Juniper procumbens

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Jamie.bonsai
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Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

Just got home with the next project as my other large procumbens is now sitting aside to grow out....

Got this one off the same bonsai collector as he is trying to make room for more orchids

Any thoughts on a direction to take this one? Was thinking due to its legth it may make a nice cascade?ImageImageImageImage

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by kcpoole »

Or compress it down like i did the one with Koji last week

Ken
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Jamie.bonsai
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

kcpoole wrote:Or compress it down like i did the one with Koji last week

Ken
Hi Ken, Can u reply a link? Or possibly a pic or 2?

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jdceng »

Hi Jamie

You could do a Phoenix Graft around a Piece of hard wood or Rock.
Phoenix.jpg
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Ryceman3 »

Jamie.bonsai wrote:
kcpoole wrote:Or compress it down like i did the one with Koji last week

Ken
Hi Ken, Can u reply a link? Or possibly a pic or 2?

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Pretty sure Ken is referring to the raffia clad juniper in these photos (link below) he posted from the Koji summit on the School of Bonsai website. I reckon something like that would also work with your tree too.

http://www.schoolofbonsai.com.au/projec ... -workshop/
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by kcpoole »

Jamie.bonsai wrote:
kcpoole wrote:Or compress it down like i did the one with Koji last week

Ken
Hi Ken, Can u reply a link? Or possibly a pic or 2?

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I will post a progression thread on the tree when get a chance, but this is the tree on the School gallery from the workshop
Before
http://www.schoolofbonsai.com.au/wp-con ... esized.jpg

After
http://www.schoolofbonsai.com.au/wp-con ... esized.jpg

Ken
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by GavinG »

Photo 3 looked interesting as a possible literati - maybe get rid of all the long branches, keep the foliage close to the trunk, and see what you can make. Such a slender trunk will support very little foliage, design-wise. Or you could grow it on, fertilising heavily for a few years to get some girth in it - the trunk has some interesting shape already.

If you're hesitant to cut off major branches, cover them with black cloth, and see if the design seems clearer to you then.

Good luck.

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

GavinG wrote:Photo 3 looked interesting as a possible literati - maybe get rid of all the long branches, keep the foliage close to the trunk, and see what you can make. Such a slender trunk will support very little foliage, design-wise. Or you could grow it on, fertilising heavily for a few years to get some girth in it - the trunk has some interesting shape already.

If you're hesitant to cut off major branches, cover them with black cloth, and see if the design seems clearer to you then.

Good luck.

Gavin
I was thinking that but it has such a long trunk on it that i think i will save some coin and buy a different tree to make a nice literati

As for this one it has been screaming cascade at me :P so i began work on it and am more than happy so far

As always open to ideas on future development and styling 8-) ImageImage

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by kcpoole »

Not too bad at all.
I have done a little pruning for you to remove the top branches as they are going the wrong direction to the flow of the tree, and to lighten up some of the foliage pads

Ken
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by robb63 »

Hi Jamie,
I would lean towards your cascade option judging by pictures which is never easy.
The other option I like is to find the smallest tree you can at the bottom and airlayer top half.
After cutting down my last long trunk juniper I then thought, 'hey why didn't I layer that'!!!
IT takes so long to grow some girth into junipers. Getting 2 for one is always a good outcome.
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

kcpoole wrote:Not too bad at all.
I have done a little pruning for you to remove the top branches as they are going the wrong direction to the flow of the tree, and to lighten up some of the foliage pads

Ken
Virt look great! Thanks mate will definitely be saving it for reference

Could grafting the large branch in the other direction harm the whole tree if it doesn't take?



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Last edited by Jamie.bonsai on June 28th, 2017, 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jamie.bonsai
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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

robb63 wrote:Hi Jamie,
I would lean towards your cascade option judging by pictures which is never easy.
The other option I like is to find the smallest tree you can at the bottom and airlayer top half.
After cutting down my last long trunk juniper I then thought, 'hey why didn't I layer that'!!!
IT takes so long to grow some girth into junipers. Getting 2 for one is always a good outcome.
When i find another large juniper i will be having my first attempt at air layering

Any tip to produce a good layer?

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by Jamie.bonsai »

This was the image that sold me on its direction...

Ran out of wire so i couldn't position and bend th large branch into its final upright position but it comes off the trunk at almost 90° and is quite thick so should look like ok over time...

Got into bonsai for the long haul so i have plenty of time to work on my trees but so far this is my favorite Image

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by kcpoole »

Jamie.bonsai wrote:
kcpoole wrote:Not too bad at all.
I have done a little pruning for you to remove the top branches as they are going the wrong direction to the flow of the tree, and to lighten up some of the foliage pads

Ken
Virt look great! Thanks mate will definitely be saving it for reference

Could grafting the large branch in the other direction harm the whole tree if it doesn't take?



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You can bends the large first branches easy enough, I fyou do not want to remove them then IMHO i would Jin them instead :-)

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Re: Juniper procumbens

Post by GavinG »

Nice first steps - it is starting to look convincing.

If you don't mind a couple of suggestions:
- You could double the top two branches over hard, to cover the trunk just a little - it's awfully bare and open underneath them.
- The two sharp angles to the left in the trunk are great. You might like to put some sharper, closer angles further down, to harmonise with these two. The curve in the last third is a bit wide and open.
- If you look, all the curves at the moment are sitting in one flat plane sloping towards the viewer. I know I'm being picky, but if you bend the trunk forwards and backwards a bit, it will become three-dimensional, and more alive. More action, more fun.

Or you can tell me to go and get knotted, and do your own thing. Good start, please keep posting.

Gavin
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