My (first) Sargent Juniper styled

[dannik]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and am excited to show my first attempt at styling my Sargent Juniper.

Will also be good to show the progression on this in the years to come and gather feedback on how it may progress (style wise).

This is how it looked when first purchased

Juniper Front.jpg

After wiring and pruning (front)

sargent front.jpg

(Left)

sargent left.jpg

(Rear)

sargent rear.jpg

(Right)

sargent right.jpg

(Top)

sargent top.jpg

I think next will be to put it in a pot, but not sure on timing just yet and whether I should allow the tree to further develop.

[Mbunro]

nice, but im unsure about that bottom left branch.. its a bit over developed compared to the rest of the tree, but i would leave it as a sacrifice branch to thicken the base from that point down, and maybe try but some movement in it so it can be used as a future jin.

Also i would probably refine the top a little bit too. Im thinking bending the top to the right so the current 4th branch up on the left becomes your leader and the shoots to the right of that become another branch to the right...


heres a crude virt to help you visualize what im saying.

Tree has a nice future nebari, and i really like what you've done so far.
Bryce

edit: just realized i accidentally deleted your current 3rd branch up on the left, so just try and picture that slotted in between the left branch and leader, and extending towards the back of the tree..

[benbonsai]

I agree with mbunro about the lower left branch. It hangs out too far.

[dannik]

After looking at your virtual I started to think about how I might better utilise the more mature branch (reasoning is that this is one of the features of the tree that made me pick it).

I decided to bring down the third branch on the left of the tree so that it might grow out and balance that area (the aim of this is to keep control of that mature branch and start developing the surrounding branches to suit as well as develop the apex/top of the tree).

If it doesn't work out, I can always prune back the mature branch and develop the ones above.

Thoughts?

sargentfront1.jpg

These are two of the branches I brought down to start developing side branches.

sargentfront11.jpg

Another reason as to why I didn't want to get rid of the first branch is due to it having some great ramification already in place (could possible do with some cleanup)

sargenttop.jpg

[Daluke]

Not a bad effort for your first Juniper.

I see great potential in the tree.

I'd be yanking the branches down more - just to help make them look more weathered.

I see the future in your tree looking something like this (the white are what I'd remove eventually.

Less is more kind of thing.

I look forward to your updates.

[dannik]

Some of the branches I'm worried of pulling down too far (may break).

Can they pulled down further gradually, say in a 2-3 months I use the guy wire to pull them down more?

Thanks for the kind words so far!

[dansai]

Should be no problem bringing down more either now or in a few weeks. No need to remove the lower branches now even if that's the way you decide to go. They will help thicken the lower trunk and give you something to play with and understand the techniques to use and how the tree responds.. Your tree, your skills and your eye will change and develop over time. This is the joy of bonsai.

Most of all, enjoy!

[shibui]

Guy wires work fine in bringing branches directly down but they cannot put any other movement into the branch. Branches should have 3d movement - up/down, side to side to match the trunk and look a bit natural.

Some of the branches I'm worried of pulling down too far (may break).

Anything your guy wire can do safely, proper wiring can do much more safely and better.

[kcpoole]

Guy wires work fine in bringing branches directly down but they cannot put any other movement into the branch. Branches should have 3d movement - up/down, side to side to match the trunk and look a bit natural.

Some of the branches I'm worried of pulling down too far (may break).

Anything your guy wire can do safely, proper wiring can do much more safely and better.

x2
if 15 years of Bonsai, I have only ever used Guy wires once and that was to pull a single very large branch on my Pin oak down. ( i had no other option to Anchor the wire to).

Ken

[dannik]

The branches did feel quite rigid, as a beginner I didn't feel quite comfortable utilising just wire to get the movement I needed.

That said, I do want to get some more movement in those branches and will hope to use branch wiring to do so in the future.

[Jarad]

I would recommend getting another one that you can use as an experimental tree.

Wire it up and bend it till you heard little cracks, even bend it till you hear the branch snap. That way when you work on your main tree you'll know what to listen and feel for. When you do snap branches, see what happens when you apply cut paste to seal it up. I pulled off a very thin branch a few months ago and there was on 5mm of cambium hanging on. I wired it to keep it stable, and the branch is still growing.

[Boics]

Super glue can also be your friend if things go completely snap.
Be sure to align the live cambium veins though.