Shimpaku styling

[Bonsai Forest]

Actually, might be better if you wire before it warms up too much. The warmer it gets, the more active the tree becomes and the more sap is flowing which makes bending not only harder, but more likely to damage tissue. Colder weather (above freezing) can be an excellent time to wire stuff.

well said

 

[Bonsai Forest]

I have started wiring the pads down and know how to do it...I've only done the first few branches so far. I was planning on getting to the upper branches as soon as it warms up here in Maine...

Nice! You can do this! We’re here rooting for you

 

[schoolpizza]

It doesn't need any of that. What it needs is a good thinning and reconsideration of some of the branching. The lowest branch, for instance, is unappealing because it it far too long and has foliage and branching only at the end. It should be a jin. The branch above it, on the inside of the trunk bend needs to be either removed or made into a thinner jin, as well. The upper right branching near the trop, which should be a lateral branch, has become part of the apex. It blurs the apex of the tree visually. That needs some correction as well.

The remaining tree needs to be "pushed back" with knowledgeable pruning and foliage reduction to induce tighter growth further back towards the trunk. That can take a while. Current thinking on shimpaku and junipers avoids pinching new growth in favor of pruning. Read up on how that works.

Overall, this tree (like many established bonsai) has been allowed to grow too long. That happens because of reluctance to take action on extension growth. It snowballs--been there, done that.

"It doesnt need any of that it just needs some of that."

 

[Bonsai Forest]

"It doesnt need any of that it just needs some of that."

If a statement is in quotations, that means you’re citing something rockm said. The issue is that rockm did not make that statement.

 

[schoolpizza]

I don't wish to derail this advice thread I was merely pointing out the unintended irony of rockm's comment.

Good luck with your literati juniper, Shamino.

 

[Shamino]

Actually, might be better if you wire before it warms up too much. The warmer it gets, the more active the tree becomes and the more sap is flowing which makes bending not only harder, but more likely to damage tissue. Colder weather (above freezing) can be an excellent time to wire stuff.

 

[rockm]

I don't wish to derail this advice thread I was merely pointing out the unintended irony of rockm's comment.

Good luck with your literati juniper, Shamino.

Oh puhleeze, If your read in detail with some thought, you will see I did NOT recommend most anything you did, didn't mention trunk thickening, chopping, branch thickening, new soil, creating a new apex or the general approach you outlined in your response.

About the only thing I mentioned was total foliage reduction of 50 percent, OR MORE, but not the all at once way you suggested..

 

[schoolpizza]

Oh puhleeze, If your read in detail with some thought, you will see I did NOT recommend most anything you did, didn't mention trunk thickening, chopping, branch thickening, new soil, creating a new apex or the general approach you outlined in your response.

About the only thing I mentioned was total foliage reduction of 50 percent, OR MORE, but not the all at once way you suggested..

I only provided three options, and one of them was "smaller branches cultivated to give it realistic scale". You gave a great primer on how to do exactly that, so thank you

 

[bwaynef]

I cosign (if he'll let me) everything rockm suggested. Remove that low branch on the left because its too low, the one above it because its inside a curve, and the 2nd on the right because its inside a curve (and possibly a bar branch as well). Then wire everything down.

Once you have branches laid out and down, remove growth hanging downward from branches. With this one being leggy, I'd keep strong crotch growth to cut back to eventually. Clean up the weak foliage next to crotches. Once you've cleaned properly, lay out pads. You're going to lose volume here, but that will allow in a ton more light, and with the branches wired down, you should begin to see backbudding either along the branches or in the crotch.

 

[Shamino]

I cosign (if he'll let me) everything rockm suggested. Remove that low branch on the left because its too low, the one above it because its inside a curve, and the 2nd on the right because its inside a curve (and possibly a bar branch as well). Then wire everything down.

Once you have branches laid out and down, remove growth hanging downward from branches. With this one being leggy, I'd keep strong crotch growth to cut back to eventually. Clean up the weak foliage next to crotches. Once you've cleaned properly, lay out pads. You're going to lose volume here, but that will allow in a ton more light, and with the branches wired down, you should begin to see backbudding either along the branches or in the crotch.

Very good. I'm seeing quite a bit of back budding in the crotches...