As far as I know, the winding bark shari are created by either, at a very young age, trwisting the trunk to create twisted sap-lines. Or, at later age, letting thick wire grow into the bark, effectively blocking the sapflow, pushing the plant to find ways around it, by spirallying along the wire.

I would have been hesitant to take the step craig has taken, unless the bark was already twisted around (Unlikely with a garden centre plant).

Interested to see whether this wors. Craig: How is this holding up? (What I have seen so far, you did not do this last weekend, but rather a year ago already?)

Can I just ask the OP (Craig) what you did to achieve the jin? I have read about it in "The Complete Practical Encycolpedia of Bonsai" by Ken Norman and you have to use a coat of lime sulphur on it. Did you do that?

BonsaiMackem wrote:

Can I just ask the OP (Craig) what you did to achieve the jin? I have read about it in "The Complete Practical Encycolpedia of Bonsai" by Ken Norman and you have to use a coat of lime sulphur on it. Did you do that?

I have to say, that book is a bible to beginners like me, glad you got it .

Lime sulphur is used to stop the wood rotting when it is exposed to the elements without bark. It is required for many softwooded plants, but for plants like yew it is not vital. It is hard to obtain as it was used as a winter wash and insecticide but more effective insecticides were found. Traders of it need a license as well so not many supplyers are found. If you want to get it then kizen bonsais online shop supplies a decent amount of it.

www.bonsai4me.co.uk/Basics/Basics%20Bons...MythsLimeSulphur.htm

(nice article and alternatives of lime sulphur)

bob wrote:

BonsaiMackem wrote:

Can I just ask the OP (Craig) what you did to achieve the jin? I have read about it in "The Complete Practical Encycolpedia of Bonsai" by Ken Norman and you have to use a coat of lime sulphur on it. Did you do that?

I have to say, that book is a bible to beginners like me, glad you got it .

Lime sulphur is used to stop the wood rotting when it is exposed to the elements without bark. It is required for many softwooded plants, but for plants like yew it is not vital. It is hard to obtain as it was used as a winter wash and insecticide but more effective insecticides were found. Traders of it need a license as well so not many supplyers are found. If you want to get it then kizen bonsais online shop supplies a decent amount of it.

www.bonsai4me.co.uk/Basics/Basics%20Bons...MythsLimeSulphur.htm

(nice article and alternatives of lime sulphur)

So the book is still relevant and beginners should follow every word?

Regarding the lime sulphur, with the info on jin in the book in mind, I just find it staggering that bonsai growers are willing to go to the extent of buying a foul smelling chemical that is so dangerous to the senses, gloves and a mask is required just for the job it is meant to do.

well, for styling, it gives you a helpful boost on telling you the general ideas of styling, maybe not every word, but when learning the fundamentals, of which are vital, it is extremely good.

yes. i know it can be very dangerous as it is very alkaline and can burn your skin severely. a few bonsai artists have found a alternative in the uk.

www.bonsai4me.co.uk/AdvTech/ATFuchsia%20Bonsai%20Styling.html

BonsaiMackem wrote:

bob wrote:

I have read about it in "The Complete Practical Encycolpedia of Bonsai" by Ken Norman and you have to use a coat of lime sulphur on it. Did you do that?

So the book is still relevant and beginners should follow every word?

On Amazon I see that the book is from 2009 and the author is Ken Norman. I don't have it - I have quite a few books, but I bought all before 2009. Ken Norman:

"been growing bonsai for over forty years. He and his wife Ann have an important collection of bonsai permanently displayed at Leonardslee Gardens, West Sussex, England. Ken is a past Chairman of both the Federation of British Bonsai Societies (FOBBS) and the Friends of the National Bonsai Collection (FNBC). He is also a founder member, past Chairman and current President of the Sussex Bonsai Group and has been involved in organizing national and international bonsai conventions. Ken and Ann have been awarded six Gold Medals at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show, including a Gold Medal at Chelsea 2004"

Sounds good. Still, it won't hurt to find second opinions.

Regarding the lime sulphur, with the info on jin in the book in mind, I just find it staggering that bonsai growers are willing to go to the extent of buying a foul smelling chemical that is so dangerous to the senses, gloves and a mask is required just for the job it is meant to do.

