Four-year progression: making a shimpaku juniper from graft – Bonsai Tonight

 

by Jonas Dupuich 2 Comments

In spring of 2018, I picked up a prostrata juniper from Kenji Miyata. The branches were long and the foliage was course but I liked the curves in the lower trunk. It was a perfect candidate for grafting.

I made one graft using itoigawa shimpaku foliage and spent the next three years reducing the original branches while the new growth filled in. I created a shari in the trunk near the end of the process and finally removed the last branch last week.

Here’s the progression.

Prostrata juniper - March, 2018

Prostrata juniper – March, 2018

May, 2019

May, 2019

May, 2020

May, 2020

September, 2020

September, 2020

August, 2021

August, 2021

After carving - August, 2021

After carving – August, 2021

Grafted itoigawa juniper

Grafted itoigawa juniper – 9-1/2″ tall

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