I have hit a wall with my Juniper.

[Silentrunning]

I bought this Juniper last winter and when I got it home I discovered most of the branches were going in one direction. I trimmed off a couple branches going in the wrong direction. I thought a windswept tree would be easy so I did some minor wiring. Since then I found out that windswept is easy. Good windswept is almost impossible. As the greenery filled out I lost my vision of what I wanted. Now I just have a hideous mess all heading in one direction. Please feel free to jump in with suggestions and don’t worry about my feelings. I already feel badly about creating this mess. I am one step away from just planting it out in the yard.

 

[Aaron S.]

Personally I like it. I would remove the downward facing needles and that would clean it up some. However I have no real experience with Junipers.
'73

 

[brewmeister83]

Please feel free to jump in with suggestions and don’t worry about my feelings.

Too Hot to do anything outside now (95 in the shade) so here's a couple ideas I came up with quick. Real Rough and dirty...

Bunjin option



Shimpaku-esque option



Again, just spitballing, not the greatest but maybe it'll get the ol' juices flowing

 

[Silentrunning]

Kevin, I love that last image. Is this something that could be done in one operation or should it be done in stages? I don’t know how much “give” there is in Junipers.

 

[Japonicus]

When was this juniper potted up?
I am one that would cut it off in the elbow, jinning back to the next branch, keeping that branch only as a sacrifice
then chasing back down the trunk to lower branches for the new apex over the next several years (chasing back budding and selective branches).
Then windswept will become more of a choice than a demand.
Others would graft branches keeping the height of the trunk also, in which case the upper foliage would remain till grafting takes.

 

[brewmeister83]

Kevin, I love that last image. Is this something that could be done in one operation or should it be done in stages? I don’t know how much “give” there is in Junipers.

An operation like this should only be done if the tree is at peak health, and the apex should be reduced over several seasons, not all in one go. A lot of people recognize that the strength of the juniper lies in the regenerative ability of the foliage (look up Kimura's "resurrection" juniper to see what I mean) it's the powerhouse of the plant. As far as how much you can bend a juni in one go... Take a look at this sample vid Bjorn did for Bonsai Empires Advanced Course. The prepping and bending starts around 20:00......

Considering I'm a beginner with juniper myself, take my suggestions with a grain of salt - it's amazing what you can do with the plant - but here's the caveat - only if it's in great health to deal with the styling. I know it's tempting to do it all in one shot like in some of the professional vids, but keep in mind, there's probably 5-8 YEARS of prepwork before they actually make that styling vid. Perhaps a more experienced member might chime in with a rough idea of how long a procedure like that might take.

 

[Silentrunning]

When was this juniper potted up?
I am one that would cut it off in the elbow, jinning back to the next branch, keeping that branch only as a sacrifice
then chasing back down the trunk to lower branches for the new apex over the next several years (chasing back budding and selective branches).
Then windswept will become more of a choice than a demand.
Others would graft branches keeping the height of the trunk also, in which case the upper foliage would remain till grafting takes.

Early March 2018

 

[Japonicus]

Early March 2018

So just concentrate on getting it thriving this year. Keep all solar panels, feed well, and study the tree
both further down for a new apex, as well as what others suggest.
Once new growth is abundant and cleaning out for exposure is necessary and completed, Fall wiring
and time and study may help you become more intimate with the direction that lends itself best to the juniper.
I like the shorter choice then grow out in the ground back to the current height. This is slower, requires no grafting
and you will be able to select more advantageous branches than you currently have to chose from, for whatever style.

 

[Silentrunning]

Too Hot to do anything outside now (95 in the shade) so here's a couple ideas I came up with quick. Real Rough and dirty...

Bunjin option

View attachment 199164

Shimpaku-esque option

View attachment 199165

Again, just spitballing, not the greatest but maybe it'll get the ol' juices flowing

Kevin, here is my initial wiring. Since I am so new to this I am going to do the styling in stages. I don’t want to break any branches. I tried to wire the future Jin approximately as you indicated. I will take the top of the trunk and pull it down a bit at a time. The top was still quite tender and change directions easily. Now I will put it back on its bench and see what happens.

 

[J P]

With the thickness consistency of the trunk and the overall height I would consider trying something in the literati style. I would remove both lower branches and turn them into jin and create shari off the lowest branch. I would also bend the current apex down drastically (almost 180 degrees) between 1/2 and 3/4 of the way up the trunk. Shorten up the branching and start developing good ramification. This should only be done if the tree is in good health and at the correct time for your zone. Good luck