AusBonsai

What is the consensus about peeling bark from junipers? I know the Japanese love to do it. I kind of like the natural look. Somehow the smooth peeled bark looks fake. But it does show contrast between the live and the dead I guess.

Hi Mike,

Like you I find it hard to peel bark and polish the trunk. I prefer the old look of the bark as is.

The polished look may occur naturally in nature but it doesn't mean we have to slavishly follow Japanese customary practice if we don't like it.

Like preferring pebbles over moss for instance.

This is a Black Cat/White Cat thread; i.e. both work.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15304&hilit=+Black+ ... +White+Cat

Grant

Hi Guys,

In Japan, they usually do create the contrast in live and dead wood that Junipers are famous for however, if a tree is found to have very old and interesting bark (and when I say old, I mean SUPER old), they actually leave the bark as is.

Personally, I find my eyes drawn to Junipers that have more deadwood than live wood. But certainly doesn't mean I hate when there's no dead wood at all on a Juniper.

Whatever tickles your boat.

Cheers,
Mo

I like the contrast between dark reddish bark, bleached deadwood and green foliage. Lots of trees have attractive bark which can be a feature but juniper bark is not particularly attractive unless peeled

Interesting post. I agree, it is a personal preference, but there is in fact more to it.

In nature, very old junipers have often been weathered and as such they mostly have peeled bark. Realistically, there are no 500 year old junipers in nature without peeled bark.

The second reason is biology. The section which is peeled does not expand much, if at all. What then happens is the areas which are not peeled keep growing. If the bark is not peeled on the edges of a tree, this causes the edges to continue to grow and the tree in fact gets a flat appearance. The trunk is given the appearance of being very broad. This happens in nature and as such you see some spectacular examples of tour tired thick trunks. To replicate this, Japanese bonsai artist do exactly the same.

Having said this, it is a skill, which should not be done randomly. Which is the case in many commercial Japanese and Chinese bonsai.

The results can be spectacular, but it takes many, many years.

This is a created deadwood. I personally think it is excellent work. But this takes a lot of skill. I have the progression photos, but thought I'll just post the before and after.

I don't like vast expanses of white -- "reindeer antlers" or great lumps of dead wood sticking way out past the canopy makes the tree "shrink" and look more like an old, smaller bush--generally, keeping the dead wood inside the canopy makes the tree look older and larger----a case of 'less is more'.---oops I better quickly put this```

Some Japanese bonsai exponents like to peel the bark and buff it with steel wool to get the red polished look.

gerald randall wrote:Interesting post. I agree, it is a personal preference, but there is in fact more to it.

In nature, very old junipers have often been weathered and as such they mostly have peeled bark. Realistically, there are no 500 year old junipers in nature without peeled bark.

The second reason is biology. The section which is peeled does not expand much, if at all. What then happens is the areas which are not peeled keep growing. If the bark is not peeled on the edges of a tree, this causes the edges to continue to grow and the tree in fact gets a flat appearance. The trunk is given the appearance of being very broad. This happens in nature and as such you see some spectacular examples of tour tired thick trunks. To replicate this, Japanese bonsai artist do exactly the same.

Having said this, it is a skill, which should not be done randomly. Which is the case in many commercial Japanese and Chinese bonsai.

The results can be spectacular, but it takes many, many years.

Gerald, You may be confusing peeling the bark right off to create dead wood. (which I think is important for junipers) with just peeling the outer flaky bark from the live veins in order to expose the inner reddish colour which is what I'm talking about.

How about different species of juniper. I know that the japanese do alot of this work to shimpaku, but what about procumbens or squamata?

Is is possible to peel the top layer or rough bark away from all juniper species to reveal the dark red wood or only select species? I have a squamata that I would like to use this technique on if it is possible

Kerrin

treeman wrote:

gerald randall wrote:Interesting post. I agree, it is a personal preference, but there is in fact more to it.

In nature, very old junipers have often been weathered and as such they mostly have peeled bark. Realistically, there are no 500 year old junipers in nature without peeled bark.

The second reason is biology. The section which is peeled does not expand much, if at all. What then happens is the areas which are not peeled keep growing. If the bark is not peeled on the edges of a tree, this causes the edges to continue to grow and the tree in fact gets a flat appearance. The trunk is given the appearance of being very broad. This happens in nature and as such you see some spectacular examples of tour tired thick trunks. To replicate this, Japanese bonsai artist do exactly the same.

Having said this, it is a skill, which should not be done randomly. Which is the case in many commercial Japanese and Chinese bonsai.

The results can be spectacular, but it takes many, many years.

Gerald, You may be confusing peeling the bark right off to create dead wood. (which I think is important for junipers) with just peeling the outer flaky bark from the live veins in order to expose the inner reddish colour which is what I'm talking about.

Oh, I think most of us thought you meant to create dead wood!

I did! My apologies.

Although my response is the same lol, I prefer it rubbed down and nice and shiny if its a tree with a lot of dead wood. But if there isn't a lot of dead wood then I probably leave it to flake as it wishes.

Cheers,
Mo


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I do it to limit the hiding places for grubs, and their larvae. Mainly in winter. I am one who does not like the polished look.

The Japanese tend to leave the bark on needle junipers(rigida) which has a greyish bark.

I think I prefer a natural look but I'm not sure, the smooth red certainly makes the dead wood contrast and pop!

I'm in the keep it natural camp. I also prefer deadwood that isn't bleached to blindingly white - do these aesthetic thoughts go hand in hand? Like those that love a bit of bleached wood also love the peeled live vein?

To put it simply i peel bark and create bleached dead depending upon if it is appropriate to the individual tree, like anything in bonsai; will it improve the tree or take away from it. its not a matter of choosing one side or the other for me.