AusBonsai

got this little juniper squamata 2 years ago from my work i quite like it, even though its quite small, no big nabari or not a thick calliper but i like it.
but wondering if it needs a bit of a re-style, also pictured is a acer palmatum sago kaku (red stemed maple) any ideas about that one?
help would be appreciated guys
thanks

Looks like your maple has been grafted so I would possibly air layer just above that point, other than that it has a great trunk and the begginings to a great tree.

Hugh

the Juni is just a wee thing with not much shape or style to it really
If you like it keep it as it as use it to learn how to keep a Juni in top condition by pinching.
Any one else will tell you to stick it in the ground for a few years, but a tree this size needs abot 10 -20 to get any bulk on so use it as you can at the moment

The maple is too hard to see thru the foliage
Yep looks grafted, which ois not ideal but would it support on it own roots? Better check before Layering off. the alternative it to layer right below the roots, so the graft then gets lost in the nebari
if you wait till it loses leaves then we will be able to see the trunk and offer suggestion then on it future

Ken

Don't mean to hijack but i've been meaning to ask this for a while - what is everyone's procedure in dealing with nursery grafted plants. Do you keep them as stock plants or can you overcome the bulge over years of training?

senkaki or sango kaku can grow by its own roots.
just that it will not be as red as the grafted varieties. air layer can fix the graft problem if it is a problem. from what i c. the graft is not that obvious i would suggest to leave it. time will come u will not really see the graft union.

as already been said the juni is a bit on the small side, but here is a couple of ideas you may want to play with.
1st let the pads extend out a little. stand it up for a literati style great little tree to learn with. as for the maple, you need to select a front, select some banches and start forming the shape you desire.
as Ken said grafted stock is not desirable in bonsai, you have 2 options either live with it or airlayer above the graft but only if it can support itself on its own roots.

chris

thanks for all the help guys im not new to the plant industry, been doing it for 5 years but im new relatively new to bonsai
so all the feed back is a big help

Considering this is your '2nd' bonsai trainer, i think the maple looks great and has good potential. If it was me, I'd just live with the graft at present and learn, learn , learn. Practice wiring and shaping, clipping and seeing how the plant reactes to your attention. I'd be happy to have this as a one to get my teeth into.

Stew