Help with my new Juniper

MikeGSoCal

Seedling
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Just picked this up and need some guidance. I’m thinking I’ll transfer it to a big pot for a while so it can thicken up. And only work on shaping it for now and hold off on trimming anything till late winter. Is this a good plan for now?

Should I remove dirt from the roots and transplant in a bonsai mix now?

I’m inland Southern California zone 10a.

I also need a little direction from you guys on where to go from here with regards to shaping. 91ECE0D6-2F16-4238-B674-B5A0F9120EAC.jpegD7C8E359-26E6-4DD9-A378-964003391691.jpeg3FD02F7C-4736-41F4-A656-B2A74679234E.jpeg2C2537C0-1732-441E-A96B-09E0FE9A6F73.jpeg0B894835-82F2-406D-AC0B-364D36080577.jpeg
 

HENDO

Shohin
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Just picked this up and need some guidance. I’m thinking I’ll transfer it to a big pot for a while so it can thicken up. And only work on shaping it for now and hold off on trimming anything till late winter. Is this a good plan for now?

Should I remove dirt from the roots and transplant in a bonsai mix now?

I’m inland Southern California zone 10a.

I also need a little direction from you guys on where to go from here with regards to shaping. View attachment 375702View attachment 375703View attachment 375704View attachment 375705View attachment 375706
Nice! Prostrata Juniper?

I wouldn't mess with it much now. Pot looks big enough and wrong time of year to do any root work anyways.

Just let it grow and keep an eye on the soil, making sure it doesn't stay too wet. Let it dry out before watering.

Perhaps just think about the end design goal, make minor eliminations over time until late Fall or Winter for major design work.

If it were mine I would plan on adding some movement to the upper trunk section with some heavy bending to match the movement lower down, but not now, the bark/cambium will be too delicate.
 

MikeGSoCal

Seedling
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Nice! Prostrata Juniper?

I wouldn't mess with it much now. Pot looks big enough and wrong time of year to do any root work anyways.

Just let it grow and keep an eye on the soil, making sure it doesn't stay too wet. Let it dry out before watering.

Perhaps just think about the end design goal, make minor eliminations over time until late Fall or Winter for major design work.

If it were mine I would plan on adding some movement to the upper trunk section with some heavy bending to match the movement lower down, but not now, the bark/cambium will be too delicate.
The soil in that pot was like clay...not sure what it was but definitely didn’t drain well. I decided to repot it and while washing away the clay around the root ball it looks as if this had been in an oval bonsai pot before. There were only a couple sections of what looked like new root growth. I’m worried this tree won’t survive based on how the roots looked. It’s now sitting in some bonsai mix soil....hopefully it survives. I really like the shape of this guy....fingers crossed🤞 that it makes it.
 

Ruddigger

Chumono
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The soil in that pot was like clay...not sure what it was but definitely didn’t drain well. I decided to repot it and while washing away the clay around the root ball it looks as if this had been in an oval bonsai pot before. There were only a couple sections of what looked like new root growth. I’m worried this tree won’t survive based on how the roots looked. It’s now sitting in some bonsai mix soil....hopefully it survives. I really like the shape of this guy....fingers crossed🤞 that it makes it.

It’s not too hot out here right now, you’ll probably be okay, but I’d keep it in shade for a while all the same.
 
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