30 year nursery procumbins

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Hi Yall,

Old to Arbourculture but new to bonsai. I recently purchased an estimated 30 year old Procumbans nana that had been trained into an upright multiple poodle "technical tearm". It was way overgrown with new runners 2 to 3 feet long outside the poodle tufts. I just saw the potential and had to buy it for 70 bucks. After 12 hours of work I have it shaped into a sort of windsweep, literati, informal upright (High Sierra eagles nest). It is late november and I think for the health of the tree I should wait till spring to do any more work on the foliage. I have already removed 60% and created some small jin's and some wiring. The foliage needs drastic thinning and chasing back to old wood. I would like to start this work for ramification, no pinching but heading back to interior leaders to create fine branch structure and no poodles. My question: Can I finish styling now(fine foliage work and some more jin) or should I let the tree chill out untill spring. I am leaving it in its 25 gal can for another year but I am all out of dough to buy another and am all out of trees to work on for a while and am itching to move scissors. I love working on trees!
 

Bill S

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I vote to wait Marc, get some Gold Bond, itchy and Bonsai don't go together well;)
 
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What is Gold Bond, does it taste good?

It's probably good to wait, however does it really matter when you do severe pruning after dormancy has set in other than open wounds lasting longer? The energy should all be in the roots after dormancy and the leaves are no longer pumping energy down there for the spring bust out?? Has anyone tried this with any effect on next seasons vigor in relation to doing it in a few more months. Also, I have been doing alot of reasearch on pinching vs. thinning and heading back to interior growth so as to not create an ever rising poodle pad. In the landscape we just cut them back but in bonsai it needs to look like a tree. I read a post from Brent from Evergreen Garden Works on this and it makes complete sense. When I work on a residential Monterey Cypress I would never consider a top and shape but rather a heading back to interior growth, much more natural growback. I hear there is an article with pictures on this somewhere out there for junipers and wanted to know if anyone can link me to it, been looking. Everytime I have tried evenly pinching pads in the past the shoots have grown back most unevenly like their is some kind of apical dominance hierarchy that seem random with each shoot and not just from the tip back to the base of the main branch.
 

grouper52

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I vote to wait Marc, get some Gold Bond, itchy and Bonsai don't go together well;)
:D :D :D Great quote, Bill!
I was at a workshop at Brussels one day, a woman in the audience said to the teacher, as he expained some long-term technique, "You must be a very patient man to do bonsai!", to which he replied, "I'm not patient at all - but I have learned to wait." :)
 

Dav4

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Marc, you need to move out to Northeast with Bill and I. Our trees are frozen solid for 3-4 months every winter and we're forced to twiddle our thumbs until spring. Seriously, though, I think you folks in warmer climates can get away with being more aggressive with junipers as they never completely go dormant. I'd definitely take this with a grain of salt until someone from your neck of the woods chimes in. Some before and after pics would help, too, if available.

Dave
 

Rick Moquin

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Can I finish styling now(fine foliage work and some more jin)

NO!

or should I let the tree chill out untill spring. I am leaving it in its 25 gal can for another year but I am all out of dough to buy another and am all out of trees to work on for a while and am itching to move scissors. I love working on trees!

IMO the only itching that should require scratching at this point in time is your intellect. IMHO you need to arm yourself with as much literature as you can possibly muster during this period of inactivity and learn as much as you can before attacking another tree. If this does not aid in relieving the habit, start taking long, long walks. Should the latter fail in quenching your thirst for scissors, go around the block another ten times, or until you no longer have the energy to lift those pruners. If you are not a patient man, then chose another hobby, because Goldbond is anything but BONSAI
 
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I really do have some patience, most of my trees are growing out in nursery pots. I just needed something new to do, but your right, it is the wrong time of year to do any more, Perhaps I have done to much already on "Eagles Nest". All of my friends have been dropping like flies from massive red tide illness so no surfing either. When birds start dying you know its time to stay out of the water. I guess I'll do some goldbond. Can you smoke it? Is it better than drinking?

By the way, I am so stoked on this tree, i'll take some pics when I can get a Digital camera.
 

Bill S

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FMM I have a better picture now, type A persona(not that theres anything wrong with that), I understand the itchy better now. Dude Gold Bond is a medicated talcum powder( gets rid of some of those summer time itchy's):D
Sorry but I think you'd have to snort it.

I was thinking too about what DAv4 said , I'm not changing my mind, but there is some credence to what he says, if you can get a dvice from a local. There are plenty of your neighbors so to speak that check in here. You should get sound advice for your micro climate whenever possible.

Sometimes I forget that not everyone lives in Gods * country - *keep forgetting to put in the damned foresaken winter part, your are soooo lucky. Although Iv'e been in Cal. a few times, and it really makes me appreciate our four seasons, brown just don't seem right.:D
 
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Yes, white is better if your going to have a winter. If I have to put on a jacket anyway that is. It's a good idea to give it a rest anyway and spend some more time with the woman, she gets very jealous over my tree's.
 
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