First Juniper - Old Gold - Nice Nursery Find (I Hope)

[3rdfloordeck]

Well, I've made some cuts to this guy already but I'd like to post the before pictures and see what you guys would have done.

http://imgur.com/a/ZdFlx

Alrighty, here's what I did.

 

[Paradox]

Is there any way you can load the picture to this website? When you post you look under manage attachments and can load it from there. Youll probably get more answers if you load it to the site. People are wary of clicking on links from unknown sources.

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Here's the photos...

The tree has a future, but it needs to be decided sooner than later, mostly because the congestion of all of those sub-trunks is only going to get worse with time. In the close up I'd consider removing the heavier subtrunk to the right.

V

 

[3rdfloordeck]

Here's the photos...

The tree has a future, but it needs to be decided sooner than later, mostly because the congestion of all of those sub-trunks is only going to get worse with time. In the close up I'd consider removing the heavier subtrunk to the right.

V

Thanks!

I got a little impatient waitng for a response, but I uploaded how the tree looks currently. Not complete by any means, but I decided to slow myself down and plan a bit more.

 

[october]

When you take pictures, you need to take them from the front, not top. Bonsai are meant to viewed standing directly in front of the tree. Generally, the middle of the tree should be at eye level. This is what you should strive for when taking pics. This way, we can see the tree's details, base, trunk, taper, branch placement etc..

Rob

 

[Vance Wood]

If the goal of a bonsai is to create the illusion of a full grown tree in miniature it is important that they be photographed from a viewpoint that adds to that illusion; in other words, from a point of view where the top of the pot assumes a plane more or less equal to the horizon. Basically it is to provide a viewpoint where one can imagine that they are standing on the ground looking up at the tree, not a bird looking down on it.

 

[3rdfloordeck]

Well, I know I'll probably get a lot of flack for it, buy since the limbs were so long and Leggy i decided to attempt windswept. Heres a few pics

I'm sure a few more branches need to go but i just wanted to play around with what was left first.

 

[jk_lewis]

I don't really see any windswept-ness there, but you did an OK job in cutting back and wiring. I like pic 400 best for the front, though the first one is OK too.

 

[3rdfloordeck]

I don't really see any windswept-ness there, but you did an OK job in cutting back and wiring. I like pic 400 best for the front, though the first one is OK too.

Ouch. the second picture was my windswept front.

 

[Vance Wood]

Ouch. the second picture was my windswept front.

Don't worry about it. At least you have an idea that it is necessary that you cut down a tree into a bonsai and not grow one up into a bonsai. Even if your idea about a wind swept goes awry the basic stump is intact it will back bud, produce new branching, and perhaps give you some additional ideas as to what should be done.

A major mistake most beginners make is looking through some bonsai books and other visuals as the catalog of bonsai shapes to be utilized in all adventures into bonsai styling. Sadly, branches that grow down like the Procumbens Juniper do not necessarily mean your tree is going to be, or should be a cascade. If you have branches on one side of the tree this does not mean your tree should be a windswept. If you cannot visualize that finished tree with what you have in front of you, you should keep looking until you do.

 

[berobinson82]

If you cannot visualize that finished tree with what you have in front of you, you should keep looking until you do.

Well said, good sir.

 

[3rdfloordeck]

Don't worry about it. At least you have an idea that it is necessary that you cut down a tree into a bonsai and not grow one up into a bonsai. Even if your idea about a wind swept goes awry the basic stump is intact it will back bud, produce new branching, and perhaps give you some additional ideas as to what should be done.

A major mistake most beginners make is looking through some bonsai books and other visuals as the catalog of bonsai shapes to be utilized in all adventures into bonsai styling. Sadly, branches that grow down like the Procumbens Juniper do not necessarily mean your tree is going to be, or should be a cascade. If you have branches on one side of the tree this does not mean your tree should be a windswept. If you cannot visualize that finished tree with what you have in front of you, you should keep looking until you do.

I appreciate the input.

The tree has been on my deck for over a month and I've played with a lot of ideas.

The bend in the trunk is complimented by the direction of the nebari, so my goal is to have 3 or 4 angled pads 'pointing' in the same direction. Whether or not this will end up windswept I don't ultimately care.

 

[Vance Wood]

I appreciate the input.

The tree has been on my deck for over a month and I've played with a lot of ideas.

The bend in the trunk is complimented by the direction of the nebari, so my goal is to have 3 or 4 angled pads 'pointing' in the same direction. Whether or not this will end up windswept I don't ultimately care.

Your assumptions are starting to go in the right directions. You have identified a bend in the trunk, something you may not be abled to correct or create. You have also identified that the nebari has a direction that complements the curve in the trunk; something else you may or may not be able to create or correct. These are the kind of things that start you in the right direction and can be defined as those elements that define the tree inspite of you. Branches that bend down or grow along the ground can be dominant features but they are changeable. A tree that sits at an angle may or may not be a good idea but it is not necessarily a unchangeable feature that you have no choice but to work with, or around.