Thanks John.  For the record, your trees have always served to inspire me both creatively and horticulturally, so in that regard, this tree and I are both somewhat in your debt.  Also, I promise to start a new thread on that other tree shortly.  It unfortunately has not progressed like this one, but it is still very nice material.

This is the other RMJ I mentioned...great trunk loaded with deadwood ....long, lanky coarse foliage with a not so healthy green hue (my other RMJs have a very nice light blue color to the foliage).  Now, try to imagine that trunk with the tight, compact, dark bluish green foliage you see with Shimpaku?  These pictures were taken over 4 years ago.  The fuller now, but I'm still not happy with the quality of the foliage.  I'm going to wire it out, feed, feed, feed, and see what happens... but the shimpaku cuttings have been struck and it may be only a matter of time.

Very nice, I see that you have some wire on it, as you know it will help to get it laid out, especially the larger branches, and wiring up the tips to keep the little branches stronger while they gain some mass. Thanks!

Very nice, I see that you have some wire on it, as you know it will help to get it laid out, especially the larger branches, and wiring up the tips to keep the little branches stronger while they gain some mass. Thanks!

Thanks John.  I literally started wiring this tree out yesterday at 5pm...15 minutes before sunset ... and I'm still not finished wiring out the other RMJ .  I quickly snapped the recent pic this AM before going to visit with Rodney Clemons, my teacher in Atlanta.  I figure I'll be spending at least 4-5 hours wiring out everything on this other tree...I'll post new pics when both trees are done.

Dave,

Looking oh so good!

JRob

Dave,
I agree. In my opinion one can not have either good or exceptional bonsai without wiring. I have spent an incredible amount of time with my teacher learning how to correctly wire. I told him to be brutally honest with me. The result was I wired, removed and rewired a JBP three times in copper till he was satisfied. I am glad he did. I learned son much and the tree is much better because of it. I am glad you took the time as well. The material deserves it.

Are you finished and any final pictures?

JRob

Dave
 Nice job. I want to get a RMJ. I'm in a So. California study group with Ryan Neal and I agree, you will learn allot. I think He is the best around (at least outside of Japan) at teaching. Period!
 Did He talk to you guys about pruning versus pinching of Junipers as a key to compact growth?
Chrisl
 grafting 1 type onto another also often improves the health of that tree as the host tree's root system will take on the characteristics of the graft species. For example, when you graft itoigawa or kishu juniper onto California Juniper, the roots get denser and finer and less ropey than the natural root system of a desert tree that evolved to tap into water sources far away. Also the live vein becomes more prominent.
 In some cases, it allows you to have a species outside its normal zone. In Southern California, we can't have ponderosa pines here because its not cold enough. If you graft black pine, you can have the benefit of that wonderful, old yamadori trunk, bark and deadwood of a ponderosa, with vibrant foliage that will allow that tree survive anywhere the black pine will live, which is almost everywhere.

Wow, it is always interesting to get the standard US conversation that 'someone is the best', vs isn't it really nice that we are getting a number of highly trained bonsai professionals in the US? Think about it, we now have Kathy S, Bill Valvanis, Joe Harris, Boon, Mike Hagedorn, Ryan, Matt (soon), Bjorn and Owen (soon), and the Europeans like Marc Noelanders, Marco, Colin (now in us), Peter Warren and many others who work significantly in the US. Plus there seems to be a pipeline of young talent going to the best bonsai gardens for training in Japan, Think Peter Tea and Tyler Sherrod. I think the real benefits will be a huge increase in the opportunity for those interested in learning how to produce and care for high quality bonsai in the US (and Canada, sorry guys).

The first person I learned that grafting caused a tree to take on the physiological attributes of the scion? Carl Tottemeier, a longtime botanical garden director and good friend who passed a number of years ago- he told me in the early 90's, I am pretty sure he figured it out in the 50's.
I