An Old Procumbens Nana gets its First Styling

[Paradox]

Looks good so far!

I think this tree is one daring and adventurous move away from being a remarkable tree.

Im thinking the same thing.

Looks great, John. I wish I could find a big trunked procumbens around here. It seems like all the nurseries have are one gallon containers with pencil thin trunks.

I have the same problem here. Mostly all small 1 gal and 2 gal. Once in a while I see a 3 gal but its pretty rare. Ive been thinking of contacting Plant City about their nanas but Im afraid of what it would cost with shipping to get one here.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Some big 5 gal ones around here with mature foliage, but trunks are less than an inch thick.

 

[fraser67]

Nice looking tree. Interested to see how you develop it...so many options. I appreciate how you were able to open up the crown to let in some light. They tend to get very dense on top. Thanks for posting.
Best,
Jonathan

 

[Vance Wood]

Nice looking tree. Interested to see how you develop it...so many options. I appreciate how you were able to open up the crown to let in some light. They tend to get very dense on top. Thanks for posting.
Best,
Jonathan

That is the major problem with any Juniper species worth the effort to make a bonsai of them. This one has had a great start.

 

[fraser67]

That is the major problem with any Juniper species worth the effort to make a bonsai of them. This one has had a great start.

One of the things I have noticed in my short time in this "sport" is that the development of the crown is where many seem to stumble. On a side note...my reason for using "sport" is a whole other thread

 

[larlamonde]

John

John nice to see you on this site. I am an avid follower of your work. As always nice job on the tree. I admire your patience letting this guy gain its strength back before the next phase. Im thinking of taking a trip to visit Steve down at Plant City Bonsai, quite a trip from Pgh. Im afraid I might go broke with all the nice material he has. Looking forward to your next video.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Thanks and I agree...it is hard to find nice old material. I think I mentioned this before butthis one came from Steve Cratty and PlantCity Bonsai...At the time he had a "sea" of them...at least 150. He claimed that they were from a wholesale nursery and were used for propagation for a long time. I am sure you have, but if you haven't scoured your area for old mom & pop nurseries, I bet it would be worth your time.

John

I've been to all the local big box stores so far this year. There is one locally owned nursery I am going to hit up this weekend. I only got a chance to go there once last year, but they did have a lot more larger stock than the big box stores around here. Hopefully I will luck out.

 

[Vance Wood]

I've been to all the local big box stores so far this year. There is one locally owned nursery I am going to hit up this weekend. I only got a chance to go there once last year, but they did have a lot more larger stock than the big box stores around here. Hopefully I will luck out.

The secret of the Mom & Pop nursery: They are forced by economics to hold over unsold stock for years. Consequently they tend to wind up with some pretty large a mauled over stock suitable for bonsai.

 

[Vin]

The secret of the Mom & Pop nursery: They are forced by economics to hold over unsold stock for years. Consequently they tend to wind up with some pretty large a mauled over stock suitable for bonsai.

There are a few "items" I've had my eye on for sometime now at a local Mom & Pop. He's had them over twenty years! He's a good guy and I think he will eventually sell them to me. Also, I think it's important to establish a relationship with the owner. I pay a little more than a box store but I buy fungicides, fertilizer, etc., etc. just to keep my face front and center so to speak. Here's an example of one he didn't want to sell but I just happen to catch him on a slow day and snapped up as soon as he said he was willing to let it go. Maybe not the best material to work with but he knows I'm a serious buyer and tree lover.

 

[Don Blackmond]

The secret of the Mom & Pop nursery: supporting them so they stay in business.

I fixed your comment Vance.

 

[Vance Wood]

There are a few "items" I've had my eye on for sometime now at a local Mom & Pop. He's had them over twenty years! He's a good guy and I think he will eventually sell them to me. Also, I think it's important to establish a relationship with the owner. I pay a little more than a box store but I buy fungicides, fertilizer, etc., etc. just to keep my face front and center so to speak. Here's an example of one he didn't want to sell but I just happen to catch him on a slow day and snapped up as soon as he said he was willing to let it go. Maybe not the best material to work with but he knows I'm a serious buyer and tree lover.

There are a lot worse things out there. The size of the trunk alone should have made you scoop it up. Understanding that a large trunk is a wonderful asset to come up with. On Junipers you can in general regrow much of the branching.

If the tree were mine I would consider placing the tree where it get plenty of sun as long as it does not burn and start cutting a lot of the branching back to encourage back budding and vigorous growth in toward the trunk.

No doubt you are going to want to remove a lot of material but you also have to consider a lot of dead-wood options in the future. Unless the tree screams "Look at me" work with it to get it strong and viable for you to do anything. At this point don't try to make a bonsai out of it but let the bonsai that's hiding in there start to reveal it'self.

If you want to continue this conversation why don't you start a seperate thread ? We have hijacked this thread far enough, maybe we have just taken it for a joy ride and not a total hijack.