New Shimpaku

[Tona]

Hey all,
Just looking for some styling input for this twin trunk Shimpaku. I picked it up at my club auction for 35 dollars. It's 27 inches tall. The two trunks are nearly equal in height and width. Th foliage is a bit thin but seems healthy. I'm thinking to rotate it so the trunks are not parallel when viewed from the front. I'm also thinking a shallower oval pot would look best. Have at it, any input is appreciated.
Tona

 

[greerhw]

I would love to help you on your shimp, but I replaced my PC with a Mac and i'm still learning. Your pot is just fine and the angle showing both of the trunks is fine, if I can figure out this new piece of equipment I will offer some styling advice.

Harry

 

[greerhw]

Ya know what, let me offer a couple of suggestions to get you started. First remove the lower branch on the right trunk. Next find you a comfortable place and place your tree about 5 ft away, be sure and put your tools away and grab a beer, spend the next two hours studying your tree from all angles, be sure and leave your tools alone, alcohol gives you the illusion you're a bonsai master. The next day prepare your tree for wiring and by that I mean remove the branches you don't plan on using and clean up the ones you are. Always start wiring from the bottom up. I believe there is a nice tree in there, all you have to do is find it. I would style the right side of the tree longer than the left side. Pretty much the way it is now.

Jin: While removing branches, leave a few large ones and small ones for jin. You can wire or wire down fresh jin to create movement, always better that straight branches coming off a trunk.

Shari: The last thing you will do after the tree is fully wired and jined, you can carve as much as you like on either trunk or both, just try not to over do it. Shari is what gives the tree the look of age. Some folks like the bright white look like the Japanese do , I prefer the look of natural age and don't have the patience to wait on mother to take care of it. There is an advanced technique using a small torch that will give you aged look in a few minutes, but we can discuss that much later if you like.

I hope this helps a little.
Harry

 

[greerhw]

One more thing, I forgot to ask you how long your shimp has been in the pot it's in now. If you root prune and pot in new soil, let it rest for at least one growing season, two insults is about all you want to subject your tree to in one season.

Harry

 

[Bill S]

I think Harry has given you some good ideas. Almost getting to sound like Marco, means he can learn, despite what some here think. Good points Harry, something everyone should do especially before a workshop with a pro.

 

[Tona]

Thanks guys,
I have since done some wiring. The tree was slip potted into the current pot with no root work. I will post the tree in its current state tomorrow. I think I will wait until fall to do any more work.
Tona

 

[Smoke]

I would style the right side of the tree longer than the left side. Pretty much the way it is now.

Jin: While removing branches, leave a few large ones and small ones for jin. You can wire or wire down fresh jin to create movement, always better that straight branches coming off a trunk.

Shari: The last thing you will do after the tree is fully wired and jined, you can carve as much as you like on either trunk or both, just try not to over do it. Shari is what gives the tree the look of age. Some folks like the bright white look like the Japanese do , I prefer the look of natural age and don't have the patience to wait on mother to take care of it. There is an advanced technique using a small torch that will give you aged look in a few minutes, but we can discuss that much later if you like.

I hope this helps a little.
Harry

I think the trunk on the left is larger. I think it may look better if the larger trunk were the tallest.

Sound advice here. The only thing I do different is that if shari is going to be carved I do it first then wire. I don't like carving between wires. Just me...

Carry on, Al

 

[Smoke]

The picture says "huntington", maybe an auction from the Library in So. Cal. err...San Marino?

 

[Tona]

The left trunk is a bit thicker but most of the foliage comes off of the other trunk. I bought it at my club auction (Sansui-Kai) in the Van Nuys area. The folder it is in is titled Huntington because it also contains some pics of California Junipers that I took when we were there last.

 

[greerhw]

Good luck, I hope your juni comes out the way you want. Good thing about junipers, you can restyle later if you don't like your first attempt. Keep up the good work.

Harry

 

[Tona]

This is the tree after some minor pruning and a bit of wiring, repositioned to show what I think will be the new front. I see this possibly in a wider shallower oval pot eventually.

 

[Smoke]

Well...now you have gone and traveled down the new bonsai artist road of making your first poodle tree bonsai.

The first thing a person with some experience in bonsai will tell a person with a new piece of material is to clean it up. they will say to clean all the crotches and remove all the dead stuff in between the branches. Once all that green stuff is cleaned out, it takes many years to get it back. If a branch is 4 inches long, and the green is removed from the first 2 inches it becomes a loli pop, and loli pops on bonsai look like topiary.

Now the tree will just need some time to recover and hopefully you can get some back budding in those ares where it will recieve light. I am not sure you have exposed the perfect view of the trunks with this view. This one seems awkward to me and not very complimentary to one another.

Keep turning it, the best view is there, Al

Tell Michael Jonas, Al Keppler in Fresno says "hey".

 

[Tona]

Hi Al,
I appreciate the help and advice. I am kinda new at this. I have seen some of your bonsai work as well as your display tables/stands. Your work in both areas is awesome.
This tree was kind of poodled before I got it. I think for $35 it was still a good buy. I really didn't remove much foliage, just moved branches around. I guess that this tree just kind of baffled me as far as where to go so I posted it. Most of my experience is self taught using nursery material (junipers mostly). I think I will just leave this tree alone for a while and see what kind of foliage growth I get next year.
I will say Hi to Michael for ya. Next Sansui-Kai meeting is Sept. 6th.
I posted a few more trees/projects also.
Thanks for the input,
Tona

 

[greerhw]

Hi Al,
I appreciate the help and advice. I am kinda new at this. I have seen some of your bonsai work as well as your display tables/stands. Your work in both areas is awesome.
This tree was kind of poodled before I got it. I think for $35 it was still a good buy. I really didn't remove much foliage, just moved branches around. I guess that this tree just kind of baffled me as far as where to go so I posted it. Most of my experience is self taught using nursery material (junipers mostly). I think I will just leave this tree alone for a while and see what kind of foliage growth I get next year.
I will say Hi to Michael for ya. Next Sansui-Kai meeting is Sept. 6th.
I posted a few more trees/projects also.
Thanks for the input,
Tona

I'm sorry, I don't have any small trees for examples, but here is a larger tree before and after, styled by Marco. Maybe you can get a few ideas from this one.

Harry

 

[fore]

In a twin trunk design, there should be a dominant and less dominant trunk; I heard it referred to as a 'mother-daughter' style/technique. I'd decrease the quantity of foliage in the smaller trunk tree to strengthen the thicker trunk and keep the smaller trunk thinner. I'd also reduce the ht. in the thinner trunk tree, they shouldn't be the same ht.