My Story and a Juniper

[Vin]

I have worked with all sorts of body fillers over the past 45 years or so. With the proper tools and a lot of patience, I believe over time the filler can be completely removed. Should you decide to remove it I would work on the edges first and then from the top down.

 

[thomas22]

Herman, bondo is an epoxy kind of product that is made to repair cars. Once dry it can be sanded and painted. It's very hard. I have seen it used successfully to fill hollow trunks on deciduous trees where the the tree, like a trident maple, can callous over.

Thomas, I'm not sure you could ever get all that bondo out of the nooks and crannies. You did what you did to save the tree in honor of your father. So the tree will always have sentimental value to you. That's worth more than any amount of money. You wouldn't have sold it anyway...

Live and learn I guess. You are correct Adair, I have no plans on selling any of my dad's trees but I would like to make them as nice as possible. The bad part or possibly even funny part to some is that I did the same thing to another nice tree. I will show pics of this tree later this evening and respond to other post later also when I have more time.

 

[thomas22]

I promise this will be the last bondo tree you will ever see from me. This juniper is also ready for work. I will be wiring and working on the trunk over the next couple weekends. The bondo is only on the bottom of the trunk where all the dead wood was rotted away. As opposed to the first one, this one was a bit unstable from all the rotted wood at the base. Again, the bondo was probably a mistake but I will move on and make the best of it. My plan for this one is just a basic clean up and wire and after that I can figure out ways to make it more interesting. A broom juniper is not all that common and could be cool. This will be the first time I have ever wired this tree. I'm open to any ideas to make either one of these junipers better. I like the first pic as the front.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just a thought: There are a lot of really good and well educated bonsai masters in your part of the country, I would suggest that you have one or more of them over to assess what you have going on. These trees are heritage trees and should not be put in the path of beginner experiments. They are yours of course but if you honor your father, as you have mentioned, you should have someone who is now at the level he was at when he passed, look at them.

 

[thomas22]

Vance

No more beginner experiments planned but if the opportunity presents itself I would love to have an expert look at all my trees make sure I'm going in the write direction. In the mean time I will look to the BNUTs for help. The bondo install was 5 years ago and since then I have improved each year. I obviously have a ton more to learn but I do think I am going in the right direction. I do have one tree (Avatar Pic) that is far above my expertise I will seek an expert when the time is correct.

 

[Adair M]

Well, if you've kept the trees alive 5 years, you have some idea of what you're doing!

Your profile says "Southern California". That's a big place, but I'm with Vance, it would be worth your while to get a bit of expert guideance.

Your avatar tree looks like a California Juniper. With some killer deadwood. Untouched, it would not be unreasonable for you to be able to sell that for north of $5000. As is. Styled? Ryan Neil is getting $25,000 plus for trees with that kind of character.

Yes, it would be worth your while...

 

[Vance Wood]

Well, if you've kept the trees alive 5 years, you have some idea of what you're doing!

Your profile says "Southern California". That's a big place, but I'm with Vance, it would be worth your while to get a bit of expert guideance.

Your avatar tree looks like a California Juniper. With some killer deadwood. Untouched, it would not be unreasonable for you to be able to sell that for north of $5000. As is. Styled? Ryan Neil is getting $25,000 plus for trees with that kind of character.

Yes, it would be worth your while...

That was what I was thinking. Ryan Neil is only about 500 miles from you. It might be a good idea to take a trip up to his place and let him take a look at the tree.

 

[thomas22]

Yes, California Juniper.

 

[Adair M]

Yes, California Juniper.

View attachment 100612 View attachment 100613

I hope that's not a Tanuki.

 

[thomas22]

Not a Tanuki.

 

[Dav4]

Not a Tanuki.

Good lord. That's a tree that many here would PAY to style...unflippin believable material! Good luck with it and your Dad's trees.

 

[LanceMac10]

Gold mine!!!! Feed and water and don't even look at it wrong.
Absolutely have an experienced hand give you some help with this one!!
Hell, I would wear a Tuxedo with a towel over my arm and offer it some pricey wi...fertilizer!!
That flamed shape deadwood could buy you a new car!!!

 

[Adair M]

Not a Tanuki.

You ever need some quick cash, I'll pay you $5000 cash for it! I'll fly over to where you live, Uber to a trunk rental place, drive the truck to your place a nd pick it up for ya!

 

[Vance Wood]

You ever need some quick cash, I'll pay you $5000 cash for it! I'll fly over to where you live, Uber to a trunk rental place, drive the truck to your place a nd pick it up for ya!

I wonder if Ryan knows this tree is out there???
If I had the money I would do the same thing especially when I have a pretty good idea where you will take the tree knowing that with it's own foliage it will probably not survive East of the Rockies. This could rank up there with the discovery of the Red Violin.

 

[Adair M]

I wonder if Ryan knows this tree is out there???
If I had the money I would do the same thing especially when I have a pretty good idea where you will take the tree knowing that with it's own foliage it will probably not survive East of the Rockies. This could rank up there with the discovery of the Red Violin.

Lol!!!

Yeah, it would stay in California!

 

[Vance Wood]

Lol!!!

Yeah, it would stay in California!

Seriously Adair, I would very much like to see this tree in your hands and care. It's one of those trees that should be make into the best it can be.

 

[jriddell88]

Seriously don't sell this tree, you will wish you didn't one day. If you have kept it alive for the past 5 years I think your good. It will be worth a substantial amount more if you hold on to it, at the rate of bonsai popularity in america.

 

[Adair M]

Seriously Adair, I would very much like to see this tree in your hands and care. It's one of those trees that should be make into the best it can be.

That's very flattering, Vance! Thank you!

No, I can "take care of it", but I would employ Akio Kondo to style it. Akio recently won the Prime Minister Award at the show where all the professional bonsai masters in Japan compete. He's one of the top 3 Masters in Japan (Kimura, Susuki, Kondo).

 

[Vance Wood]

Seriously don't sell this tree, you will wish you didn't one day. If you have kept it alive for the past 5 years I think your good. It will be worth a substantial amount more if you hold on to it, at the rate of bonsai popularity in america.

This may be true but; a tree like this comes with the obligation that it be transformed into the masterpiece it can be. That's the conundrum you will have to deal with and believe me I do feel for the conflict, money aside, that you must be feeling. Just my opinion: In order for this tree to become the masterpiece it could be I feel that it is necessary for the foliage to be grafted and converted into Kishu Shimpaku, a much more beautiful foliage and more durable than the California type.

 

[jriddell88]

At any rate he was wise enough not to do anything to it yet and just take care of it..it's not mine nor anyone else's business what he does.with it. Your in California there are really good teachers all around you have one of them look at it.