San Jose Problem Child Finds Direction

[Paradox]

I posted this tree over a year ago. Some of you might remember it. It is difficult material and there really wasn't much input as to what to do with it. It had 3 trunks at at the time, I thought Id like to try and do a multiple trunk tree out of it.

I took it too a club meeting and did a little basic pruning and styling. I didn't want to do too much at once and I still wasnt sure where to go with it so I put the tree back on the bench and stared at it. In the fall, I cut off the smallest of the trunks and left it like that for the winter.

Over the winter I decided that a multi trunk thing just wasnt going to work and I thought I might try doing a large cutting with one of the trunks like October did with a San Jose he had.

This spring I sat down with the tree and prepared to do the cut, but as I looked at the tree I decided that the trunk to be cut wasnt all that interesting and I saw another option.

 

[Paradox]

I took it too a club meeting and did a little basic pruning and styling. I didn't want to do too much at once and I still wasnt sure where to go with it so I put the tree back on the bench and stared at it. In the fall, I cut off the smallest of the trunks and left it like that for the winter.

Over the winter I decided that a multi trunk thing just wasnt going to work and I thought I might try doing a large cutting with one of the trunks like October did with a San Jose he had.

This spring I sat down with the tree and prepared to do the cut, but as I looked at the tree I decided that the trunk to be cut wasnt all that interesting and I saw another option.

 

[Paradox]

Please keep in mind that this tree is no where near finished yet.

I was afraid to cut too much so the top will be reduced over time.
The jin might be a bit large and overpowering for the tree at this point and may get reduced later on. Might just remove the forward "branch" on the jin and reduce the overall girth of it.

 

[october]

I like where this tree is headed. Let me mention something that might save you a lot of wasted time. In my opinion, this jin will never work with this tree. Even if it is reduced to a small stub, it's movement does not flow with the tree and it is a bit far away. However, cutting the jin down to almost the ground and creating a shari coming up from the left side of the base, might make for a very nice image. Although it is a bit late, I probably would have left the base alone and started the shari higher. If you had left the left side bark at the base of the trunk, it would have looked like a fatter base. However, that doesn't matter that much. This is what I see.

Rob

 

[KennedyMarx]

I like what you've done so far and Rob's insight about the jin is great. I'm impressed when people can make the dramatic decisions that result in good bonsai. This is going to be a good one.

 

[drew33998]

I think that you could pull the trunk in closer to the jin with wire attached to it. Or/and heat up the jin with a torch until the sap boils and then it will be easier to bend the jin. I haven't ever done this but I have seen a video where Graham Potter did. It was very interesting. That would make it better in my opinion. You would also have to re-arrange the planting angle if you did this.

 

[Paradox]

I think that you could pull the trunk in closer to the jin with wire attached to it. Or/and heat up the jin with a torch until the sap boils and then it will be easier to bend the jin. I haven't ever done this but I have seen a video where Graham Potter did. It was very interesting. That would make it better in my opinion. You would also have to re-arrange the planting angle if you did this.

Those trunks are at least an inch in diameter, they wont be very easy to move no matter what you do. I think wire will cut into the bark before the trunk will move.

 

[drew33998]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INiuFEItu44

Skip ahead to 5:00 if you like. Not saying that this is the only thing to do for this tree. Def could just do a shari instead. I don't hate it like it is to be honest. But I think that if its closer to the trunk it would tend to not draw your eye away.