San Jose rework, again

[october]

Hello All,
I've had this tree for about 8 years. It has gone through quite bit. It was purchased as rough material and was a sort of informal upright. Not a good one. I decided to make it into a semi cascade turning the tree on it's side. After a little while, the tree grew well and turned into a full cascade. The tree was then planted in a crescent moon rock pot to accommodate the new planting angle. A couple of years later, the tree caught a bad fungus. It nearly killed the tree. I did not work on the tree for 2 years while it was sick. I did take the tree out of the crescent moon pot and put it back in the old cascade pot. It never did well in the crescent pot. This leads to the current work.

Over the summer, since the tree has recovered, I decided to do something completely different with it. I wanted to change the planting angle back to an upright postion. Also, I did not want it to be a cascade anymore.

Here is the tree right this past summer. The problems are that the trunk was too straight and that the root ball was difficult to accommodate in this position. Also, the fugus had killed almost the entire center of the tree.

Rob



Here is the tree slip potted into another pot. Also, The cascade branch was removed. I decided, at the time, to make the back the front. Although, I would be losing the shari I created years ago on the other side.



This is the current before look, which is 3 months later. I decided to go with my original front. I did not want to lose the shari.



Here is the tree after the recent work. The tree is just over shohin size, about 9 1/2 inches.

 

[davetree]

Your little tree has a lot more character now. Looks great, nice work !

 

[John Ruger]

That's a really amazing recovery considering all it has been through. I like the change in style; it just seems that this is the way it wanted to be all along.

 

[Smoke]

Nice transformation. I would have kept the shari also. It seems to need to be rotated forward a little, it seems to be leaning back?

 

[october]

Thanks Dave and John. All I wanted was for it to survive the fungus attack. I had not expected much after that so this is a pleasant surprise.

Nice transformation. I would have kept the shari also. It seems to need to be rotated forward a little, it seems to be leaning back?

Thanks Al and great eye. Yes, the other side was going to be the front. When I slip potted it into this pot, the tree was growing and tilted in the other direction, towards the viewer. Now, even though I have the pot tilted towards the view, it still needs to be tilted more. Whenever the tree is ready to be repotted. I hope the new angle does not pose too big of an issue.

Rob

 

[edprocoat]

Nice, leaning forward and to the left would make it look like a bunjin possibly showing off that shari even more. You have already made such a nice improvement and I am fond of the small ones like this.

ed

 

[Smoke]

I caught up on a couple International Bonsai Magazine from this year I didn't have and the issue no. 2 of this year is on slanting bonsai.

I was wondering if maybe there is a slanting bonsai in that tree since it was a cascade form before it could lend itself to that slanting form as well. Pictures are such hard subjects to get the perspective right though.

 

[october]

I caught up on a couple International Bonsai Magazine from this year I didn't have and the issue no. 2 of this year is on slanting bonsai.

I was wondering if maybe there is a slanting bonsai in that tree since it was a cascade form before it could lend itself to that slanting form as well. Pictures are such hard subjects to get the perspective right though.

Actually, yes. I did tilt it more to the right and that style also worked. The branches would need to be reworked though.

There was very little foliage on this tree when I started. I tried to keep as much as possible with the styling. I will keep the slant in mind though. Then we can can add slant to the informal upright, semi cascade, cascade, back to informal upright style progression of this tree.

Rob

 

[october]

Nice, leaning forward and to the left would make it look like a bunjin possibly showing off that shari even more. You have already made such a nice improvement and I am fond of the small ones like this.

ed

Hi Ed. Thanks. Shohin and chuhin size bonsai are also my favorite. Also, this tree could not be a bunjin, the trunk it too thick and the tree too short for that.

Rob

 

[Poink88]

I love it now , 10x better than the original IMHO. Good job!

 

[fore]

I love it now , 10x better than the original IMHO. Good job!

Totally agree Dario, Rob, a much more interesting and unique tree now. Nice transformation from the cascade!

 

[october]

Totally agree Dario, Rob, a much more interesting and unique tree now. Nice transformation from the cascade!

Thanks Chris. This tree is proof that one should not give up on a sick tree, especially a juniper. If you had seen what the fungus did to this tree just 1 1/2 years ago, you would be amazed it was still alive.

Rob

 

[fore]

Thanks Chris. This tree is proof that one should not give up on a sick tree, especially a juniper. If you had seen what the fungus did to this tree just 1 1/2 years ago, you would be amazed it was still alive.

Rob

Having a loving and knowledgeable hand helps so much in getting a really sick tree to live. I lost a really cool shimpaku, and half a JBP, this yr. due to lack of knowledge on my part. So I appreciate what you've done here Rob. I've at least learned not to underestimate soil/root problems

But you know, I believe it was one of the Seattle folks? who said that some of his/her better trees have had a past trauma which caused a major restyle for the better.