This is an Itoigawa Shimpaku that I have had for a number of years. Mike Hagedorn styled the tree a couple of years ago and repositioned the top to give the base a more acute angle to the  ground. I really like what he did. This tree was growing strongly and I was hoping to show this year, however it was attacked by spider mites while I was on the road in June- we had a major hot dry spell, and it lost a couple of medium sized branches and just looked ratty. So, I took the wire off, cleaned it up a bit and then rewired it while watching the PGA tournament.

I didn't take a before picture, sorry, but it was growing straight up and looked pretty bad. Anyway, it is Chuchin size and now is at least ready to grow back and get recovered, maybe next year to show. I now that the front view gives a sense of spare foliage, the top view- the front is at the bottom of the picture- should give a good sense of density.

John

Alex,
Don't know if will tilt back; that is where it started. I think next year I will need to reduce the number of branches to thin out, but health wise I am not comfortable doing so. It kind of reminds of an octopus (or those critters in the Matrix movie (3rd one?)).

John

Dwight,
I think it should look more like an O than an I when looked at from above. Many trees will \have a strong branch that when looked at from above make the tree look more like a triangle than an ).

That help?

Good question- it all goes to the concept of depth- we want trees that have depth, not just 2D.
Thus my old joke: If you only have one eye, you don't need back branches. ( get it no depth perception...)

John

I really like this Juniperus chinensis var. Sargentii Itoigawa Shimpaku Juniper.  Any updates on this one?

beautiful tree. Update please. Good one Matsu.

First off, what a beautiful tree and very nicely done photographs. !   John, knowing you study with Boon, I noticed in the top shot photo, that the very first curve you put on the secondary branching seems to be random,  I watched Boon's dvd and I thought he said to bend in the same direction.  Did I misunderstand him?  (I've gotta watch it again perhaps )

Oh, that makes sense. This is quite an important aspect of wiring a tree, to have a realistic looking apex. 
 And I absolutely will re watch them again....for the 5th time at least lol  But he covers so much information, it's easy to miss something.  Heck, I've watched the wiring dvd at least 10-15x.   

Interesting. The tree used to be way left (our right) both Marco and Mike Hagedorn moved the tree the opposite direction, to get it where it is now (Mike repotted it to the angle you see here). Differences in perspective always give interesting ideas. Thanks.