AusBonsai

gerald randall wrote:

This is strange advice, but once a year and especially if the plant is suffering, we spray the plant with dish washing liquid. All over, but try not to get any on the soil. We have a local brand which has been used by horticulturists and nurseries for decades. A well diluted mix. What it does is clear out any bugs the tree may have. It seals the foliage with a thin layer of oil which keeps other bugs away, but also seals the tree from excessive evaporation. We have noticed a marked difference since we have used this.

I used oil on this species once. It smothered the glaucus covering turing it dark green for a season so I don'y use oil anymore. Soap is a good idea though.

PaulC wrote:Hi Treeman,

Something like this perhaps ?

Regards,

Paul

I have thought about tackling the main branch but if I do I think I will remove it completely leaving a short jin.

Treeman

I have not heard of using oil. What the dishwashing liquid also does is bring out the colour, so a struggling tree looks better to start off with. What nurseries often used this for is to wring out a rag in the mixture and wipe large leaves of plans which are kept indoors. Removes excess grit and grime and the oil residue brings out the colour. I would not use any oils, this dishwashing liquid has been used and proved to work. In fact my gran, who was an avid horticulturist used it as far back as 4 decades ago. She probably used it before then, but I can't recall.

Another option is Wiltpruf, which is a silicon base. It however does not clear out unwanted bugs, it merely seals to prevent evaporation.

You have so many years of bonsai experience, I am sure you will pull this one through its struggle.

Hi Gerald,
What's actually in this dish washing liquid and what sort of dilution ratio, please? Most interested as opposed to using chemicals! Do you know if it has comparable product ie off the shelf. Junis being foliate feeders could one mix it with a liquid fert like Powerfeed?
Cheers Rod

I don't believe that advise was ever requested but fwiw.
I'd keep the height and refine the current shape/style.
Sure the options discussed are idyllic but I prefer those that don't conform to the norm.
Ps. Lovely tree!

Treeman
Your tree has great potential. Love Paul C's pic 1. Give it lots TLC. Lovely tree
Cheers Rod

ps. Boics: fwiw???
Information and data from whatever source is most important and beneficial. So long as it is positive

Update.
Much healthier now! A new pot, tilted up, jinned lower branches etc. I'm happy with the progress so far.

Hi Guys
Treeman that juniper looks good , I'm glad you didn't cut it back and decided to keep the height and the low branch . If you were to change it at all i agree with you that a bunjin would also look good. Gerald what dish liquid is it that you use or is any brand ok
regards
peterb

Tree is looking good. One thing bugs me, and that's the balance between the apex and the cascading branch. Not sure what I'd do about it though. Seems to pull my eye two ways.

Gerald is probably referring to Sunlight dishwashing liquid. It's probably the most used brand here. As I understand it, bugs rely on a waxy layer to ensure water boes not smother their ability to breath through their exoskeleton. The dishwasher liquid would teak down the surface tension and therefore the water would suffocate the bugs. We often pop in a bit with a contact poison as well to perform the same function of getting the poison past the waxy layer.

As far as dilution goes, I'd use a tablespoon or perhaps a bit less in a litre. Gerald can give us his ratios.

Ps: Gerald, hope you are well mate.

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew Legg wrote:

Tree is looking good. One thing bugs me, and that's the balance between the apex and the cascading branch. Not sure what I'd do about it though. Seems to pull my eye two ways.

I can understand what you mean. Looking at the pic it can seem that way but in the flesh it doesn't.
If you look closely you can see that the main branch comes away from the trunk at the same angle as the other branches(on the right side). At the moment, it has that nice floating quality which is desirable in the bunjin types. I have thought many times about removing the branch but I think it will have to wait.

Mike,

When I was in Omiya at one of the nurseries, I was shown a very very old pine. Probably about 3 or 4 hundred years in training. It was . It had an odd low branch which breaks the rules. I was asked for an opinion. Nothing like being put on the spot!!!!! There was a massive smile on the old master's face when I said that I'd cut it off if it were not so old and beautiful! I could see he was angling and that I'd given the right answer. Happiness is. But, happiness is even greater when one gains a shift in perspective, particularly a shift away from convention and the blasted rules. Bonsai is an art, but this kind of aesthetic conundrum illustrates that it's not only about art. Sometimes it's just as simple as being about an appreciation for something that we enjoy, or something that's been around longer than us!

Cheerio,

Andrew