Workshop at Bonsaial's

bonsaial1

This is the result of two trees that were worked on at my house. The first is a black pine owned by Bill. It was about 36" tall and fairly gangly. The needles were long and it had not been trimed in a long time.

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I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

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bonsaial1

The tree was tidied up, wired and needle pruned. The needles were also cut in half or less. A very nice bunjin style tree will emerge after this season's growth. A few more seasons, and I'm sure it will be in a pot.

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

bonsaial1

The second tree is a juniper owned by myself. I have had the tree for a long time but have always hated the gap 2/3 the way up the trunk. It is also fairly straight in there and no branches. I have pruned hard before but no buds. Stubborn damned tree.

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

bonsaial1

What I decided to do was to saw or split the trunk down to the second branch on the right. I would use a coping saw with fine teeth and work slow. I started at the top and had to follow the center of the trunk or risk sawing the tree in half. Not a very healthy proposition.

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

bonsaial1

With the top of the tree now split in two, I proceeded to wrap both halves in wet raffia. I wrapped a large copper wire in the rafffia and then set about to wire the outside of the raffia-ed trunks. After the wire job I started to crank on the branches. I did get a little crack here and there, but nothing a little cut paste couldn't fix. BTW, you will notice that I am working on an ice chest. When doing work this scary on a tree that you have owned for 15 years, it helps to be able to reach in for a "cool one"

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

bonsaial1

This is the finished tree. I have left both tops on for now. I will probably remove the back one later, which is the one that makes a sharp right turn. I left it just in case. Hopefully I have eased the line of site to that bald spot right in the middle of the tree.

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

bonsaial1

Here they are side by side for comparison. I may do a virtual of the finish tree and remove the back top trunk split. That is unless someone else wants to do it


Best regards,
Bonsaial

__________________
I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!

deadgecko

I'm at work now, so no chance for a virtual. The one thing I would probably do besides the back top is lighten up the jin on the right side. It seems to large and hides the lower right branch. Just an option...

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Deadgecko
Cincinnati, Ohio
USDA Zone 6, Sunset Zone 35
"Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it everyday"
Alfred E. Neuman

Adam

Alright here's my opinion.I would do a virtual but I dont know how. I think you should remove the top back branch. Then on the bottom branch with the large jin I think not removing it, just shorten it too the branch the gos up and then let that pad fill out. Then on the branch above it I would pull it up just above the jin. I wouldn't keep it that low. Then in about 3 years of rapid growth and effective pinching it should fill out nice.

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|Adam|
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