Juniper progression...

[Qitianlong]

Hi all, slowly slowly working with this tree, taking my time as I think it has great potential, so wiring carefully and one bit at a time. Using the bonsai art of japan youtube series as a guide to branch placement and pad development, which hoping to encourage backbudding through letting more light and air in. Will keep posting pics as I go, hoping to pot up this Winter.

In the beginning...

1.jpg

Initial branch selection and removal...

2.jpg

Size reference...

3.jpg

Wiring of future jins on the RHS and upper centre...

4.jpg

In that last photo I started with the lowest pad, on the inner LHS...

5.jpg

[Qitianlong]

Just finished second pad at bottow RHS, and a little work on the pad above it...

6.jpg

The plan is to extend the main LHS pad out to that side. As I'm working from bottom up, I'm still unsure of what the apex is going to look like...

[bodhidharma]

Great stock Q.L looks like it has good movement but lacks taper up through the trunk. It is a good idea to bring some of those top branches down and jin some of the the thicker top ones. As it is a "prostrata" they get top heavy.

[Qitianlong]

Thanks Bodhidharma, yes I agree, but as usual, I've very hesitant to chop!! Gotta get braver. What's the worst that could happen???

[Nathan]

Hi QL,

Not a bad looking tree

I have noticed that you have wired your Jins in place, I find it easier to first strip the bark roughly nibble some thickness out of them then wire them, it gives a easier and better result once they have had time to dry out in place.

Cheers

[Qitianlong]

I see said the blind man... thanks Nathan, that makes a lot of sense. They are pretty stiff and hard to move. Will get on it.

[aiden.J]

It looks that a great effort is involved in this and a big time as well with a minute monitoring and a quality service.Any how lets see and wait for the growth and i hope so that you will get your result according to pre decided by you.Please let me know this Japan based formula if you could because i want to experience this too.thanks.

[Qitianlong]

Hey Aiden, mate that's what I'm aiming for, quality service.
The bonsai videos I mentioned are all linked here in another post:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8698
there are 3 things I took from that series that I am trying to apply to this tree.
1. Wire from the bottom up
2. Use back branches to fill in pads to mimic back buds
3. Try and use branches instead of just chopping them.
But then again, a few of my trees are suffering through my inability to chop...

[Qitianlong]

no the clearest pic, but spent last night working on the upper jin and wiring out the LHS big pad... now just to figure out how to handle the top...

7.jpg

any suggestions?

[Nathan]

nice work, love those Jins

[Qitianlong]

thanks Nathan! I did what you said with that upper jin, and now just have to work on the lower ones. I've just peeled the bark and thinned, no lime sulfur applied yet. Planning on refining and doing that when they've set in place... does that sound reasonable?
I was inspired by Paulneil's tree here:
viewtopic.php?f=131&t=13667&p=144031&hi ... on#p144031
and what he did with his 'dragon head' jin.

[Nathan]

Hi QL,

I usually don't lime sulphur until the Jins are set in place, I usually do three coats of Lime Sulphur over two days and then a coat of Earls wood hardener

It is looking great keep up the good work, really looking forward to seeing it when it is finished

[Qitianlong]

Ok, done for now. Will leave it until around August for its bonsai pot...
Not the best job I know, but it'll have to do!!

Front:

8.jpg

Back:

9.jpg

[Qitianlong]

by the light of day.
that small top pad on the right got a bit bent out of shape when i did the jins, so it's drooping in this shot, but has been propped up again, plus I'm not really happy with the apex, looks like a stupid ball sitting on top. I want to reduce it more, just worried about the amount of foliage already removed. So the idea at the mo is to let it grow a little, get some backbuds and cut back to them later... or not?

10.jpg

[Qitianlong]

Ok, so this tree has plagued me a little, even put it up for sale, but then decided against it after seeing Scott's work here:

viewtopic.php?f=131&t=16667

So this is the tree totally de-wired and ready for a session next week with a local bonsai legend. So this is the before pic:

11.jpg