Juniper Squamata - Thining out

[Steve Warren]

I was given this little squamata for my birthday. When I first got it the canopy was one large mass of green. I very quickly removed enough needle to expose the two main branches. Now that the weather has warmed a little, I decided to do a much heavier prune on it. This is the first time I have done any major pruning on a juniper, so if anyone can see an error in may ways or can make a suggestion that you think will improve my little tree, please dont hesitate to tell me. I am always open for critisism.

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Please fell free to suggest ways I could improve on what I have done.

Regards
Steve Warren

[Handy Mick]

I think you have done a good job there Steve, if anything you still could remove a little more but mot past the green I would put some exaggerated movement in those branches on the right also.

Regards
Mick

[Hackimoto]

Hi Steve, If it were mine I would cut out the top right hand branch, to make the apex smaller, directly under that is a sub branch sticking up, wire that down flatter and tilt the whole tree slightly to the right so that those foliage pads are more horizontal.

[Tony Bebb]

I agree with Hack. I would also shorten the branches on the right side by 1/3 or so to reduce the width and give the trunk more power.

Great job of thinning on your first Juniper work. It is good to keep them open along the primary branch with the foliage on the secondary and tertiary branching.

Tony

[Steve Warren]

Thanks Fellas for the ideas. I did want to reduce both branches furher initially, but was a little reluctant. I am going to grow some kahoona's this week and take that 30% off you have suggested. I will repost some pics when done.

Thanks again

Steve Warren

[GavinG]

Just before you do cut...

I'm just wondering if there's something you could do with the length of the low right branch. Maybe a sharp downward angle at a quarter of it's length, and some more sharp angles further along. I don't know where you go from there, but in my experience of being indecisive for far too long, once you've done one major branch-bend, then you can see where the next needs to go - you can't see the whole picture from the beginning. You'd maybe compress the top down, and shorten and complicate the top right hand branch. Having both of them long, flat and parallel doesn't give your eyes enough to do.

I understand why the other eminent gents want to reduce the right side branches, but for me they're big, they need length - now you have to work out what to do with them to match the kind of movement in the trunk.

There is also the possibility (although it's drastic) of losing the top of the tree completely, and using the low right branch as the trunk. With some more bends added.

Never cut anything because anyone tells you to. Never cut anything because you think you "should". Wait till you can see what it's going to do, and why it looks better that way. Sometimes you can get an idea by holding a piece of paper over the bit you're going to cut off, to see what it looks like when it's gone.

Nice thinning out by the way - that's what you need to do to find out what the bones of the tree are doing. Best of luck.

Gavin

[MattA]

Hey Steve,
I like where you are taking this one, the long branching on the right balances the shorter left side in my view. Heres a quick virt using Hack & Tony's suggested shortening...

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Rather than shortening I would follow Gavins advice of getting a few bends in, this will help to reduce the width but also start putting movement into the branches to match the trunk.
Matt