Coiled Shimpaku

I wanted to share my shimpaku being trained in a coil style using dowels as tie-off points and curving the stock around them as opposed to wiring the trunk.

Front:



Right side:



Back:


The basic trunk shape has been set and now over the next year or so I need to focus on clearing off old bark, working on the deadwood features and thinning out the foliage. Also, it's in need of a re-wire.

Comments and criticisms are welcome.

Thanks for looking.

John

p.s. let's see if I can beat my old record of 893 to 0.

Hi Orion,

I think I will not allow you to beat your old record Sorry!
I really liked that coil shape, and would like to watch your deadwood works.
Keep us posted.

Thank you
Taner

Sakaki wrote:Hi Orion,

I think I will not allow you to beat your old record Sorry!
I really liked that coil shape, and would like to watch your deadwood works.
Keep us posted.

Thank you
Taner

I tried...

With thanks and we'll do.

Hi John.

Im cuious to know how big it was and when you started, and how long it took yo get this far.

Also, when you "host an image'', are you copying the ''thumbnail'' instead of ''image''? Those tiny pics are a pain in the butt!

R

Hi Russell,

This is actually pretty small. Now, the trunk is a couple hairs over an inch and it stands under 7 inches; it started off at less than a quarter inch. It was planted in a 5-6 gallon terracotta pot with pumice and chopped sphagnum. Each of the bends set for at least a year. It's taken 4 years to get this far.

Sorry about the images, I hate it too. When I click on the images I have stored, they're large, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It bothers me to no end and I can't seem to figure out how to rectify it. Any ideas????

Have got any pictures or links to the method you describe?
How big was the trunk to start off with?
I want to give this a go.
Cheers!
Greg

No pics of the process, never had a reason to chronicle the method, but let me describe it this way:

Use a thin whip, less than a quarter inch. This way I got by not using rafia.

You can either plant the stock in the ground, or use a large container. If you use a large container, you can suspend the stock very easily. Run a wire attached to the container up the drainage hole and carefully spiral the wire around the stock; it will hold itself suspended in mid air and it wont move.

Fill in your medium. I use pumice and chopped sphagnum moss.

Take two thin dowels and glue one of the ends to the bottom of the container so it's perpendicular. Take the other dowel and set that to the bottom at an angle so that it butts against the first one.

Make the first bend around one of the dowels. Then tie it off with a strip of cloth or ball twine (carefully, just to hold it in place).

The second bend is the made around the second dowel and tied off as well.

Don't do too much at one time; 2 bends at most are plenty I think. Let them set over a year. You can work on the branches in the meantime.

The guys who are really good at this, from what I understand, solely use wire and plant the stock in the ground; I don't know if they would use stakes, or need to. Then what they'll do is after the trunk is wired, they'll scrunch the seedling down and that'll give a lot of girth almost right off the bat. Those fat ones you see with the twisted trunks take several years in the ground.

Please let me know if this helps at all.

John

p.s. one other thing. I've found it best to wait until early to late winter before making serious twists and bends; don't do it when the sap is really flowing.

Russell Coker wrote:Hi John.



Also, when you "host an image'', are you copying the ''thumbnail'' instead of ''image''? Those tiny pics are a pain in the butt!

R

Just click on it.

I know that the pics. are enlarged by clicking on them, but how do you get large pics in your posts so that you don't have to click on a smaller one??

Orion wrote:I know that the pics. are enlarged by clicking on them, but how do you get large pics in your posts so that you don't have to click on a smaller one??

Go here: https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t243-tutorial-on-posting-pics

Thanks loads Jim

Test pic.



Thanks again Jim, worked like a charm

I love this little tree... I love shohin junipers and this one has amazing potential. Outstanding tree in training!

Rob

Thanks loads Rob, always good to hear from you. Let me know how you think it's progressing.

I've gone back in and sorted out your original post. Glad you've got it to work too.

F

Thanks Fiona,

Computer stuff makes me feel like an educated idiot.

Orion, you can also call it "Horn Shimpaku"