Juniperus Fomenia

[NathanM]

Hi guys,
This is my 1st entry. It's a Juniperus Fomenia purchased on the 18/10/09 from Bonsai Northside Nursery in Morayfield, QLD. The tree is approx 8years old and has never been styled for bonsai. It cost me $29.95. I have also got a (hopefully) well suited pot for it, but I won't show that just yet.
I chose this tree becuase it has a fairly well sized trunk for waht is still quite a yojg juniper, it has some ncie aged looking bark. The trunk has some interesting movement in it, and I also like the kind of sparsity that mature foliage gets though this probably won't be displayed by end of competition.
This is the tree as I purchased on the 18/10. Picture taken yesterday, 31/10 at aprox 4pm. All I have done to the tree is give it water and some feed.

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Now I'm going out to do some stuff to it =)
Nathan

[NathanM]

So this afternoon was very productive. I repotted it into a considerably larger container and gave it it's intial styling.

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I found thee weird knobbly bits on one of the branhes, anyone know waht they are?

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[NathanM]

I was wandering about more movement in the trunk. It's pretty solid though lol.
It looked like it had more movement when it had more foliage. Very deceptive haha
The three larger branches down low (well two low and the one the other thick one on the left) are potential jins. I won't keep them all, but one or two of them. Just haven't decided which one/s yet. No hurry for that.

[Pup]

Nathan the trunk is OK but you need to lose some of the branches.
Good luck Pup

[NathanM]

Thanks Pup =)
I do agree. The three largish branches lower on the trunk are all on the chopping block. Just thinking at present could make some nice jin. I've pretty much decide the one on the lower right hand side looking at thetree will go. It's too far down even to be a jin, I think.
I'll also probaly get rid of the tiny, tiny branch on the back of the tree. I just wasn't sure if it could be useful.

[NathanM]

nice stock mate, looks like ya gonna need some raffia and some 5-6mm wire for this puppies trunk

look forward to seeing what ya do. remember to try and slant the tree and look at it from all angles before doing anything to it. pick a nice line or envisiage a nice line from a chosen side and sketch it out if you have to


jamie

Man, I didn't even see this post until now?!?! Do you think the trunk will bend? Even with wire that thick?

[Jamie]

take a look at some of anttal's posts on junipers. wrap the trunk in cotton bandage, then run three 6mm wires up the length of the trunk, wrap in raffia, then wrap in wire, will bend.

trunk benders you can buy off ebay work wonders too

jamie

[stymie]

I see possibilities here. Time will tell.

[NathanM]

I see possibilities here. Time will tell.

So do I, but the problem will be whether I have the knowledge/skill to make it happen!
Guidance and ideas welcome and appreciated from those with more experience than me =)

[stymie]

Try to use a plain background with any subsequent photos Nathan. It will make it easier all round.

[NathanM]

Will do. I pulled the curtain behind the glass in hope that it would work well for a background, but the reflections in the glass were alot worse than i expected =/

[anttal63]

design is the issue not bending here. once you find its rythm it will bend to it. trace the sillouette of your existing trunkline with all the exit points of your branches that you have there. then print a bunch out. perhaps do this with more than one front if your not sure on a front yet. this becomes your template to change. then take your prints with your tree in front of you. begin to study the natural movement of the trunk. start to imagine where to add more bend and direction according to where it already moves. as you are doing this, draw it over the template and move the branch exit points with the new trunk line. when you come up with somthing you like white out the old lines. now you can play with angles of lean, you may need to alter something. again make sure it works with the naural flow of the tree. when a design works for you, think about what would cause this trunkline in nature then style the foliage to reflect that. i hope this is of help good luck nath. i'll be around.