Shimpaku Juniper Tanuki

A Tanuki (Phoenix Graft) of Shimpaku Juniper whips on a dead juniper tree I had been training as a bonsai. I carved two channels with a Dremmel on both sides of the dead trunk. I carved the channels wider at the bottom than at the top so that the Juniper whips would "lock in" as they grow bigger and swell in the channels. (see end view illustration below). The lower sections of the grafts have filled the channels. I used wood preserver on the bottom of the deadwood to hopefully slow the rot process. The deadwood was treated with LS for whitening etc. ("LS" as an inside joke for those following another thread on the bonsai whitening agent under scrutiny )





Other views:
Before wiring








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That was a lot of work. It is hard to see the entire design.

Nicely done. The top of the composition looks like a deer's antlers. Watch out for hunters. <g>

Good point Jim about the deer antlers It needs some refinement.

Looks good, I have started a very similar project last spring. How long has the whip been in place? Plenty of time for refining as the foliage fills out.

Shimpaku whips have been in place 2 years. I just trimmed excess branches down low on the whips that aided in the thickening of the main trunk. I removed them before they became too large and made massive scars.

Updated pics after rewiring and some branch removal.
First pic - front
Second,third pics - left side
Fourth pic - right side
Deadwood still needs refining.

Update...

Very impressive! Thanks for sharing. This is inspiring as I am also on the hunt for a deadwood for my Procumbens juniper. Hopefully I may be able to share it too.

Regards
Sayotefries

sayotefries wrote:Very impressive! Thanks for sharing. This is inspiring as I am also on the hunt for a deadwood for my Procumbens juniper. Hopefully I may be able to share it too.

Regards
Sayotefries

I will look forward to seeing your tree one day!!  

2 Virtuals with simplified deadwood.  What do you think?

If you like the simplified approach, which one do you like better? Do the the virts improve design flow and eye movement over the deadwood?

I like the last option but to my eye, and it may be the pics, the tanuki deadwood looks a little flat and rounded. For me I would like to see more grooves and irregularities in it and on the ends of the jins to give it a more natural look IMO

mumra wrote:I like the last option but to my eye, and it may be the pics, the tanuki deadwood looks a little flat and rounded. For me I would like to see more grooves and irregularities in it and on the ends of the jins to give it a more natural look IMO

Thanks for your thoughts! There is much more texture to the wood that is not showing in the pics.

I still think the upper jin are quite a bit too long and not natural looking. Shorten and put some texture in the wood grain (Dremel, small router and wire brush) and you will be better off, IMO.

Better, though. Less like a deer in the headlights.

eric - old post, but if you see this, how did you secure the whips to the deadwood ?

Most people secure live trees to the deadwood using stainless steel screws.

Super glue!

i read (or perhaps misread ?) that steel is the one type of screw you shouldn't use...
and i believe they said especially stainless...

and mike - someone using super glue would not surprise me !

i will post what i did when i get to the pictures...

ok - not misread, but slightly misquoted:

this:

"...Fasten the plant into the groove using brass nails or screws. Steel, even stainless or coated steel, kills plants if allowed to contact the cambium. "

was lifted from this:

http://www.buffalobonsaisociety.com/PhoenixGraft.html

beer city snake wrote:Steel, even stainless or coated steel, kills plants if allowed to contact the cambium.

Hm.. Anyone ever heard this before?

Many times, but I've never spoken to anyone who has lost a tree therreby, and can think of NOTHING biological that a ferrous nail or screw would do to a tree. It may well be Bonsai myth #2,000 .

My juniper has 2 stainless steel screws holding it to a piece of driftwood for almost a year. Will post pictures tomorrow