11 years of waiting...

[Bonsai Nut]

So I've had this procumbens juniper for a while (forgive the unkempt appearance and far too much foliage on the top), and I've never been happy with it because of the awkward section of trunk near the bottom that lacks taper and really REALLY needs a back branch. With a back branch I could redirect a lot of the strength of the tree to developing taper and dramatically change the balance of the design.



11 years ago I scarified the back to see if I could get a bud to pop. I waited two years, but nothing happened.



So I decided the best plan would be to graft a branch back there. Since the lowest branch on the right is too thick for my design and would eventually need to come off, I decided to let it grow out to thicken the trunk, and use the end as an approach graft for the new back branch. I waited 8 years while the tree sat in the back of my yard as a "long-term" project - only doing occasional trimming and re-potting.

Yesterday I brought it out to do the graft, and look what I found on the back I chopped off the long right branch and am going to clean it all up, and hope that my new bud works. I also have a "plan B" bud that is a little lower down and not in the best location, but will still help with developing low strength and taper. So happy

 

[markyscott]

Apparently the threat of grafting is all it take for the tree to do it on it's own. You're lucky - I had an old oak on which I was looking for a bud to break on the trunk and nothing happened for several years. So I went ahead and did an approach graft where I wanted the branch and two new shoots appeared right next to the graft the following season. Now I have three branches where I used to have zero and wanted to have one!

 

[barrosinc]

woohoo

 

[Cadillactaste]

There's that P word again...patience! WOO~HOO!!!

 

[j evans]

So was it really two years of waiting and eight years of I really don't want to do this? Just kidding, glad it popped out for you. I like the tree and the bark. What is it, about 24" tall? Go but a lotto ticket, you never know!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

So was it really two years of waiting and eight years of I really don't want to do this?

No the "I really don't want to do this" plan was an air-layer. That was an "all or nothing" move which would have required chopping the top of the tree if the airlayer didn't work.

The eight years of waiting was to get a 3' long branch to grow to use as an approach graft. I probably could have done it last year but missed the window and decided to wait until this year.

 

[sorce]

You totally deserve for earth to give you buds where you need them.

On the trunks of your trees!

And anywhere it is noon at Grimmies!


Sorce

P.S. So I'm not crazy that my grafting work may have helped budding?

 

[Don Blackmond]

Apparently the threat of grafting is all it take for the tree to do it on it's own. You're lucky - I had an old oak on which I was looking for a bud to break on the trunk and nothing happened for several years. So I went ahead and did an approach graft where I wanted the branch and two new shoots appeared right next to the graft the following season. Now I have three branches where I used to have zero and wanted to have one!

known as common threat grafting....

 

[Bonsai Nut]

L0oking a little bit more like a bonsai:



If I lop off the bottom sacrifice branch and jin the branch on the right:

 

[Vance Wood]

L0oking a little bit more like a bonsai:

View attachment 136577

If I lop off the bottom sacrifice branch and jin the branch on the right:

View attachment 136580

Much much better. Sometimes all it takes is removing the things that are not bonsai, and learning how to identify the difference. In my opinion you can sell the S trunks with a Procumbens Juniper because of the way they grow anyway. I was going to suggest cutting those bottom two branches off earlier but I was afraid of how you would take that suggestion.

 

[justBonsai]

Love the rough bark on old procumbens

 

[Smoke]

The tree is right here! Get that live portion upright and wire it out.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The tree is right here! Get that live portion upright and wire it out.

You know what Al? That was my first thought. I was going to air-layer off the top at the awkward middle section and keep the lower section as a new tree. That's why I grew out that low branch; worst case was a sacrifice branch, best case I'd have two new trees.

I was going to suggest cutting those bottom two branches off earlier but I was afraid of how you would take that suggestion.

I was going to rage quit the site! Just kidding Neither of those branches can work with the final design if I keep the whole trunk, so I probably should have said that up front. So yes, we are in complete agreement. I have a fair number of trees like this one sitting around with low branches that aren't going to be there longer term - one way or the other.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

And one other thing...

If I go with my second virt (instead of air-layering into two trees) I am not going to just stub off the low branch, or the right branch, or for that matter an old stub higher on the tree. I am going to see about chasing the live veins all the way to the nebari, and running shari up. Though I like the old weathered bark, I think it conflicts with the scale of the tree and it prevents me from seeing it as a much bigger tree in nature - it looks like a shrub. So those were some other thoughts I had in general...

 

[lieuz]

Oh I like this very very much! I particularly like the jin! Well done!

 

[Daluke]

I tend to agree that with the removal of the bottom branches the trunk and tree becomes more appealing. Nice.

 

[Pixar]

Any updates on this please ?