$10 Nursery Juniper

Jessf

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I found this for $10 with only a price tag, so im not sure what variety it is, but I think a semi cascade is in there somewhere, maybe 15 years from now.
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I'm going to be putting together my first bonsai mix this weekend. I've got some crushed lava, mini pine nuggets, some pine mulch and crushed granite.

would a 33% lava, 33% granite and 16.5% pine nugget and 16% mulch be a good mix for zone 5? I won't be there to water it all the time.
 

Bill S

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Procumbens nana, worry about potting materials for next year, at this point trying to work roots from a nursery can is probablt too late.

Skip the mulch from your proposed mix, you don't want dirt in your pots, if you need to do that because you can't water them, make a nice garden instead, it will be more sane, and satisfying.
 

Jessf

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I grabbed one of the branches I intend on removing and I bent it around to see how far the tree would allow it to bend before snapping. I was able to come back around in a coil before I heard a snap. The limb will be removed anyway, but it gives me an idea of how much of a radius I can get while wiring. I've read that wiring can occur at any time, though I suspect during the summer when the sap is flowing is best, correct?

If a limb cracks, and is left alone, will it heal? I'm going to leave the limb that snapped to find out.
 

Jessf

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I just read that it's best to wire during the dormant season so the branches will set before the growing season. Wiring any other time and you risk biting into the bark. Any comments eitherway?
 

october

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Hello Jess.. This might be a procumbens.. or it could be a San Jose... If it is a San Jose. the trunk and tree in general will thicken pretty fast. on the down side, if it is a san jose juniper, it will almost always have this kind of foliage. That being tough to manage and not as aesthetically pleasing as other junipers.

Personally, I wire my junipers from March to June. Even July, if needed. As far as biting, every tree is different. San Jose will grow very fast, Procumbens moderately. Some varieties like Kishu shimpaku grow very slow. I have seen wire left on for 10 months and the branches still not set and also the wire was not really even biting yet.. All in all, you will need to just do sporadic checks and it will be fine. However, sometimes the wire does need to bite in a little bit. It is almsot the only way to get the tree to respond. As long as it is not severe.

Rob
 

Jessf

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thanks for the info October. I won't get too attached to this tree, honestly. I'm considering it my practice tree as a lead in to more in the future. I bought a San Jose back when I first became interested in the hobby I kept it inside and it died within a year. I haven't had a juniper since. If this one survives through the summer and into next year I'll consider that one step ahead.
 

Bill S

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One of the issues with summer wiring/bending is especially when well watered is that the cambium will move with the bark, and can actually turn a branch over without moving it so to speak, this can kill the branch or provide some options. But most newer folks when lifting the cambium from the branch don't get good final results. I liken it to how easy it is to strip bark when making jin, it pops right off. So be carefull you must.
 

Jessf

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One of the issues with summer wiring/bending is especially when well watered is that the cambium will move with the bark, and can actually turn a branch over without moving it so to speak, this can kill the branch or provide some options. But most newer folks when lifting the cambium from the branch don't get good final results. I liken it to how easy it is to strip bark when making jin, it pops right off. So be carefull you must.

thanks Yoda. I'll try some wiring on the branch I broke.
 

Bill S

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I think too Rob is right, probably San Jose, hose B maybe;) bark looks rougher than nana's.

Had to wire one of those broken branches myself yesterday.
 

Jessf

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I think too Rob is right, probably San Jose, hose B maybe;) bark looks rougher than nana's.

Had to wire one of those broken branches myself yesterday.

are you concerned at all about the broken branches? Should the wound be delt with in anyway? I've always wondered if wrapping the branches in black electrical tape before wiring helps shade any damaged areas.
 

Bill S

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are you concerned at all about the broken branches? Should the wound be delt with in anyway? I've always wondered if wrapping the branches in black electrical tape before wiring helps shade any damaged areas.

Makes character, that you will be hard pressed to duplicate, is it top or bottom of the branch?
 

october

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Hello Jess...One good tip is to have super glue or crazy glue standing by... broken branches can be glued backed together providing certain conditions still remain. For example, if your branch splits where the branch meets the trunk, if branches break at the fork or a branch breaks almost in half. All these can be fixed... As long as some cambium is still connected. In other words, as long ar the branch does not completely break off. It, most likely can be repaired. The way to do it is you would only put like one drop of glue in the middle of the break where the heart wood is. You do not want to glue the edges, just dead in the center. Press and hold the area together for a little while. You do not even have to wrap the area after it has been glued. However, you may want to leave that area alone for 6 months to 1 year. When you do work on it again, you may want to hold the area at the break when bending it again.

Here is a virt of where to glue

Rob
 

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Jessf

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Hello Jess...One good tip is to have super glue or crazy glue standing by... broken branches can be glued backed together providing certain conditions still remain. For example, if your branch splits where the branch meets the trunk, if branches break at the fork or a branch breaks almost in half. All these can be fixed... As long as some cambium is still connected. In other words, as long ar the branch does not completely break off. It, most likely can be repaired. The way to do it is you would only put like one drop of glue in the middle of the break where the heart wood is. You do not want to glue the edges, just dead in the center. Press and hold the area together for a little while. You do not even have to wrap the area after it has been glued. However, you may want to leave that area alone for 6 months to 1 year. When you do work on it again, you may want to hold the area at the break when bending it again.

Here is a virt of where to glue

Rob

thanks for the virt. I'm not actually concerned about fixing this broken branch, I'm using it as a test branch to see what happens with the tree in general. I'll use this knowledge to work on the tree in the future.
 

Vance Wood

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I just read that it's best to wire during the dormant season so the branches will set before the growing season. Wiring any other time and you risk biting into the bark. Any comments eitherway?

Generally this does not happen with Junipers, at least not to the extent it does with Maples and Pines. I have left wires on Junipers for a couple of years and not seen it bite. Wood production on Junipers is much slower than almost any other species.
 
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