To chop or not?

[Darren S]

I am thinking about chopping this juniper down and removing the cascade, I am looking for a little bit of advice as to if this is a good idea or not. I bought this tree about a year ago for $10 so it owes me nothing, as a beginner I'm just not sure the cascade adds anything to the tree. Thanks in advance
Cheers Darren

[gnichols]

I'm little more than a beginner myself but I think your pads could be a little too big in comparison to the main trunk and on your cascade there looks to be a junction with 3 branches. This looks like a great little tree to take along to a beginner's workshop for some styling advice - are you a club member anywhere? These juniper have so many options and there is no right or wrong *, as far as what style is best. I can see a cascade tree there and also an informal upright. What do you want it to be?

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[Ryceman3]

For mine the cascade looks problematic, all main branching coming from essentially the same junction several inches from the main trunk. I’d chop and use the first image you posted (or somewhere around there) as your starting point for a new front... then again I only own one juniper and it’s not a needle like this so others with more experience with these may see things a bit differently, but since you asked!

[Max]

i would take the branch (1st photo) that is touching the lip of the pot off just where it kinks off, the rest of that branch has nice movement (1st branch) and can be wired back around behind the trunk and the whole tree reassessed as a beginning

[Grant Bowie]

Excess lower branching has the effect of fattening the trunk massively; live with it for 10 or 20 years then cut it off. It will give jin and an interesting trunk line as well.

Grant

[anthonyW]

Hard to see whats going on with the tail from your images and what I can make out it looks high on the stem.....so going with the main tree, it looks very handy indeed, your first image looks like the front from what you have posted,...the trunk moving away then coming back at the top, which is ideal.

Here is maybe some direction for you, a pencil drawing....cheers

phpPO6u0QPM.jpg

phpgDtBcNPM.jpg

[gnichols]

I'm little more than a beginner myself but I think your pads could be a little too big in comparison to the main trunk and on your cascade there looks to be a junction with 3 branches. This looks like a great little tree to take along to a beginner's workshop for some styling advice - are you a club member anywhere? These juniper have so many options and there is no right or wrong *, as far as what style is best. I can see a cascade tree there and also an informal upright. What do you want it to be?

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This was probably not a great comment and Grant's comment below plus many hours spent watching Ryan (Mirai) this week makes me ask - what are you trying to do? If you want to thicken it up like Grant touches on, let it grow. If you want to style it there are options either way.

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[MJL]

Hi Darren,

I am the least experienced in this thread I reckon - so caveat emptor;buyer beware! Take what follows with a grain of salt...

Firstly, I reckon following your vision is a critical element of bonsai - if you have an idea of what design you want follow it. Based on your initial post, I think you’re after an informal upright as has been well drawn by Anthony.

Now - having said above - I am going to provide yet another idea ... I think that’s close to a definition of hypocrisy by me!

Anyway - from some of the photos it looks like you may have a reverse taper issue at the base of the trunk - not sure. If so, by removing the top and making a Jin or Shari- you may be able to remove or lesson that. Regardless - even with no reverse taper - I like the idea of a cascade but removing the top, titling the whole plant so the current trunk accentuates the cascade, pulling the top branch of the current cascade up, thinning out and wiring. Confused yet! You should be - I am such an amateur.

Here some photos of what I am trying to say.

Ok - you won’t have the movement in the trunk like this line drawing off the web - but see how it illustrates a top being made for 1/3 down the cascade....

IMG_0048.jpg

IMG_0046.jpg

IMG_0047.jpg

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[anthonyW]

Yep that works Mark

Cheat you didn t draw

Cheers Anthony

[MJL]

Ha! Yeah I can’t draw - wish I could.... somewhere near Koreshoff line drawing quality would be the aim!

You and a few others are on the way, I can’t remember .. was it Ryceman3 or some one else that ripped out a quick water colour recently? I was envious of that too!

Anyway back to the thread - Darren, part of the joy and complexity of AusBonsai and the bonsai hobby in general is the is the variety and subjectivity of views on offer. The different thoughts can be helpful and frustrating at the same time.

So it goes ... I reckon pick and commit to a style that works for you - that’s in your imagination - in this case Informal Upright or Cascade and then go from there. Enjoy the learning mate. [THUMBS UP SIGN]




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[tgward]

would a radical change in planting angle give you more options?

[Darren S]

Thank you to everyone for the advice, I will now digest it all and make a decision on the direction to go with.
Thank you to Anthony for the amazing drawing, at the start of this process that is what I had pictured in my head but couldn't possibly put on paper.

[Beano]

I don’t keep junipers but I also prefer your first image as the trunk. I think Grant is right, keep the cascading branch and let it grow untouched to fatten up the base. Then cut it off in a few years. I’d also cut off the first small Jin, as I don’t think it adds anything, and looks odd being lower on the tree but smaller than the next branch up Jin. Then aim for the idea AnthonyW has in his drawing.

[Beano]