AusBonsai

Awesome! Then Im getting some to put into the garden to fatten them up! They were really cheap! Like $8 AUS each for you guys...

Another update,

Still more wiring, and I think save for a few little bits and pieces in the apex that the middle and right trunk are done.

I'm not sure about the left trunk though, on the one hand I wish to honor the previous owner and retain this trunk, on the other hand it lacks interest, and any branches in front of the trunk. Most of the branches behind the trunk follow the same lines and to bring them into new positions will likely leave large gaps. I have been considering a large deadwood feature but it's a big step to take. Thoughts?

Here's the tree at the minute. It is still leaning way forward so final branch angles and any tweaks will wait until it's in a pot and is potted at the right angle

from the front the right hand side (notice the angle of the box, and the angle to tree is still at) And from the left Cheers,

Kerrin

Personally I prefer one of the side angles, probably the left, as a possible front. Adds a bit more depth to the group, the three trunks work better from this angle too.

I'm no expert but I agree with what JaseH is saying. The side views seem to offer more, although could it just be that the base is hidden by the container in the front view?
Thanks for continuing with the updates, keep them coming

Yep.

Sides look better to me too?
What are we missing?

For me, it is a hard one. The branches start too high, and the 3rd trunk is like a stray dog. I can see what shibui is saying about the main trunk as possibly too long and no taper. I can't even picture what I'd do with this if it were mine. Keep at it, perhaps you'll wake up at 3am one night with a light bulb moment. I don't have much experience with shimpaku, but can you bend the trunk more over time? I would assume it might be too thick though and probably brittle I would imagine. I wouldn't go promoting jin unless you've exhausted all other avenues.

You could possibly try literati perhaps, as to me it presents with too many problems to be worthy of traditional styles.

Hey Kez, Looks like you picked up some good stock there. I am finding it a little hard to see it all in the pictures but the front that you have chosen looks to be good, how is the surface root spread for this? The more I look at it, the more I can see a really nice twin trunk mother/daughter style, using the centre and r/h trunks, the ones you have wired already. With a bit more shaping of the branches and a change of potting angle, bringing the centre tree to a more upright position or should I say tilt the whole thing over to the right a bit more.Make sure that the centre tree is not leaning too far forward, making it look as if it is falling out of the pot. Good to have the apex coming towards the viewer but not the whole thing. So once the l/h trunk is gone, bring the branches down a little more on the l/h side of the main trunk. Remember to create direction, with the r/h trunk smaller and the branch closer to the ground, it is well on the way to giving you good direction to the right.You seem to be doing really well so far, remember to wire,wire,wire, gets lots of shape into those branches, this is going to be a great tree, thanks for the post, keep us up to date. I hope I have been of some help, Michael.

Hey folks,

Some good discussion going on here, keep the ideas flowing. I understand what everyone is saying about a side view, but in the bark it's just not there for me, no real interest from either side, perhaps with some branch tweaking but with they way they are set now it's not as good as the front IMO.

As mentioned before the branches will need to be re-placed once it's potted at the right angle (hard to style for this when the tree is leaning so far forward) but I wonder whether this will give a bit more light to the situation (this is with the front propped right up, don't forget, branches not where they will end up in final potting)
Root spread is great, there's a pic on page 1, as for bending the main trunk, she's pretty thick, could get a decent change of angle due to the length but I doubt much bend. With the 3rd trunk gone branches could come around to the left a little? hard to say......

I have the feeling that a pot would help this tree immensely though

Let me know what you think

Kerrin

Hey Kez, Yeah that is going in the direction that I had in mind and with the l/h trunk gone, can you see a better tree, even if you have to rotate the front slightly. Michael.

Already looking much better without the 3rd trunk

Yeah, with what you have to work with there... it does look better without it.

before any major work I would research techniques(clamps and blocks and wires?) for giving the left "problem" trunk more movement to see if it could be made more compatible

Sorry.... just to add.... Don't do anything drastic to it unless you feel 100% confident that it will improve the look. I would do all the wiring and changes on the assumption that you are going to remove the 3rd trunk, then keep that cardboard there, to take it out of the picture, and if after all your work, you think it still looks awesome, I'd wait a few months, and then decide. Once its gone, you can't put it back haha, I see I was beaten to the punch with the same view by 30 seconds,from Guy...

Alright folks,

Here's where we are at as of today. I have made some changes, the 3rd trunk is still there and has been partially wired, and the planting angle has been changed both in front orientation and in angle from the soil.

I have also potted this one up as of this morning, I felt like the grow box was keeping me from seeing this tree properly and it is in great health so I was confident it would power on no worries (the poly box was chock full of great quality roots)

I removed about half the root mass to accommodate the new angle but was able to leave a big solid mass with the old growing media around the base. The new angle does lose some of the nebari from the front view but I think it's worth it, and I would ideally have liked an oval pot but I couldn't find one suitable

Anyway without further ado Looking forward to what everyone thinks

Kerrin

I like
good depth from that view

Ken