How to make San Jose Juniper cuttings/air-layers into 4-5' tall, informal upright Niwaki?

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Shohin
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How do I develop and train these cuttings and air-layers from my San Jose Juniper into let’s say a 4-5’ tall, single-trunk, informal-upright Niwaki garden tree?

I know the SJ tends to be very low growing (only 1-2’ tall), yet very spreading and wide growing (6-8’ wide) if naturally grown out. Like an Octopus I guess.
Pic of my mother-plant attached.

I see very nice single-trunk, informal-upright Prostrata cultivar niwaki at House of Bonsai in LA (pics attached) and also elsewhere in SoCal from Japanese gardener Instagram pics.

Does Prostrata have the exact same natural growth habit as San Jose? ie: 1-2’ short and very wide growing.
Or, are they different?

This has always confused me (as there’s no info online) - Prostrata and SJ differences??

Can I train and develop my SJ cuttings/air-layers into something like the House of Bonsai Prostrata niwaki, single-trunk, informal upright?

If, yes, how?

Do I just let it grow for several years/decades, into a long Single whip, constantly stake the strongest longest whip/tip upright, and always prune off any superfluous multi-trunks/suckers?
And also train any early side-branches horizontal? (set the branch-shoulders horizontal early on, before getting too thick)

Note: the 5 bigger pots are +2yo cuttings… and the 6 smaller 1gal pots are air-layers I harvested recently last October, reduced a lot of foliage/branches to reduce transpiration… they actually have much thicker trunks than my cuttings)
 

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Shohin
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My cuttings/air-layers...
 

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Wires_Guy_wires

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Do I just let it grow for several years/decades, into a long Single whip, constantly stake the strongest longest whip/tip upright, and always prune off any superfluous multi-trunks/suckers?
And also train any early side-branches horizontal? (set the branch-shoulders horizontal early on, before getting too thick)
That's how I would do it. Keep two leaders at all times, and alternate between sides to pick a side branch to keep.

But.. I'd keep every part of new growth for at least 2-4 years so overall development will be faster, before cutting them back to a double leader again.
If you'd constantly cut them back it's going to take a lot more time to reach the end result.
 

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Shohin
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That's how I would do it. Keep two leaders at all times, and alternate between sides to pick a side branch to keep.

But.. I'd keep every part of new growth for at least 2-4 years so overall development will be faster, before cutting them back to a double leader again.
If you'd constantly cut them back it's going to take a lot more time to reach the end result.

Nice one! Never thought about keeping 2 leaders to develop a juniper.
(I think I was doing this with my young JBP's leader's-whorls already, without thinking about it... new apex/leader-whorl always has 4-10 buds, and I keep 3 (and cut the rest)... 1 as leader, 1 as side-branch and 1 back-up in case I accidentally break one, lol)

Ah, okay... I'll try to be patient and leave it alone to grow freely for 2-5 years first.

Thanks for the tips!
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Oh yeah, I forgot about the back ups. I have them too.
Good reasoning! Have fun!
 
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