Correcting
a Problematic Tree by Leo N. de Leon
The
wide base of this Pemphis gives the viewer a feeling of stability
and strength, I was awed by its stately appearance when I
first saw it. The deadwood tells us of the tree’s struggle
to survive maybe over a hundred years in the harsh conditions
of its natural environment.

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Close up
shots of the beautiful Shari on side 'D' of the tree.
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Left to
Right: Side A, Side B, Side C
Although
this Pemphis has its good qualities, it also has its design
flaw; (not unusual for trees collected from the wild). The
picture below of Side D shows us how the trunk on the left
crosses over the trunk on the right.
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Side D
A major
decision has to be made to solve the problem and we are given
two choices. 1. a large portion of the left trunk is to be cut.
2. We can carve the overlapping trunk and make it into a jin,
so that it will blend with existing deadwood or we can shari
the lower portion of the trunk.
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It
is worth mentioning that I waited two years after collection
before the initial work was carried out. The first year
was dedicated to intensive feeding and root development.
I decided to repot it after the first year to firstly check
on the development of the roots and secondly to change the
medium from sandy to coarse volcanic cinders. Then another
year of aggressive feeding follows. Now that I am satisfied
with its vigor, I commence work.
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In
order to correct the problem, I have decided to cut the
portion of the left trunk that grew towards the right
and crossed over the other trunk.
After cutting off the unwanted portion, we are left with
a large wound of about 3.5 inches in diameter as shown
in the picture above.
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With such
a big cut as this one, an ugly scar is left. In order to make
it look natural and pleasant to look at, I used a power tool
to carve and shape it.
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After carving
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More carving
work was done on some other dead branches on the tree.
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Side D after
the cut
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These
final images show a clearer view of the trunk and its movement
and flow after pruning the unwanted branches and twigs.
From now on, for up to maybe 3 years, I shall concentrate
on growing these branches before I continue to wire and
style the tree.
In the words of the late Master John Naka “If you
encounter a problematic branch, just cut it off. And if
you still have a problem afterwards, then you really do
have a problem!”