A Question On Shari

Brettj_arts

Sorry this turned out so long, I hope you'll still give it a read.

I have always thought that Jin and Shari can be great tools in the aid of adding age and excitement to bonsai, but I definetely think they are over used, and quite often used on the wrong material.

Such is the reason that, until now, I have never really had the desire to add this feature on any of my trees. It never seemed appropriate on any of my material.

I have recently styled and potted a tree, that I somehow can't stop imagining a twisted line of shari, dancing it's way up the trunk.

I think I'd like to try this technique on for size. I'm somewhat familiar with it, but have never seen it done in life, and don't want to botch it on a tree that I am particularly fond of.

I was wondering how one keeps the live are from dying back, or does the Lime sulpher do that? I thought it only bleached the deawood. I have never seen cut paste on bonsai with shari, maybe I am only seeing the finnished product.

The material is a juniper procumbes nana, shohin, with about a 2 inch trunk. The foliage is almost completely one sided leaving a nice area on the other side to be stripped. Does the procumbes nana have the ablity to move nutrients in all directions, such as the Shimpaku (or so I've heard)?

Anyways, if there is anyone who could offer some (or alot) of advice for a fellow who hasn't ventured into the waters of deadwood, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks a million for all the help, Brett

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Trees are phalic symbols, The Redwoods are just compensating.

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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