Conifer ID + Need help styling

[Jacob P.]

We got this conifer a few years back, after a while it naturally just toppled over like that so I'm planning on turning it into a sort of cascading bonsai.
Any idea of the ID?

 

[Shibui]

Probably J. procumbens.
Certainly One of the prostrate junipers. Which is why it has chosen to grow horizontally like that.
Just because it naturally grows prostrate does not mean you have to style the tree that way. If we wire the trunk upward it will set in that position and the branches will grow downward from the trunk. That means you also have the option of an upright trunk too.
Agree that it easier to let the tree do its own thing and go with the cascade style.
It's entirely up to you whether you grow a straight trunk cascade or put some bends in and have a twisted cascade.

Foliage looks a bit sparse on the tree. Not sure if you've been trimming or if the tree is not doing so well. I'm sure it would do better without the oxalis competing in the pot. Maybe some fertiliser a bit more often?

 

[Jacob P.]

I see. Yes, the tree does not seem that healthy. What type of soil does it prefer? What are other things I can do to make it healthier?

Unfortunately my wire isn't thick enough to make the tree stand, but I like the cascading style as is

 

[Shibui]

Yes, the tree does not seem that healthy. What type of soil does it prefer? What are other things I can do to make it healthier?

Junipers prefer plenty of sun. Looks like it lives on a balcony? Best spot would be where it gets as much direct sun as possible.

Different growers use different soil mixes for bonsai. It's more important you match watering and fertiliser to the soil rather than changing to a specific soil type but many of find that a quick draining soil with plenty of air spaces makes it a bit easier to avoid root problems associated with fine particle soil mix.

Your other plants appear healthy enough so I assume you fertilise regularly? How often depends on the soil and how much watering but fert every 2-3 weeks is usual to counteract leaching of nutrients caused by watering.

Occasional repotting to renew the soil and make room for more roots seems to help renew growth and vigour so if it has been a few years since last transplant it may be ready for repot. Not sure of timing for repot in Philippines but suspect you could repot year round in tropical conditions. Is there anyone in your area with experience you can get advice from?

 

[Jacob P.]

Junipers prefer plenty of sun. Looks like it lives on a balcony? Best spot would be where it gets as much direct sun as possible.

Different growers use different soil mixes for bonsai. It's more important you match watering and fertiliser to the soil rather than changing to a specific soil type but many of find that a quick draining soil with plenty of air spaces makes it a bit easier to avoid root problems associated with fine particle soil mix.

Your other plants appear healthy enough so I assume you fertilise regularly? How often depends on the soil and how much watering but fert every 2-3 weeks is usual to counteract leaching of nutrients caused by watering.

Occasional repotting to renew the soil and make room for more roots seems to help renew growth and vigour so if it has been a few years since last transplant it may be ready for repot. Not sure of timing for repot in Philippines but suspect you could repot year round in tropical conditions. Is there anyone in your area with experience you can get advice from?

Yup, I have moved it to a place where it gets more light. We don't really fertilize regularly here, since we rely on nutrients existing in the soil (This applies for most gardeners here, we're pretty ragged.) I do use osmocote which is apparently a slow release so I'm guessing I'll only need to add new osmocote every few months? This specific tree just happened to be forgotten.

We can repot pretty much any time of the year here. It has probably been like a year since this one was repotted.
As for the last question, that might be an issue as there are bonsai masters here but we don't have many groups where we could communicate here, and conifer bonsais aren't common here since most of us go for more tropical plants of course so stuff like premna and ficus are most common. Also in general you can barely find any conifers here unless you go to mountainous regions. I thought conifers enjoy colder conditions since that's where we'd find them. I'm also a bit suspicious that they might be burnt a bit from the sun.

(Here's another conifer I have, if you could ID it and can it maybe be bonsified?)




Also for reference this is the soil we generally use. For my bonsais I use something similar to a succulent mix, but for other plants we just use this

 

[Shibui]

Garden soil usually has enough nutrients and holds nutrient for plant growth.
Everything changes when plants are kept in pots. More watering in pots means that nutrients wash out of the pots much more than ordinary soil in the garden. Potting soils generally don't have any real soil in them which means that nutrients wash away much more easily. It does depend a lot on what soil mix is used in the pots and how often they get watered but, in general, pots do far better when they get regular fertilizer added. The osmocote is a good product. It works better if it is mixed in with the soil instead of just sitting o the surface so when you add more try to stir it into the top layer of soil. Different Osmocote have different lifespan - 3 month, 6 month, 12 month, etc. Just add more when the time is running out.

Succulent mix seems to be a good choice for bonsai. Many growers here use it too.

We can repot pretty much any time of the year here. It has probably been like a year since this one was repotted.

A year is not so long for bonsai so probably not needed again yet which means any problem with growth is more likely to be sun, nutrient or it just doesn't like the tropical conditions.

As for the last question, that might be an issue as there are bonsai masters here but we don't have many groups where we could communicate here, and conifer bonsais aren't common here since most of us go for more tropical plants of course so stuff like premna and ficus are most common. Also in general you can barely find any conifers here unless you go to mountainous regions. I thought conifers enjoy colder conditions since that's where we'd find them. I'm also a bit suspicious that they might be burnt a bit from the sun.

I was a bit surprised to see a juniper instead of the usual tropical species that do so well as bonsai in Philippines. I guess we all want to have something a bit different but sometimes that can cause difficulties if the plant does not like the local conditions. Sun burn is possible but most conifers have leaves that are extra hardy to sun because they come from places where it is cold but very exposed to sun and wind. It is still possible to get sunburn when trees are adjusted to shade then suddenly moved into full sun. It takes a few weeks for any leaves to adjust to changed light so best to change gradually over a few weeks.

The new tree has flat foliage pads which means either Chamaecyparis or Thuja. Both genera have a number of species and many selected cultivars for gardens now so it can be difficult to work out which species and which cultivar unless someone is very familiar with the group.
Someone with more experience might be able to narrow the ID down more

 

[Jacob P.]

I see, thanks for all your help!