My little tree...

[ardiel]

I never realized how small my bonsai is until just now. When it is outside on the table it seems way bigger than it actually is. I guess that's the point though isn't it?

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[M. Frary]

It sure is. They are supposed to give you the feeling of age and the illusion of size in one small package.

 

[jk_lewis]

I suggest you get some wire and put a nice backwards bend in the trunk while you still can.

 

[ardiel]

I suggest you get some wire and put a nice backwards bend in the trunk while you still can.

I thought about it but I don't think I'm that committed yet. This was somebody else's whim they got for me and at this point my main interest is keeping it alive.

If I get into it enough to start getting more trees I might try some wiring but I'm not about to snap this tree, even if it turns out looking bad.

 

[JoeR]

I had one like this.

Your best option is to attach a nice simple piece of tanuki, work on branch definition, and add movement to the one long cascading branch.

 

[jk_lewis]

I had one like this.

Your best option is to attach a nice simple piece of tanuki, work on branch definition, and add movement to the one long cascading branch.

I suspect the OP is totally new to bonsai. As such, your suggestions will be total Greek to her/him.

 

[JoeR]

I suspect the OP is totally new to bonsai. As such, your suggestions will be total Greek to her/him.

I'm sure it does.

But I figured it would lead him to actually Google it and Google can explain those things much better than a short paragraph from me. I'm a newb myself and that's how I learned.

 

[ardiel]

I'm sure it does.

But I figured it would lead him to actually Google it and Google can explain those things much better than a short paragraph from me. I'm a newb myself and that's how I learned.

I did look it up. That seems doable. I planned to let that branch keep going already. I read that "everyone does cascade" or something like that but I'm not concerned with making perfect art just yet since I don't even know what I'm doing.

When I understand the tree I'll decide what I want to do (or start another one)

 

[Vance Wood]

The impression I get is that you are not particularly interested in bonsai in general and only marginally in this tree. Unless you don't mind watching it die I would find someone who is interested and give it away while it's still alive.

 

[ardiel]

The impression I get is that you are not particularly interested in bonsai in general and only marginally in this tree. Unless you don't mind watching it die I would find someone who is interested and give it away while it's still alive.

On the contrary I fret about this tree and keeping it alive quite a lot.

I'm just not ready for adding fancy curves and all that yet. Unless it actually does something to keep the tree alive. If I try to shape this tree and I snap it in half that would be really disappointing.

 

[ardiel]

I'm just going to go ahead and say this.
Since we're talking about impressions... What you said to me comes across presumptuous, elite and jaded and is really offputting to me. I was a bit of a fan of yours. I'm assuming you're the Vance Wood from YouTube and I enjoyed many of your videos. Let's not change that shall we?

If I seem not interested then it's a misunderstanding. I'm very interested. I'm also incredibly modest about my abilities and what I presume to know (which is nothing) and I also don't want to injure my only tree. I don't have 100 bonsai in my back yard to play with and say "oops" when I kill one or two now and then.

The idea of bending my tree and accidentally breaking it makes me feel sick inside. I need to warm up to that and maybe try wiring branches first. I just can't do the trunk as suggested. It's not that I'm not interested in the advice, it's that I don't know what I'm doing and if I do something clumsy I will be devastated.

 

[Ross]

Don't worry about trying to style this tree too much, just keep it outdoors and alive and you can get more trees to play with later. It looks cool as it is, and if you can sit back and enjoy it then mission accomplished. I wish I hadn't totally hacked and bent up my first bonsai juniper, because it predictably died. If I still had it next to my other trees, I bet I'd still enjoy it and it would serve as a reminder of how far I've come since then.

 

[Vance Wood]

Don't worry about trying to style this tree too much, just keep it outdoors and alive and you can get more trees to play with later. It looks cool as it is, and if you can sit back and enjoy it then mission accomplished. I wish I hadn't totally hacked and bent up my first bonsai juniper, because it predictably died. If I still had it next to my other trees, I bet I'd still enjoy it and it would serve as a reminder of how far I've come since then.

I'm just going to go ahead and say this.
Since we're talking about impressions... What you said to me comes across presumptuous, elite and jaded and is really offputting to me. I was a bit of a fan of yours. I'm assuming you're the Vance Wood from YouTube and I enjoyed many of your videos. Let's not change that shall we?

If I seem not interested then it's a misunderstanding. I'm very interested. I'm also incredibly modest about my abilities and what I presume to know (which is nothing) and I also don't want to injure my only tree. I don't have 100 bonsai in my back yard to play with and say "oops" when I kill one or two now and then.

