Kishu Shimpaku Juniper

[Pals_id]

I purchased this tree in April, repotted, and lightly pruned it. I have learned the hard way to not do too much too soon! The tree has some good deadwood and already has some new growth this season with a few branches back budding where I have pruned so more light can penetrate. I got the tree heavily wired and will just let it grow for the rest of this season. Aside from treating the deadwood with lime sulfur and removing some of the peeling bark, what direction would you go with this tree? I would like to get some advice on this, as I have not worked with a juniper that has been refined to this level. The color in the video looks washed out when viewing it on my laptop. I'm not sure why, as it looks fine on my cell phone. The foliage is a nice light green color. Thank you.

 

[Adair M]

The Jin that's sticking out in the front "feels" like its jabbing me in the eye. Perhaps if you want to keep it you rotate the tree around some?

As for things to do:

Now is the time to go in and remove old dead or dying weak interior growth, keeping the strong interior growth. Remove any twigs growing down, off the bottom of branches. Then, go through the tree and thin out some foliage. Try to make your branches go: left,right,left, right, etc. Atlernate. Eliminate a branch where 3 branches emerge from the same spot. Particularly thin the apex area. You want sunlight to pierce thru.

 

[Adair M]

See how your apex and upper branches are denser than your lower branches? You don't want that. Over time, your lower branches will get shaded out by the apex and upper branches.

It's already starting to happen to a back branch in the middle of the tree. It's too short to extend beyond the shade of the upper branches. It looks thin and weak. You don't want to lose it, so you must thin the branches above it.

Next:

This is not the best time of year to prune and wire and style. Late fall is better. But the upper part of the tree is too broad, and is shading all the middle and lower branches. The upper part needs to be cut back considerably.

I'm going to post a picture of my Kishu, to show how a more pyramidal shape allows all the branches to get good sun exposure:



Even on my tree, keeping that bottom right branch healthy is a challenge since it is under the one above it! That picture was taken after thinning.

Here is the before thinning picture:



And, yes, I like the look of the before thinning picture better! If I were entering it in a show, I would wait until after the show to thin. But thinning is key to keeping it healthy. If you don't do it, the interior growth dies out, and the tree gets leggy.

 

[Pals_id]

Thank you for the input. I will definitely do some thinning and decide what I am going to do with the deadwood next year. I agree that the jin poking out from the front may need to go. I just went out and looked at the branch in back that you are referring to and agree with everything you said. It could definitely use more light and thickening up. Your Kishu looks amazing and very healthy! Do you know how long it has been in training? It will be a very long time until mine could even look a fraction as good. Any other tips you are willing to share would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[Adair M]

My tree is grafted Kishu on a Prostrata trunk. Don't know who did the grafts. Done maybe 20 to 25 years ago.

You said your tree was wired? Is it still? My opinion is it needs a good wiring this coming late fall.

You might want to check for spider mites. All junipers get them.

Never pinch the growing tips.

If you want to create jins, now (summer) is the time.

If you wire this tree, use copper rather than aluminum. It just works better. You can get a good starter set from Julian Adams. Www.adamsbonsai.com.

 

[Pals_id]

My tree is grafted Kishu on a Prostrata trunk. Don't know who did the grafts. Done maybe 20 to 25 years ago.

You said your tree was wired? Is it still? My opinion is it needs a good wiring this coming late fall.

You might want to check for spider mites. All junipers get them.

Never pinch the growing tips.

If you want to create jins, now (summer) is the time.

If you wire this tree, use copper rather than aluminum. It just works better. You can get a good starter set from Julian Adams. Www.adamsbonsai.com.

Thanks again, I purchased from Julian a couple years ago and he is great to deal with. I have a lot of wire, but will have to check whether it is copper or not. I removed the wire because most of it was digging in so much that bark was actually growing over it. I could do closeups on just about every branch and spiraling wire marks would be evident. I will thin and then wire in the fall to get a better balance.

 

[Adair M]

It's good that you removed the old wire. Next fall when you wire, try to not place the new wire in the old slots made by previous wirings.

Don't worry about the old wire marks. They'll cover over.

 

[LeonardB]

Thank you for the input. I will definitely do some thinning and decide what I am going to do with the deadwood next year. I agree that the jin poking out from the front may need to go. I just went out and looked at the branch in back that you are referring to and agree with everything you said. It could definitely use more light and thickening up. Your Kishu looks amazing and very healthy! Do you know how long it has been in training? It will be a very long time until mine could even look a fraction as good. Any other tips you are willing to share would be helpful. Thank you.

One thing that I see that gives your tree more potential is the outstanding trunk! Foliage can be thinned and trained season to season, but trunk character is there or not ( yours is defintiely there! ). I agree with Adair about the apex. Even thinning it this fall, it will be back like gangbusters in spring and you may have to thin again.
Keep up the good work. It is an impressive tree.

 

[chicago1980]

Thanks again, I purchased from Julian a couple years ago and he is great to deal with. I have a lot of wire, but will have to check whether it is copper or not. I removed the wire because most of it was digging in so much that bark was actually growing over it. I could do closeups on just about every branch and spiraling wire marks would be evident. I will thin and then wire in the fall to get a better balance.

Nice tree! Does Julian have a nursery?

 

[berobinson82]

Nice tree! Does Julian have a nursery?

I've been to it. It's really just his back yard but it ain't no rookie operation. He propagates some difficult pines and had large (3- 5 footers) growing and for sale, many with grafts still taking. He anneals his wire there and has a bunch of seedlings all about. I understand that they are almost all hard-to-grow pines; his specialty. Now this was maybe 4-5 years ago after a workshop by Bill V in central VA. We couldn't stay as long as we wanted; the hound dog had a hot date. And sweet train conductor hats. I picked up a bunch of wire and some random pots that I still use.

Cheers

 

[chicago1980]

I've been to it. It's really just his back yard but it ain't no rookie operation. He propagates some difficult pines and had large (3- 5 footers) growing and for sale, many with grafts still taking. He anneals his wire there and has a bunch of seedlings all about. I understand that they are almost all hard-to-grow pines; his specialty. Now this was maybe 4-5 years ago after a workshop by Bill V in central VA. We couldn't stay as long as we wanted; the hound dog had a hot date. And sweet train conductor hats. I picked up a bunch of wire and some random pots that I still use.

Cheers

Any particular way to contact Julian, I am liking that Kishu!

 

[Adair M]

Www.adamsbonsai.com

 

[chicago1980]

Www.adamsbonsai.com[/QUOTThThank you. I didn't realize this was the same Julian I order wire from currently.