The charm of Shari

Scheduled works on a Juniperus Chinensis

Twisting path

Yew : a splendid species

Thuja

 

Chamaecyparis Pisifera

In this article we are going to take into consideration a specie used very few times by bonsai asrtists: Chamaecyparis Pisifera, it's hard to find it on the nurseries, it could be find only in vey small dimension, but however interesting for realizing bonsai related projects.
This variety of false cypress is suitable both for make classical style bonsai, Chokkan or Moyogi, and for more suffered realizations; in these cases it can be found several solutions. It lends itself to all the treatments, it bares drastic pruning, the branches can be bended easily if drived with sensitivity, the foliage will thicken rapidly if constantly pinched.
Dead wood techniques (shari) are well bared by the tree, even if the tender wood need to be treated with lime sulphur several times during the year.
During the first step on the tree it's like to meet difficulties with branches selection. The vegetation tend to grow straight upwards and very dense in a way that can completely hide the tree structure, the inner one near to the trunk usually dry out for air and light lack, the green is visible only at the end of the branches far from the trunk.
This inconvinient can be overcome with a thoroughly cleaning work, to better locate the branches to be used to the future bonsai, by the way we will be helped by the great number of braches present, among that, we will find the ideal ones for our project, getting rid of the dried needles we will let sun and air pass through the branches, so that new vegetaion will born easily and numerous remedyng if necessary to our pruning errors.
Repotting operation are free of risk if made during waking up period . This is one of the reasons why I suggest this tree to the beginners.

I bought this Chamaecyparis on February 1996 form an exhibitor during "MIFLOR". In the beginning, it was 2 meters high, I was impressed by this tree beacuse, as I said before, it is difficult to find trees of such dimension, and in the majority are stump with thin trunks.
I had already this specie but they were only small dimension bonsai. The foliage of this one was so thick, that at the first glance I wasn't able to realize not the real nebari dimension nor that the trunk was a single one.
It tooks me a few moment to decide whether to buy it or not, at the end I decided to buy it like a bet.
As soon as it arrived on my garden, I couldn't wait the moment to work on it. My mind took a trip looking for feelings, images, details, masterpieces that could give me the right suggestion for the project.


When I think over the project, I work more relaxed, feeling confident to have a well defined project, an idea so strong to appear touchable....and at that point I have just to express my creativity applying the techniques necessary for the transformation, sure that the tree will reach in a few years maturity and beautiness.

	First repotting is usually very difficult because the rootage is compressed in a pot with clay soil. Once reduced it, the tree should be repotted using akadama in different granul dimensions, placing some coal pieces in order to make the soil more dreinant for the root development. In this phase I tilted the tree toward left.
	Branch selection, cutting the useless ones, keeping only a little portion for Jin realization On the top of the tree a few branches has been left, choosing only the shorten with foliage near the trunk, in spite of that all the branches were still too long...
	On May 1997, the tree reached the ideal development, so that it was possible to define where to place green and where to create spaces, having the opportunity to realize the original project. I began with dead wood selection and jin finish off with the help of a little mill.
	The work carry on with the more delicate operation: bend the branches to put them in the desired position The strong bends were possible because, as said before, thanks to the tenderness of the wood, using rafia, copper wire, and a good deal of attention.
	Particolare che evidenzia la torsione dei rami.
	On the first project the intention was to keep foliage on the left part only, but afterwards evaluating more carefully the overall balance, I decide for a new developement from the initial idea to a new shape.
	Finally the foliage need the finishing touch, a not so simple operation considering the numerous little branches developed. Finished this work, looking at all the detail of the tree I decided to give more taper to the tree sculpturing threee little lines of shari on the top part of the tree, giving so a colour contrast between bark, shari and foliage.
	Spring 2001 Picture royalty of Arma di Taggia Imperia, Drynemetum club

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