Bark clean up and pondering

[wireme]

Here we have another idea a bit more ambitious maybe. A graft coming off the live vein in the back wrapping under and up around the front.

If a graft like this takes and grows well how much of the width of the vein at the base will stay alive? I feel like it would probably die back sideways after removal of the top foliage?

 

[0soyoung]

This is much more interesting to me - I think it frames and accentuates the lower trunk!

Can the long branch be bent down to (eventually) position its foliage like this? I think it might be faster and easier to do than grafting all new foliage there.

 

[wireme]

This is much more interesting to me - I think it frames and accentuates the lower trunk!

Can the long branch be bent down to (eventually) position its foliage like this? I think it might be faster and easier to do than grafting all new foliage there.

Could cut through a bit of deadwood and peel off the vein a bit where the branch comes off in the red circle and bring it straight down from there, that's the most obvious and easiest hinge point anyways, is that what you're thinking? It could be bent further out too but there is deadwood that would need to be seperated pretty much anywhere we might want to bend.

 

[0soyoung]

I was thinking about the possibility of bending the circled (in white) branch forward and down to put foliage in the position of your last virt.

 

[wireme]

I was thinking about the possibility of bending the circled (in white) branch forward and down to put foliage in the position of your last virt.

View attachment 134717

Right, I think that branch could just be pivoted/swung down into the negative space there and that might get us close to what youre thinking.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks, to tell the truth I came close to not collecting this at all due to the long straight section. (It's actually a bit more problematic in person than it appears in photos, usually it's the other way around and pics kind of enhance any faults.) It had a very collectible rootball though and the base is pretty ok for sure, who's gonna turn down a bottom like that right? Everyone seems to like it..

With carving...there is no straight piece. What cool features it does have...allows for the eye to not need a perfect tree. The dead wood on the right of the base, that juts back toward the live growth...confuses my eye. But, I'm sure it's because it's 2D.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm not sure if grafting off the live vein...virt wouldn't later hide the good stuff of the trunk. But again...I'm not there in person. Let it whisper sweet nothings to you...and just be still until it's whisper is loud enough to hear clearly.

 

[0soyoung]

Right, I think that branch could just be pivoted/swung down into the negative space there and that might get us close to what youre thinking.

Great! Now you just have to fiddle a bit and see if it might work for you.
You're doing the tough stuff .

 

[markyscott]

Do you have any pictures from different sides you could share with us?

 

[wireme]

Do you have any pictures from different sides you could share with us?

No, afraid not, I'll see what I can get when the snows gone.
I used the same pic and tilted'er up even more. It's another angle that looks promising if I remember right. Upright like this, but also tilted forward and rotated a wee bit clockwise. If the base cooperates it might be a real good option.

 

[wireme]

With carving...there is no straight piece. What cool features it does have...allows for the eye to not need a perfect tree. The dead wood on the right of the base, that juts back toward the live growth...confuses my eye. But, I'm sure it's because it's 2D.

Not really because it's 2D, I think you are right about that bit of deadwood. It will need editing, probably just snap it off once the rest of the tree is decided!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Not really because it's 2D, I think you are right about that bit of deadwood. It will need editing, probably just snap it off once the rest of the tree is decided!

Well...no rush. You can't grow that kind of dead wood. Definitely wait until overall design is there. Don't want to remove to much and regret it.

I was hoping it was a 2D issue though.

 

[sorce]

That last pic turns this tree all feminine for me.

Not a bad thing, just amazing what angle change can do!

I love the holes you put in the DW virt.

But, especially after my looky see at them beasts yesterday, I wouldn't hand carve it at all.

Sigh, truthfully, I'll be able to pick out hand carved anything now, and It'll disappoint me everytime.

Leave it to Beavers!

Sorce

 

[wireme]

That last pic turns this tree all feminine for me.

Not a bad thing, just amazing what angle change can do!

I love the holes you put in the DW virt.

But, especially after my looky see at them beasts yesterday, I wouldn't hand carve it at all.

Sigh, truthfully, I'll be able to pick out hand carved anything now, and It'll disappoint me everytime.

Leave it to Beavers!

Sorce

It's was fun to draw some holes in, not sure holes fit junipers that well really, generally speaking.

Speaking of carving deadwood or not you've probably watched this at some point?

http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/bonsai_videos?videoid=41

Even with Graham's skills, it's not easy to say the deadwood was improved really. Looked better before in some ways. I guess it had some problem spots that needed something.

 

[Random User]

I've always been planning on trying a high pressure washer after doing some deadwood work... I can't tell you how many pieces of driftwood I've put in the back of my 1/2 ton with the intent to try it, and ended up throwing them out when I had to load a large something=or-other... still, I think I'll give it a try at some point, you may want to do the same? (even if it's a "quickie" at the car wash, just for a test)

*I don't think the true effect would be evident though, until the wood dried right out...

 

[wireme]

I've always been planning on trying a high pressure washer after doing some deadwood work... I can't tell you how many pieces of driftwood I've put in the back of my 1/2 ton with the intent to try it, and ended up throwing them out when I had to load a large something=or-other... still, I think I'll give it a try at some point, you may want to do the same? (even if it's a "quickie" at the car wash, just for a test)

*I don't think the true effect would be evident though, until the wood dried right out...

I have a mini sandblasted, one of those pencil style engraving things that I fill with water instead of abrasive. It's good for cleaning loose debris and moss out of fissured deadwood. Doesn't do a thing to any freshly carved wood though, I doubt any pressure washer would but let me know if you prove me wrong.
I have been pretty happy with the results of burning and brushing to regain texture, it can come out pretty close.
There was a guy on the forums once wetting and freezing wood repeatedly using a can of plumbing stuff that freezes pipes. A bit of creative lunacy there, seemed to have results too.
Carving entirely by fire can be ok too, drill into spots with the torch and keep wetting other spots, wire brush after then maybe a power wash.

 

[Random User]

Agreed... and just when you found the perfect technique on one tree, another species would demand something totally different.

 

[chicago1980]

Here we have another idea a bit more ambitious maybe. A graft coming off the live vein in the back wrapping under and up around the front.

If a graft like this takes and grows well how much of the width of the vein at the base will stay alive? I feel like it would probably die back sideways after removal of the top foliage?View attachment 134707

I enjoyed this virtual. Maybe with its current foliage. Did the foliage tighten up?

 

[sorce]

even if it's a "quickie" at the car wash, just for a test)

I did that once with a piece of wood for a fishtank.

Bloody mess!

Skiiirt!

Sorce

 

[wireme]

I enjoyed this virtual. Maybe with its current foliage. Did the foliage tighten up?

Can't say that it has, started to spike a bit here and there. The foliage was decent to begin with though I think.

I might have about 20 rmj by now, 2 have been persistently leggy and one persistently juvenile, the rest seem to be just fine as far as tightness of foliage.
The three problematic ones have all been through the soil cleaning stage and are becoming well established in reasonable substrate now so I'll be watching them with curiousity. I think it can sometimes take quite a few years of establishment and maintenance before we can really tell how the foliage will respond.
In the wild here RMJ growing in the shade of forest canopy are always horribly leggy but those out in the open are usually pretty good.