David Chauvin

Brett,

I have several procumbens posted here with jin and shari (do a search for 'juniper rewired' or 'bonitah' for the latest posts). Though I haven't achieved anything near the artistic level hoped for, I do have some experience on the technical end for this species. Procumbens will heal nicely. First mark off the area to be shari with chalk or some other type marker to help visualize the area to be carved. This will also help to keep you from straying 'outside the lines' once you begin carving. Be sure to keep a continuous lifeline from soil to live branches. Procumbens has some ability to redirect sap flow but it's best to go with the grain of the bark. If you do a barberpole number on the tree and cut the sap flow, the tree will die. The next step is to carve the shari. I like to use a dremel tool with a wire brush to remove the bark, but any carving tool will do. Create a clean edge on the cut and it will heal faster and better. Go all the way down to hard wood, making sure to remove the pulpy white layer below the bark. I don't use any cut sealer. After a month or so, I'll treat with straight lime sulphur to help preserve the wood.

Now for a couple things I've learned. Here in soggy south Louisiana, keeping deadwood from rotting will be a high maintenance affair. I will no longer shari all the way to the soil because this compounds the problem. Carefully plan the path. Like cutting off branches, there's no putting the bark back on. My advice would be to buy a cheap procumbens to practice on before tackling a tree you really like.


Good Luck

David

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"With the death of the Shamen, artists are the last interpreters of the Divine." Joseph Campbell