juniper styling advice please

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Pat3222
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juniper styling advice please

Post by Pat3222 »

Howdy, hoping for suggestions for this one. Was purchased as pre bonsai for $20 two years ago and sat in it's pot practically untouched ever since. Not sure what kind, guessing needle juniper. It developed a lot of shale foliage which I have recently trimmed off. Most junipers seem to have the branches wired down, though with not much interior foliage and current length of the branches is that still the best option here? Cheers
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63pmp
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Re: juniper styling advice please

Post by 63pmp »

Yes, Ithink you should bring the branches down and try and get some movement in the branches closer to the trunk. I would probably take even more foliage out of it so the structure is more visible There appears to be a few vertical minor branches which may require removing. I'm not familiar with that cultivar, but junipers can throw out a new branch on old wood if they are vigorous, which may be handy on the lowest branch.

Branch's look really unrefined, they lack training. Perhaps the old trick off focusing on one branch by covering the others in cloth bags will help in developing the structure. You can then focus on minor branch position and foliage balance, removing cross branches double branches etc.

Nice tree with some potential, have fun with it.
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Akhi
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Re: juniper styling advice please

Post by Akhi »

That’s a nice looking tree already, I like the curvy trunk line. It’s spring so the buds are shooting out like crazy.
The spread of the tree is disproportionate to the girth of the trunk from the pics you posted, so think you need to shorten the length of the branches. Heard junipers don’t bud from bare wood so retain some active growth if you shorten the branches.
Next up I think you need to put some movement in the trunks with some wire or at least tie them down.
Once that’s done, and depending on how much green growth you have left, you might want to start pinching the terminal buds so that the branch lets become dense.
And don’t forget the fertilizer, I hadn’t fertilized mine for a while and they sulked.
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Pat3222
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Re: juniper styling advice please

Post by Pat3222 »

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm will get some basic shape into the primary branches whuch have never been wired and leave the foliage for now to build some strength for what's to come. Cheers
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