Thoughts on these junipers

[M. Frary]

I've been looking around for a shimpaku juniper. I tried a couple vendors but only got a response from Meehans Miniatures.
Since these are the first shimpakus that I might get are they worthy. The clump is 2" at the base and the other is 1-1/2". They are $150.00 and $125.00 respectively.
Go or no go?

 

[Poink88]

W/o pics it is hard to say but if they are workable, the price sound very reasonable just based on the trunk size.

 

[M. Frary]

Sometimes I just don't know what's up.

 

[Poink88]

I would have grabbed both (paid) and ran away. Those look great!

 

[goosetown]

I think you could easily give them both a shot - with those trunks, the price is just right and may be even on the low side. However, I'll say this: depending on what you want to do with them, the first one pictured looks better than the second one.

A little hard to tell from the photos, as we can only see one side of the tree, but going from what's there, the branch structure on the first appears that it would allow you MUCH more room to create the kind of tree you want to - more branches, thicker trunk, more foliage closer to the core.

The second is not bad by any means, and the top of the tree looks nice and compact. However, the lack of lower branches in the upper 2/3 limits your options, and the placement/fact that the foliage is very far from the trunk on it make it far, far more challenging to compose, IMO. Not at all that you couldn't make something beautiful out of it, just that the time and effort required might not be worth it for your first couple shimps. Might be quite a while until you can "learn" much from that one by doing.

Really terrific finds.

 

[lordy]

The Meehans are a worthy supplier. They care for what they grow and dont seem like they are in it for the buck. They are nice, humble people, and Martha has helped me several times and asked nothing from me. I buy from them every year as they are a cornerstone vendor at the PBA festival at the National Arboretum vendor tent. Two thumbs up!

 

[dkraft81]

The Meehans are a worthy supplier. They care for what they grow and dont seem like they are in it for the buck. They are nice, humble people, and Martha has helped me several times and asked nothing from me. I buy from them every year as they are a cornerstone vendor at the PBA festival at the National Arboretum vendor tent. Two thumbs up!

Totally agree. I bought a couple of trees this winter from them. They were awesome to deal with. I had a green island ficus shipped, we thought we had a good window of warmer weather to ship, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. Martha called about a week and a half later just to check on how the tree was doing. Thats good business if you ask me.

As far as the trees in this thread goes, I like the base on the clump but like the other tree better.

 

[edprocoat]

It may be just how I am looking at the photo, the first one seems like the dreaded "Y" or slingshot trunk. I know most would recommend chopping one of them, perhaps that is your plan already.

ed

 

[Vance Wood]

I've been looking around for a shimpaku juniper. I tried a couple vendors but only got a response from Meehans Miniatures.
Since these are the first shimpakus that I might get are they worthy. The clump is 2" at the base and the other is 1-1/2". They are $150.00 and $125.00 respectively.
Go or no go?

They look like really good trees I would go for them.

 

[larlamonde]

Sometimes I just don't know what's up.

Mike when you figure the 15 to 20 years took to probably grow and care for them $150 is a bargain if their health is good. Just did a workshop with Martha. Nice people.

 

[Vin]

It may be just how I am looking at the photo, the first one seems like the dreaded "Y" or slingshot trunk. I know most would recommend chopping one of them, perhaps that is your plan already.

ed

You mean like this?

 

[M. Frary]

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm getting in touch with Martha at Meehans and have her ship both. I got a quartly bonus and am able to put it toward some better stock.
Along with these I'll be hitting nurseries rooting around for a Mugo pine or two.
Thank you again.

 

[Dav4]

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm getting in touch with Martha at Meehans and have her ship both. I got a quartly bonus and am able to put it toward some better stock.
Along with these I'll be hitting nurseries rooting around for a Mugo pine or two.
Thank you again.

Nice stock, and good luck with them....and don't defoliate!

 

[M. Frary]

I only got one. This one. It arrived a couple days ago in great shape. I have been busy but am going out to take some better pictures today. It came packed excellently and arrived in great shape. It gets slip potted into a collander and cleaned up this year. Next year it starts the real bonsai training.
One question though. What is the hardiness zone for these?I've looked it up and come up with conflicting answers. Zone 4 or 5? I'm in 4 almost down to 3. I keep Nana procumbens and Parsons junipers on the ground under snow and they do fine. Can I do this with shimpaku or give it better protection like for my Chinese elms and Hinoki cypress'?

Thank you.

 

[M. Frary]

Dammit!!!! 0 for 2.

 

[Vance Wood]

I only got one. This one. It arrived a couple days ago in great shape. I have been busy but am going out to take some better pictures today. It came packed excellently and arrived in great shape. It gets slip potted into a collander and cleaned up this year. Next year it starts the real bonsai training.
One question though. What is the hardiness zone for these?I've looked it up and come up with conflicting answers. Zone 4 or 5? I'm in 4 almost down to 3. I keep Nana procumbens and Parsons junipers on the ground under snow and they do fine. Can I do this with shimpaku or give it better protection like for my Chinese elms and Hinoki cypress'?

Thank you.

In my experience Shimps are very hardy and winter resistance. However; I think you have to consider where these trees come from and what climate they were cultivated in. I would afford protection for at least this winter, which could be another bad one, until the trees become acclimated.

 

[Dav4]

I'm pretty sure Dirr rates Shimpaku as USDA zone 5 in the landscape...though parsons are actually less hardy. If you have extremely reliable snow cover, you should be fine for now. Personally, I wouldn't want snow cover to be my primary means of overwintering, mainly because I've never lived in a place where the snow was always plentiful enough to be counted on, AND snow has a tendency to get heavy and can wreak havoc on the branches of small trees. My preference would be an unheated outbuilding that can be ventilated.

 

[Vance Wood]

I'm pretty sure Dirr rates Shimpaku as USDA zone 5 in the landscape...though parsons are actually less hardy. If you have extremely reliable snow cover, you should be fine for now. Personally, I wouldn't want snow cover to be my primary means of overwintering, mainly because I've never lived in a place where the snow was always plentiful enough to be counted on, AND snow has a tendency to get heavy and can wreak havoc on the branches of small trees. My preference would be an unheated outbuilding that can be ventilated.

Straw is a good alternitive. I used to use it all the time until our winters moderated for a number of years. Now I am thinking I am going to have to go back to it. I use the straw in two ways. Buy it in bails and lay loose straw on top of things and build walls around stuff to keep the wind and sun off it. Believe me exposure to the sun is a critical thing to prevent if possible. Many think you want to try to keep the trees warm; WRONG, you want to keep them dormant and as cold as possible for as long as possible. It is the rising of sap in the early spring or false spring that can kill your trees.

 

[M. Frary]

Lifted it out to check the roots. Like a brick but not fooling with them now since it's so late in the year.It drains. Not fast but it drains nonetheless.
Yeah it has the "Y" crotch. But how about a change in the planting angle. Bring one up and cascade the other? Or remove one?