AusBonsai

This is the tree I took to Salvatore a few months back. We shortened a few branches, said he said "This shoot here is your tree in 5 years". End of workshop.

Got the tree home. Completely unstyled and with little idea of what Salvatore's future plan for the tree was, I decided that I would style the tree myself anyway.

So here it is....first styling. I've left a lot of branches on the tree for the purpose of keeping sap moving up to the ends of certain branches. Canopy is wider than what I plan to use in the final design. All foliage on the right hand side of the tree is borrowed from the left hand side of the tree due to there being nothing on that side. The tree has all larger branches wired and basically placed but I am yet to wire out the twigs and shoots for a more refined look. All of the Jin work is yet to be done.

Let me know what you think

Salvatore is a world class instructor what were your reasons for not following the path he had for this peice of raw stock?

Thanks for the reply Phantom... I have kept the branch and shoot that Salvatore recommended I use in the final design(Its at the back of the tree at present). The rest of the tree, everything you see in the photo, would eventually be Jin/Shari. I thought to myself that rather than have a tree sitting for 5 years, I may as well make something of it while I wait for the branch to develop.

Forgot to mention dimensions:

Foliage at widest point - 70cm
Height - 42cm
Trunk Diameter - 19cm

Good idea Webos

Thanks... I'm just in the middle of wiring out the finer branches and shoots. Unfortunately there arent too many branches on the right and back of the tree to play with. Should come up ok though. I'll post a photo when I'm finished.

Webos wrote:Thanks for the reply Phantom... I have kept the branch and shoot that Salvatore recommended I use in the final design(Its at the back of the tree at present). The rest of the tree, everything you see in the photo, would eventually be Jin/Shari. I thought to myself that rather than have a tree sitting for 5 years, I may as well make something of it while I wait for the branch to develop.

Hi Webos i like these sabinas your collecting. I hear your idea of keeping other branches etc to fill the tree out but i think these branches may draw energy away from the branch salvatore recomended as the final design slowing its progress down? these extra branches would help with root development though after collection.

Gday Noah 78,
All of the branches on the tree at present are those that Salvatore asked me to keep on the tree. My plan is to keep everything pinched and healthy to continue the flow of sap through the tree and leave the one branch free and standing straight up in the air to hopefully give it the advantage of being or becoming the apical meristem.

Thanks

no worries, if that was his plan than im sure its on the right track. Again i like these trees. do they collect easily ? i imagine you dont get alot of roots with them?

They came out without too much work. They had old tag embedded in the trunks which read "Juniperus Squamata - Holger" But yes, they look very similar to Sabina. With a bit of research, I was able to find out that the area was planted somewhere around 1981. They were growing in quite a sandy location so they had some good fibrous roots on them. I collected them in mid summer due to it being the only opportunity before demolition. Came out somewhere around 50% survival rate. Unfortunately the two best ones, Juniperus Squamata Prostrata, didnt make it but I still have the stumps for a possible future tanuki.

New photos of what I've done over the past few days. Wired out 80% of the tree's fine branches and shoots. I would bring the foliage in closer to the trunk and form several pads on the left hand side of the tree if not for obstacles in the way of heavy branches. The foliage is disguising the tips of those heavy branches. I think such a wide canopy makes it look a little too mushroomy.

Any comments, critiques, suggestions you might have, please post them. I'd love to hear what you have to say

I've virted out the branch coming out of the top of the tree in the previous photos, but here I will post both with and without.

Thanks

I am very impressed with how far this tree has come since I saw it at the AABC workshop, I like the way you have formed the basics of a canopy already.
I expected a much bigger tree but now that I can see where you are going I really like it.

I can see why you are playing with it Webos. At least something is happening while you are waiting for development, and you never know, a new plan might develop while you are playing with its styling.

Thanks for your comments Gerard and Bodhi

been meaning to post this sketch for a couple of days mate, sorry
I am wondering what salvatores image for this tree was, did you get a sketch or anything?

jamie