Whip it good

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

First pine worth talking about was #13.

The first twelve are nice... even beautiful... I'd love to have any of them, though they wouldn't look like they do for long. lol

But #13... wow! Sure you could map out a bunch of triangles on it... but that has nothing to do with the feel and flow of it. It's crown is contrived, but totally fixable. Whatever triangles are there aren't there with obvious intentionality, there's respect that's been paid to a very worthy tree. Whoever did it understood that material in a wonderful and intimate way.

V

 

[october]

I am also fond of number 13. Honestly, one of my favorites on the page.

I realize the first 12 are similar. However, if you are thinking of changing anything about the first 12. The situation is worse that I thought and I am going to book a flight to Washington to handle this. I feel your situation warrants an in person discussion...lol

Rob

 

[Poink88]

I am also fond of number 13. Honestly, one of my favorites on the page.

I realize the first 12 are similar. However, if you are thinking of changing anything about the first 12. The situation is worse that I thought and I am going to book a flight to Washington to handle this. I feel your situation warrants an in person discussion...lol

Rob

LOL careful...you might be waking on a "trap" and be the one who gets converted.

 

[Dav4]

I am also fond of number 13. Honestly, one of my favorites on the page.

I realize the first 12 are similar. However, if you are thinking of changing anything about the first 12. The situation is worse that I thought and I am going to book a flight to Washington to handle this. I feel your situation warrants an in person discussion...lol

Rob

If I could, I'd chip in for airfare...alas, I'm broke...and, fwiw, I think your venture would end in failure. Still, you could salvage the whole trip by drinking alot of really good microbrew, so I'd go for it. I'll even wish you "good luck", not that it'll help... drink up.

 

[october]

LOL careful...you might be waking on a "trap" and be the one who gets converted.

You could be right. I'll be sure to bring back up.

Rob

 

[october]

If I could, I'd chip in for airfare...alas, I'm broke...and, fwiw, I think your venture would end in failure. Still, you could salvage the whole trip by drinking alot of really good microbrew, so I'd go for it. I'll even wish you "good luck", not that it'll help... drink up.

Thanks Dave..Looks like you are my back up.

Rob

 

[october]

Well, 3 months later and this little guy is one tough customer. Cut off about 70% of the root ball, about 25% of the tree, repotted it and created the shari all in one sitting. All this after cutting off about 50% of the tree last year. If that wasn't enough, the tree got a mite infestation about a months after all that work. Still, one of my healthiest trees...lol I still have to refine the shari.


Rob

 

[Eric Group]

Well, 3 months later and this little guy is one tough customer. Cut off about 70% of the root ball, about 25% of the tree, repotted it and created the shari all in one sitting. All this after cutting off about 50% of the tree last year. If that wasn't enough, the tree got a mite infestation about a months after all that work. Still, one of my healthiest trees...lol I still have to refine the shari.


Rob

Just a beautiful little tree! It is inspiring to see you create such a gorgeous work in one sitting!

 

[iant]

Beautiful!
In refinement stage already!

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Thanks for sharing. This tree reminds me of why I started bonsai. It wasn't because I wanted to win some exhibition, though I wouldn't turn away the prize . It was because I love trees, especially the ones that aren't "amazing starting material" and have "limited potential" and yet they communicate something special. They are for me and no one else. This tree stands on it's own as a beautiful little piece of art that says, "I'm perfect just the way I am." I have to agree!

Cheers!

 

[october]

Thanks Eric. Young, healthy junipers can take a lot of work in one sitting. However, I would not recommend doing this much work in one sitting as a general rule.

Thanks iant. Yes, the issue with trees of this size is a double edge sword. The tree gets to the refinement stage quick. However, to keep it looking good, the image can only handle so much growth, so you have to balance health while keeping the tree's growth in proportion to the trunk.

Thanks MidMichBonsai. At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. I was like maybe I'll just leave it alone and just water it. Then I figured, well, why not have some fun with it. It is proving to be a nice little bonsai. Not my best tree and not the oldest. However, it makes me smile every time I see it.

Rob

 

[fore]

Isn't it funny/strange Rob where some trees "can take a licking and keep on ticking" and others, just look at them wrong and they decline LOL

You've done a great job horticulturally and stylistically. Nice little tree!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Really neat little tree you have there. I have very little interest in ever entering a show or contest although I wouldn't completely rule it out someday. However, I would derive a great deal of satisfaction from having a plant of this quality. It is nice to see one of a slighter build generate so much interest.

 

[october]

Isn't it funny/strange Rob where some trees "can take a licking and keep on ticking" and others, just look at them wrong and they decline LOL

You've done a great job horticulturally and stylistically. Nice little tree!

Ya, this one takes a lickin and keeps on tickin..lol

Rob

 

[october]

Really neat little tree you have there. I have very little interest in ever entering a show or contest although I wouldn't completely rule it out someday. However, I would derive a great deal of satisfaction from having a plant of this quality. It is nice to see one of a slighter build generate so much interest.

Thank you very much. My more recent philosophy over the last few years has been leaning towards only working on top notch, high potential material. However, this way of thinking can lead you to not having anything to work on. Good material is very limited around here. Also, the prices. I believe that some of the highest prices for bonsai are in this part of the county. I think that if we need to be realistic, projects like this are fun and can satisfy that need to do some styling work. Even if just on a smaller, less prestigious scale.

Rob

 

[Dirty Nails]

Rob I am loving this little guy. This past spring I took about 20 cuttings from a pair of Shimapkus and half of them I wired and twisted a bit. All of the ones I wired died and all of the ones I didn't lived (so far). Why do you suppose that is? Is that kind of movement on such a small whip done with wire or shari? I have seen videos showing both.

 

[october]

Rob I am loving this little guy. This past spring I took about 20 cuttings from a pair of Shimapkus and half of them I wired and twisted a bit. All of the ones I wired died and all of the ones I didn't lived (so far). Why do you suppose that is? Is that kind of movement on such a small whip done with wire or shari? I have seen videos showing both.

Hi Mike and thanks... Did you take the cutting, plant them then wire at a later date? Did you wire wood cuttings or were they still green? Also, when they died, did they turn brown in sections and then the brown spread quickly and the cutting died?

Rob

 

[Dirty Nails]

Hi Mike and thanks... Did you take the cutting, plant them then wire at a later date? Did you wire wood cuttings or were they still green? Also, when they died, did they turn brown in sections and then the brown spread quickly and the cutting died?

Rob

They were of various thickness, some green and some turning woody. I wired them right when I cut them- then planted. Yes that is how they turned brown and died. I forgot to add this for a fan of Devolution....

 

[october]

They were of various thickness, some green and some turning woody. I wired them right when I cut them- then planted. Yes that is how they turned brown and died. I forgot to add this for a fan of Devolution....

The green ones are very fragile and should not be wired. Only the wood ones should be wired. Also, foliage that turns brown quickly and continues to spread is usually a fungal disease. This is very wide spread on junipers now a days. I believe, in some cases, people spray their cuttings with fungicide to eliminate this.

Basically, it shounds like it was just death from the wiring stress or the stress weakend those cuttings which made them more prone to fungal disease. Of course, this is just a couple of possibilities.

Rob

 

[Dirty Nails]

I think I just abused the little green babies with wire. They were right next to the ones that lived and I spray for fungus and bugs. I'll wait til they have some wood on them before resuming the torture. Thanks!