California juniper in the (almost) tropics

California juniper is native to zone 11. It lives well south in Baja California as well as Isla Cedrus and Isla Guadalupe - both zone 11. It's native range extends as far north as Redding, but does not really stray to much colder zones than 8b. It's the warmest climate native juniper species I know. Houston is 9A/9B, so we're in an ok zone as far as temps go. Humidity is different here and a question mark, but I've had one in Houston for 3 summers now and it's been growing well.



Repotted this year. It's flowering and I've had no dieback so far. Changed the angle a bit. It it grows well the year, I'll wire it out next January.

Scott

its nice, but kind of an experiment tree. I decided to take the plunge with some better quality material.



Nice tree. It's 16" across at the base with some great movement.

Scott

The tree was planted in a mix of native field soil and unseived decomposed granite. It was collected about two years ago. Without moving the tree, I pulled off the front board and bare-rooted the front 1/2 of the tree. Back 1/2 was undisturbed.



Scott

Are you doing one of those repot-half-like-a-pine things?
You got lots-o-roots. Good to go man. They are beasts.

Smoke said:

Are you doing one of those repot-half-like-a-pine things?
You got lots-o-roots. Good to go man. They are beasts.

Click to expand...

Are you suggesting I bare root the whole thing?

Scott

If you already covered it I wouldn't disturb it now. Just not worth it. I have no experience with Texas. But it looks like it would go for a full repot for sure. You got a good amount of roots for the limited top. It should grow like crazy this year. I already have shoots almost an inch long on mine. Full Spring mode now...

Nice trees, did you reduce the box size/soil volume when you repacked the bare root side?

wireme said:

Nice trees, did you reduce the box size/soil volume when you repacked the bare root side?

Click to expand...

I reduce it some by placing pieces of wood across the corners.

Scott

Wow! You have a blank canvas for some heavy carving with all that dead wood! See if Kimura wants to fly to Texas with his chainsaw one weekend to work on the second one with you!

Cool trees!

End of the 4th summer, before styling:



This is the back.

Scott

During and after styling at a workshop with Matt Reel:



Great guy to work with.

Scott

Here is the front before the first styling.



Scott

I just now saw the kickstand!

I don't think you bent the trunk.
But it looks way better now.
Less straight. More grace.

Don't know how!

But I like it!

Sorce

M. Frary said:

I just now saw the kickstand!

Click to expand...

Still trying to decide if the kickstand is part of the final design - perhaps if I could find a Masakuni kickstand I will keep it.

sorce said:

I don't think you bent the trunk.
But it looks way better now.
Less straight. More grace.

Don't know how!

But I like it!

Sorce

Click to expand...

Thanks - and you're right. There's no bending that trunk. It's about four inches wide and mostly deadwood. Matt and I discussed styling choices and I completely wired out and rough styled the tree. Matt helped me fine tune the branch positions and we worked the deadwood together.

A key decision we had to make was what to do with the second apex (it's still there - just covered with a towel on the final shot). First thought was to jin it - I would have lost most of the visible live vein with that choice. Second thought was to grind out the deadwood, split the live vein and bend it - sounded fun, but a lot of work and I didn't need the branches to complete the design still an option, though. Third thought (and the one I've decided on for now) is to cut back to a lower branch, jin the top back apex and reduce the deadwood so it doesn't compete with the top. Lower branches are there, but to weak to carry that vein. Safer to reduce the foliage gradually and strengthen the lower branches before cutting back.

Scott

Looks better in the picture without the flash.



And here are a couple of pictures of the back apex, the lower branch I will jin back to, and the live vein that foliage supports I would lose if it was jinned entirely.



Scott

Lost one branch I wired in the initial styling. Always good to leave a backup on a big bend. Today I finished cleanup and some of the detailed wiring.

Scott

Wow that sucks I was just thinking that front lower branch would need to go but know I think you need it

jriddell88 said:

Wow that sucks I was just thinking that front lower branch would need to go but know I think you need it

Click to expand...

It's a bummer, but not a huge one. It was a pretty aggressive bend - should have used raffia. There are several possible replacements that could fill in that space after awhile. But the lower branch is going to have to stay for now.

Scott

Any discussion on losing the lowest branch on the right? Overall, I like where it is going. About that kickstand.. I've always used forked sticks. Just the most available resource here, to each their own.