Pro Nana Cascade progression

Bought this little sucker at a Nursery up the road for maybe 5$-$10... Probably 2.5-3 years ago... I was honestly kinda bored one day.... had this old Chinese painted cascade pot lying around, and thought to myself "I don't have a regular old cascade"!

So, I sat down one day and pounded it out. Just grabbed this one from the nursery, pulled it out of his can, picked a branch and went for it. The initial results:
before

Initial "after".. Maybe 6 mos- a year after...

Today:

This ain't no dancing thread!

So when I say "cut a rug" I mean....
"Into pieces and throw that thing out!"
Holy Paint tray! WTF!

Lol. JK.

This tree gives mine hope!

Nice growth! Any restyling coming up?

Sorce

Nice job. If it were mine, though, I'd lop off 2/3 of the tail.

jkl said:

Nice job. If it were mine, though, I'd lop off 2/3 of the tail.

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Isn't that too much? Also maybe you could wire more (the little twigs / detail-wiring). Nice price btw, very cheap, i like cheap.

Cypress187 said:

detail-wiring)

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That's what I'm saying!

And @Eric Group don't forget to update your VIN contest tree!

Sorce

Cypress187 said:

Isn't that too much? Also maybe you could wire more (the little twigs / detail-wiring). Nice price btw, very cheap, i like cheap.

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No, not too much. Cascades for garden juniper bonsai are a copout. That's what they do so that's we WE do. There are many too many juniper cascades in this world, most of them very run of the mill bonsai. And that includes the one I used to have from my early days.

jkl said:

No, not too much. Cascades for garden juniper bonsai are a copout. That's what they do so that's we WE do. There are many too many juniper cascades in this world, most of them very run of the mill bonsai. And that includes the one I used to have from my early days.

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This one is certainly very "run of the mill". I was going for that though... I wanted a very recognizable "overdone", old school, instant bonsai, Nana Cascade. I have a bunch of other ones that are more upright or semi cascade styles and just wanted a little cascade to add to the collection. I barely did anything with it this season, just letting it get big and full... I am happy with the direction and will wire and prune it again soon... I do plan to shorten the cascade both by prunning and bending the branch more! I wired the cascading branch initially but didn't do it with a heavy enough gauge to bend it high on the branch... I plan to fix that next time around.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!

Out some wire in it, got a bend in the upper section, hard to see in these crappy cell phone pics, just took a few of it on the bench today. Did not prune the lower section of the cascading branch yet, still letting it grow and thicken. Thinned the top significantly, wired most of the secondary branches in the section I know I am keeping... Should be ready when the Spring starts! Or... Well... Did the growing season end yet?

Eric Group said:

Did not prune the lower section of the cascading branch yet, still letting it grow and thicken.

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I probably mentioned I am growing two Pacific Shore Junipers to do the same with when we spoke. I feel plants done as such add interest to a bench or shelf. Yours is growing far better - might have to send mine to AL for a couple seasons Looks fine to me as it was your goal and interest. I am only a purist when it comes to identification and not much for rules. Hope the Holidays are going well!

Grimmy

Interesting post JKL. I'm not sure I agree with you. I have a few of these and I think cascades are hugely underrepresented in the world of bonsai. Certainly in this part of the world they are. Everyone seems to grow informal uprights. The trick of course is to make a good cascade, and not just a proc nana hanging over a pot rim. Therein lies the rub, and I agree, most of them are pretty ordinary at best. Perhaps in the US things are different, but he in SA I'd like to see more decent cascades.