Good Fun Conifer Project this afternoon

[The Specimen]

Haven't posted in a little while as I have been not so well so thought I'd get back in the spirit and get some therapeutic activities happening..

Just this afternoon I had a stock conifer to work on.. oh boy what fun!

No better way to spend a great lovely afternoon ^^

[Guy]

bend it in several places

[The Specimen]

Gotto luv feedback.. any suggestions on where and how I may improve it ?

[Guy]

not sure how much you cleaned up the branches but greenery seems too far from the trunk--------with that trunk I would search for info and examples of slanting or windswept styles---

[The Specimen]

I dont think there is too much further i can do at this stage without causing further stress to the tree.

More than 60% of foliage was removed with and i had opened up the trunk.. perhaps i should have progressed it but

too much fun n got carried away =/


QUESTION: i would have liked for this tree to get bigger with development however has my attempt at creating a shari caused negative

consequences? There is only a thin strip of bark on the main trunk.. i think shari should be at the later stages of development?

[Edward Scissorhand]

I dont think there is too much further i can do at this stage without causing further stress to the tree.

More than 60% of foliage was removed with and i had opened up the trunk.. perhaps i should have progressed it but

too much fun n got carried away =/


QUESTION: i would have liked for this tree to get bigger with development however has my attempt at creating a shari caused negative

consequences? There is only a thin strip of bark on the main trunk.. i think shari should be at the later stages of development?

I have a feeling you already know the damage. My personal feeling is the tree will live for a little while more then slowly deteriorate. Creating a shari right underneath a branch isnt a good idea, me thinks. Anyway, heres hoping you prove me wrong

[kcpoole]

I think Guy was suggesting that the tree be wired fully, and then put lots of bends into the branches to remove the long straight sections, and to bring the foliage pads back in close to the trunk.
Conifers should not look like sticks with a ball of foliage on the ends. The should have it close to the trunk on branches that are angled down from the trunk on the lower section of the tree. This gives the impression that the branches have been weighed down by winter snow over the years.

re the Shari, I believe, a branch receives its nutrients from the live vein directly below it and if you cut that, the branch will most likely die. Sometimes they will reroute the trees energy to another part of the bark. I do not know how to encourage the process as Shari / Live vein identification is part skill, part knowledge and part magic

check out the "Twisted Juniper" to get some idea of the bending that can be done to a tree to bring the foliage in close

Ken

[The Specimen]

Ken always good to read your in put.

Yes the tree certainly can be improved a lot more.. just how much more I am not too sure though I usually push trees quite a bit now days.. not such a good idea though sometimes curiosity gets the better of me though this is the only way I can push and understand limits.

About the Shari under the branches.. that does have grounding and I'll avoid that next time. I did it on a Juniper though may have been luck because it was also directly under the branch too.

By performing sharis' on young trees, have I reduced significantly its ability to gain a bigger base and trunk ?

[kcpoole]

By performing sharis' on young trees, have I reduced significantly its ability to gain a bigger base and trunk ?

I think maybe the reason for that is that the tree will only put on girth under the Bark you have left rather than all the way around?.

Ken

[The Specimen]

wise owl and very logical indeed.. cheers!

[Mojo Moyogi]

Gotto luv feedback.. any suggestions on where and how I may improve it ?

Hi Specimen,
to improve it you should ID it. Before you buy it and definitely before you do dramatic work on it. Regardless of whether it is a piece of stock to play with or a tree that can be something more serious, all conifers are not treated the same, some can take all kinds of abuse, others are weak and some will never work as bonsai at all.

Cheers,
Mojo