Wisteria tanuki?

[Chris Frechette]

I have a long wispy wisteria that was going to get planted along a fence, but wasn’t. I have a crazy trunk of a dead rosemary shrub that I had no business collecting last year. The deadwood has the curves and a groove of a vein that w some carving out would fit pretty nicely. I would cut the deadwood about where my hand is at to meet the soil line. Worth a shot? I know tanuki are kinda frowned upon but they look like fun projects.

 

[Soldano666]

I say do it.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Rosemary wood is not very durable, by the time the wisteria fuses to the wood, at least 5 years, the wood will be rotting away.
Either treat the wood with a wood hardener, or seek deadwood from a tree species known for rot resistance.

One ''natural'' wood hardener is pine resin. Resin from any pine, such as southern yellow, pinion, pitch pine, any pine will do. Dissolve or dilute the resin with boiled linseed oil, or alcohol, or mineral spirits to a consistency that can be painted on the wood. Do this before mounting the live tree to the tanuki. Alcohol will dissolve both the water soluble and water insoluble compounds of the resin. Boiled linseed oil is available in the Paint department of any box hardware store. Linseed oil will dissolve the portion that is not water soluble. By itself linseed oil is the base ingredient that makes up 90% of most deck sealers, like Thompson's water seal. Boiled linseed oil alone is a pretty good wood preservative. Paint several coats until no more soaks into the wood easily.

This will buy you a few more years before the wood rots.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

It is difficult to create a convincing Tanuki, so with the difficulty involved, I really admire one that is done well. I have no issue with tanuki being displayed at shows, because if it is done less than perfectly, you will almost always be able to tell. When done perfectly, so you can tell, as long as you are honest, and admit it if asked or required by the show judges, a Tanuki should be displayed. Read show rules before entering the tree, and respect the show committee's right to either accept or reject Tanukis. Our Milwaukee Bonsai Society does allow Tanuki in the club annual exhibit. So I have seen a few, and most are pretty obvious as to their origin.

The trick is to disguise your fasteners.

Wisteria, because of its capability for rampant growth, might prove to be a good choice. You need to let the Wisteria run to get the bark rolling onto the dead wood. Pot the assembled Tanuki in a large grow out flat, box, or nursery pot and try to let the wisteria run out 10 feet or more each year.

 

[GrimLore]

Worth a shot?

Use the hardener as Leo suggested but not where you notch/grove the wood to set the plant in tightly. Good material(s) to start with, should be fun and interesting as well.

Grimmy

 

[Chris Frechette]

So I carved out the deadwood today and reported the wisteria. It turned out pretty good I think. The channel was a bit wide, so there is a small gap. I’ll definitely have to let it run for a few years.