Manzanita Stump Question

[Left C]

I have a Manzanita stump that is really nice, but the tips of the branches are cut off. This gives the stump an unnatural look.

How can I make the tips of the branches look more natural?

I only have a few ideas.
- break the tips off so that they will not appear to be trimmed or use a knife to trim the tip some
- have the moss, ferns, Anubias, etc. cover the tips. (This reminds me of a Poodle's hair cut. )
- plant the branches heavily and cover the tips

Here is what it looks like. You can see the trimmed tips of its branches.

[katiej]

I'd probably plant some and carve others to a more natural looking point. That's one nice piece of wood. I'm jealous.

[PinoyBoy]

rip the tips of like how some bonsai trees have that dead looking trunk.
make it look like something was biting and gnawing on it. well thats what i think.
nice wood.

[jinx©]

On square saw cuts I usually just whittle the ends to taper them some, followed by a little sandpaper. A lot of times when I gather manzanita I'll just snap off the pieces I don't want/need and it leaves a pretty natural look that only needs a little sanding to remove any excessively sharp jags.

Great looking piece btw.

[NanoDan]

Hi Jinxs, (lol pun intended) I live in Sac too where can I collect manzanita wood? I know it grows near here but some idea of a specific spot to collect would be very helpful.

[cah925]

I've had a few pieces in the past that I just broke the tips off to create a more natural look. As Jinx said, just sand the edges a little to remove the sharp jags.