The idea of bending my tree and accidentally breaking it makes me feel sick inside. I need to warm up to that and maybe try wiring branches first. I just can't do the trunk as suggested. It's not that I'm not interested in the advice, it's that I don't know what I'm doing and if I do something clumsy I will be devastated.

I have told people that I am honest to a fault and I was only responding to the impression this sentence left with me: This was somebody else's whim they got for me and at this point my main interest is keeping it alive. There is one unchangeable fact: You cannot learn to do anything if you don't take the first step, you don't take chances. I again make a presumption that the tree was a gift? You should get that individual involved in the process.

If I misunderstood your intention I apologize. At any rate at some point you are going to have to make the hard decision to do something with it even though keeping it alive is a good place to start. Yes I was presumptious but, when you ask for advise and opinion you get presumption.

 

[ardiel]

I have told people that I am honest to a fault and I was only responding to the impression this sentence left with me: This was somebody else's whim they got for me and at this point my main interest is keeping it alive.

If I misunderstood your intention I apologize. At any rate at some point you are going to have to make the hard decision to do something with it even though keeping it alive is a good place to start. Yes I was presumptious but, when you ask for advise and opinion you get presumption.

Thank you. I respect that. I'm glad this didn't fester.

I'm not sure yet how to approach this forum or culture so please forgive my ignorance. I'm sorry if I've been so flippant that you found it hard to take me seriously but I was mostly just downplaying things a bit.

Frankly needing to do something eventually is a big concern for me. That's why I call it someone else's whim - I wanted to get into bonsai but I wasn't comfortable with it (didn't have good workspace, no place to display, had to improvise a place for it to live safely, no tools, no knowledge...) so really I got thrown into the lake and I have to learn to swim. This worries me a bit, but I'm for sure willing to learn. So I apologize for any misunderstanding.

 

[Ross]

All you really need is a sunny spot in the yard and the dedication to never let it dry out. Give it all the sun possible, and water the hell out of in the summer. Don't keep it indoors.

 

[sorce]

Lao Tzu — 'The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.'

 

[Bolero]

Here is a very straight forward way to begin working your very nice Juniper Nana...
1st, Take a regular eating fork and poke around your Juniper to loosen t up in the soil/pot.
2nd, Take a tablespoon and get under your Juniper, go down until you hit the pot bottom.
3rd, Lift slightly and tilt the Juniper until the trunk is at straight vertical not slanted.
4th, Withdraw spoon and tamp soil down to firm up the Juniper in the pot.
5th, Google Juniper pruning and observe the looks of a typical Juniper Nana.

Where are you at in Michigan ???

 

[M. Frary]

I stake these upright. Jam a stake in the soil ,lash the trunk and bend it upright. It gives you movement in the trunk and also will give to a taller tree to work with.
This is one that looked like yours when I bought it. This is it 2 years later.

 

[ardiel]

Here is a very straight forward way to begin working your very nice Juniper Nana...
1st, Take a regular eating fork and poke around your Juniper to loosen t up in the soil/pot.
2nd, Take a tablespoon and get under your Juniper, go down until you hit the pot bottom.
3rd, Lift slightly and tilt the Juniper until the trunk is at straight vertical not slanted.
4th, Withdraw spoon and tamp soil down to firm up the Juniper in the pot.
5th, Google Juniper pruning and observe the looks of a typical Juniper Nana.

Where are you at in Michigan ???

I stake these upright. Jam a stake in the soil ,lash the trunk and bend it upright. It gives you movement in the trunk and also will give to a taller tree to work with.
This is one that looked like yours when I bought it. This is it 2 years later.

I'm in Taylor.

Thanks for the suggestions. I tested it a bit to see how much give it has and I think I could be comfortable with a combination of these two methods. Maybe loosen a little and stake.

Could this also be solved with some trickery when I eventually repot it as well?

 

[jk_lewis]

I have told people that I am honest to a fault and I was only responding to the impression this sentence left with me: This was somebody else's whim they got for me and at this point my main interest is keeping it alive. There is one unchangeable fact: You cannot learn to do anything if you don't take the first step, you don't take chances. I again make a presumption that the tree was a gift? You should get that individual involved in the process.

I hope you take this to heart, Ardiel. It is very true. You are not doing bonsai if your just "keep it alive." You have a houseplant or a potted plant. Period. African violets would do as well.

If you stay with bonsai, you WILL kill plants. That's part of how you learn -- a big part. And it's NOT a big deal -- not until you lose a tree you have put 20 years into, at least.

When I suggested putting a curve into the trunk, it was just that -- a curve. NOT a sharp bend; something that would give you more than that very ugly straight trunk that you could lay a ruler against.

Vance and I are both gruff old b======s; we seldom intend to offend, but sometimes we do. Between us we've been doing bonsai for an eon or two.