ID specific species of juniper + styling suggestions?

martian_turf

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Got this ~8" tall specimen for thirty bucks from a nursery's bonsai section in southern CA. I know it's a juniper, but not sure if it's a shimpaku or something else, so ID would be appreciated. I haven't really touched the tree yet - cut some of the dead/dying inner branches and buds off in the top canopy + wired one of the top branches, but otherwise that's it. What direction should I take this in? I really like literati-type trees, though I'm not sure if this particular tree would be a good candidate (not sure what to do with the lower branch in particular, the right angle and side view bugs me). Should I just let it grow out over spring/summer? All suggestions and feedback appreciated.

*clarification - not keeping this inside, it's sitting out on the patio in SoCal with plenty of sunshine
 

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sorce

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The transition size differential says plant it out to grow!

Welcome to Crazy!

If keeping that long jin, style the whip with it's direction in mind.

Sorce
 

Shibui

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Looks like J. chinensis so probably one of the shimpaku varieties if not shimpaku itself. Problem is that it can be very difficult to tell one form from another unless you have them side by side for comparison.
The actual ID does not matter though because care of most junipers is so similar it will not matter.

You will always have choices for styling:
1. Grow it on for a few years to get a thicker, more impressive trunk then style something with the results - long term planning but gives many more options. smaller bonsai are actually much harder to style and to keep alive so growing it larger will be easier in the long run.
2. Style something from what you currently have - short term but limits the outcomes.

Some form of Literati is possible with what you currently have but be warned, literati is not as easy as it looks. Still trying to get a satisfactory result after 30 years of attempts.

If the 1st right angle branch offends you have 2 options.
Option 1: In the words of Tom Yamamoto 'You have ploblem? Cut him off. No more ploblem!"
Option 2: Is to wire that branch and do something so it looks better. Straight branches growing on a bendy trunk are alwasy going to look out of place. Try putting some bends in it. Right angle does not look good? bend the branch either up or down so it looks more natural or echoes the lower trunk better. I notice you have put wire further up the trunk but cannot see that you have made any adjustments with that wire. Looks a bit thin to hold any bends in that trunk anyway. Wire on bonsai is not just cosmetic. It is to adjust placement of branches or trunks so use decent wire that will allow good bends to be made.

You should try to strip the bark off the dead stump. That section is very unlikely to sprout new shoots now but can be used as dead wood which is common in juniper design. Strip all bark and treat the wood with jin fluid to preserve it.

The dead stem has some good bends. It may be a feature of this tree if you choose to keep it. If you keep it you will probably find the tree looks better with the live section echoing those bends so get some decent wire on the live stem and make appropriate bends while it is still flexible enough to do so. Bends then need to be repeated in all branches and canopy to maintain a theme through the whole tree.

Bending the live section even more could also reduce the height and give a smaller, compact bonsai if you want to avoid the styling problems of literati.
 

Esolin

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I wouldn't take anything off of this tree yet. It's probably been languishing at that nursery for a while and is weak. Also, the strength of junipers comes from their foliage mass. The smaller the amount of foliage, the less vigorous they are, and your tree doesn't have a lot to begin with, so reduce with caution!

If you want this tree to get bigger, it'll need to do some growing in a bigger pot with plenty of regular fertilizing. If you wish to keep it this size, here's what I would do. I'd use the summer to try and get it healthier. Give it some balanced fertilizer, plenty of sun, and monitor soil moisture levels to keep it damp, but not soggy. It looks like it's in garden soil under those pebbles, so it's not as free-draining as traditional bonsai soil. In the Fall, I'd repot it to freshen the soil and change the planting angle so it's less straight coming out of the soil. And I'd wire that lower branch down to make it the primary branch. I'd aim for something like the image below.

But it's your tree, so your design! Shape it however looks good to you. :)
 

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martian_turf

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thanks for the detailed feedback everyone - looks like I’ll strip the bark off the dead part of the trunk and let the tree grow out for a while in a bigger pot. also @Shibui, the wire at the top is for one of the smaller upper branches in the canopy - i intend to use a thicker wire for the trunk itself. @Esolin really digging that style and think i’ll try to achieve it! Any recommendations on the type of soil for growth? a fast-draining ~20% organic mix maybe with the fertilizer you mentioned?
 

Esolin

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thanks for the detailed feedback everyone - looks like I’ll strip the bark off the dead part of the trunk and let the tree grow out for a while in a bigger pot. also @Shibui, the wire at the top is for one of the smaller upper branches in the canopy - i intend to use a thicker wire for the trunk itself. @Esolin really digging that style and think i’ll try to achieve it! Any recommendations on the type of soil for growth? a fast-draining ~20% organic mix maybe with the fertilizer you mentioned?

I would certainly recommend adding some organics in your mix. Loose, free-draining is ideal for bonsai, as the roots don't suffocate--they need both water and oxygen to reach them. But sometimes the stardard mix can be too free-draining for a climate. You're in So Cal, yes? So am I. Here it's very arid, and Summers are hot and breezy. These three things really dry out potted plants, and the smaller the pot, the faster they dry out. Junipers can take drying out to some extent, but again, a small tree in a small pot on a scorching Santa Ana day could fry to a crisp while you're away at work all day. Game over.

Depending on your local climate and the particular place your tree spends its days, you will need to make adjustments. You can use a mix that is richer in organic, moisture-retaining components like pine bark or spagnum moss to help compensate. You can use a humidity tray. Or shade cloth, or any combination of strategies to keep it from getting cooked in the summer. I don't have auto watering, and I'm gone all day at work. All my smaller plants get afternoon shade in a wind sheltered location. And I mix some organics in with pumice and akadama to slow out the drying.

For fertilizer, organic types are safer since it's harder to burn your plant (again, small pot = less wiggle room on ratios) and plants generally do better with them long term. But you can use chemical sorts like Miracle Grow, just keep the mix very weak, or only use them occasionally to supplement organic types. Also, don't fertilize at the height of Summer or dead of Winter. Fertlizers are basically mineral salts, and a heat-stressed plant will struggle even more to get enough water if there's too much 'salt' in the soil. Could be fatal. This is why they say to never fertilize a struggling/stressed plant. And plants mostly stop growing during the coldest months, so it's kinda pointless.

Good luck with your bonsai!
 

Shibui

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Nice virt @Esolin Lowering that first branch and adding the bends is what I thought too but I would add some more bends and maybe a twist to the main trunk just to add some more interest and to echo the dead part better. remember that any trunk will tend to add more thickness on inside of curves as it grows with the effect of gradually straightening the trunk.

Have fun with this one @martian_turf
 
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