Even worse: there are people that use it, some idiots (me) even without gloves and a mask.
Yup, it does smell foul, and you don't want to get it on your hands (as it'll make your hands smell), but "Fatal if absorbed through the skin"? Hmm... didn't know that, and I'm still alive. Maybe if I take a bath in it...

NOTE:
This is NOT an encouragement to not use gloves or goggles. Or to take a bath in Lime Sulphur.

From Wikipedia:
Safety[edit]
Lime sulfur reacts with strong acids (including stomach acid) to produce highly toxic hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg gas) and indeed usually has a distinct "rotten egg" odour to it. Lime sulfur is not extremely flammable but combustion produces highly irritating sulfur dioxide gas.

Safety goggles and gloves should be worn while handling lime sulfur. Lime sulfur solutions are strongly alkaline (typical commercial concentrates have a pH over 11.5), and so it is corrosive to living things and can cause blindness if splashed in the eyes.

Maybe nice to see the results.

Spring for me is a time to clean up the jin/shari (they turn a bit green over winter) and re-apply jin seal.

This is my juniper. It had some large branches (as large as the trunk at that time) that were Jinned.
Some amateur bonsaiist (me) tried to cut off a higher branch, but did not know his concave cutter wasn't up to that job - too small. When I tried to remove the branch it appeared to be still attached and I tore it off - including a strip of bark.
Later I made that a shari, from the lower branch that was jinned up. Not so visible on the photo is that the callus has continuoud to grow and the trunk has gotten fatter, except of course the part where the trunk was jinned.

Photos - note that all shari are under jins / formerly removed branches. BTW: I have used sunflower oil to treat the bark - makes the colors look nicer.

bril juniper

the jin and shari are very well done. there is a good balance of bark and shari in my mind on the trunk.

I buy it here.
www.bonsai.de/shop/accessories-c-17.htm

BonsaiMackem wrote:

Can I just ask the OP (Craig) what you did to achieve the jin? I have read about it in "The Complete Practical Encycolpedia of Bonsai" by Ken Norman and you have to use a coat of lime sulphur on it. Did you do that?

Hi mate ,sorry for late response,

The Jins and Shari were made by peeling the living bark from the hardwood beneath.
I did this by first cutting lines with a very sharp knife where I wanted the new live vein to be. I then started at top by
splitting and then peeling the living bark which I did not want. If this is done when the tree is active then the separation
is very easy but if the tree is inactive then it does not separate easily. Best done in Spring, Summer or early Autumn.
I choose not to treat my deadwood too early after creation. Allowing the wood natural drying time to begin cracking and splitting.
Also I do not like to treat near edges of wounds straight away because from experience I have found the Cambium more willing to
roll onto untreated deadwood. I have found lime sulphur can repel Cambium growth onto it, not entirely but definately at the
beginning of the healing process. I prefer to allow the trees recovery and rising to health again before alot of carving or
treating of wood.Lime sulpur is not a preservative for timber it is simply an insectaside which cleans from bugs and moulds etc, also great for that bleached wood effect. It should be applied multiple times per year also.


In response to Auk's concerns,

Firstly this Tree is Not Yamadori or even really old stock. From what I could see it had not lost any major branches
and had a fully living trunk.

A tree as this one most usually would not have suffered any dramatic losses in it's short life so would not hve yet
developed any Natural Shari beneath it's bark.
The spiral Shari is therfore quite possible if careful. The root system is Fully connected to this live vein.
There is no breaks in the live vein at all. It was made at an aproximate uprising angle of 45 degrees while the tree
was very healthy. The junction of branhes leaving main trunk is actually 2 branches binded together, 1 is forming
the lower portion of branches and the other is forming the top branching.The living tissue surrounds both the top
and bottom of where they exit the main trunk so no issues should arise there. Saftey measures are easily thought of
and should be used.
The tree has only been in my possession for aproximately 6 or so months and all work has been done in that time frame,
including a repot and rootprune. The Cambium has rolled out from the edges of the cuts and life flows within, the foliage
is slowly growing again and I didn't lose 1 branch. Winter about setting in so I will be wary of how much water it receives
and give it good light.

She'll be fine mate, regards Craig