Cheers for the link too. So, from what I’m understanding in the post, you could make a twisted shari on a straight trunk? I’ve always been taught and seen on videos and read in books that the roots below directly connect to what is above. This completely blows that out of the water!

I would assume it would be a slower process to allow the plant to redirect sap flow? Also I’d assume the way the bark peels when creating a shari that it would be easier to just follow the twists in the trunk as you peel as opposed to gouging a design into the trunk? I can’t be sure on any of those assumptions though.

That’s a very interesting thing to learn. I just had no idea that was possible Thanks so much for sharing

[shibui]

Despite the idea that junipers have 'live veins' I have carved spiral sharis in straight trunks without any problem with the tree.
There is always some stronger sap flow between roots and closest branches and sap seems to prefer to follow a straight line but trees are also capable of redirecting sap flow sideways where viable sapwood exists in case of emergency. When we forget wires and they bite into a tree does it die? Or does sap begin to follow the spiral formed by the wires?
Live vein seems to apply to older trees that have definitely set up defined sap flow pathways and to trees with damaged trunks. The only time I ever killed part of a juniper was a tree that already had spiral shari. When I widened that shari I did not notice a damaged section (still had bark over) and the new, wider shari cut of the last, small remaining live bark connecting the top of the tree.

I've only ever made spiral shari starting with fairly narrow cuts and expanding those after the new sap flow has established.
Need to plan such carving so you leave every branch with a live connection to roots below.