Ideas for this procum

[brentwood]

Not going to do anything with it for a while, but I'm not seeing a good plan for this. Hope to bring to club in spring, but anyone see a way forward on this? I like the upright section in middle, long branch headed back left, but that branch also has a weird kink, cut. Next choice is branch facing front, repotting at 90 degrees and putting that to left.
Thoughts?
Brent

 

[tmjudd1]

It's hard to see exactly what's going on, inside, with the branches and such. I too had the same problem in deciding what to do with a juniper that I recently purchased. In 'my' case, the branching worked out well via a wind 'inspired' design. That's about the only design that I could see that would work well with 'my' juniper. There may be more possibilities with 'your' subject.

As purchased;


Front view, after initial styling;


Backside view;


Dig around inside the tree and see what the branching tells you, 'then' start looking at pictures (I used Google images for Juniper bonsai) until you find something close to what matches your tree and use 'that' as a design platform.
I'm a newbie, and this was the first tree that I ever wired. There is no 'major' wiring or bending here, mainly just light wiring for movement. This design is what my Juniper was already asking for, naturally!
Hope this helps...
Tom...

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Play around with the planting angle, and I think there's a lot of openings to start designing.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Great thing about procumbens, if you don't see a ''tree'' design in it this year. Cut off (jin rather than cut flush) anything obviously too straight, or akward. Plant it back in a nursery can or grow out container. Put it out in the yard, forget it for 2 to 5 years. Then look again. Usually by the second or third look, suddenly there will be an obvious ''tree'' in there.

There is a lot to choose from. I will admit that I can't see well enough in 2 dimensional photos, no sense of depth. I think you could find a tree in there. Take it to your club meeting. Eyes that can see it in 3 dimensions should be able to see the tree.

I do see a few branches with dead arrow straight segments. One even has wire on it, but the wire in not bending it, it is just straight. You should consider wiring any straight segments and making them bend some. Or, consider pruning them to become deadwood. Procumbens does twisty trees well, so bend it up. Even if you don't have a ''vision'', at least get rid of your straight lines.

Identify which branch has the most natural looking bends and curves. The largest diameter branch, with nice bends and curves and no straight segments is the branch that most likely you will make the ''main focus'' of your tree. That is the one that will set the style for your tree. Jin off anything else that is too straight. If you don't have good branches to support the main in a style, pop it back into a grow pot and let it grow out to create supporting branches.

Prune & wire, let grow out 2-3 years, prune & wire, let grow out 2-3 years. Repeat cycle as necessary.

 

[brentwood]

I started coming to the replant it conclusion, looking to remove what felt too problematic. It looks like an octopus from above, want to get out more left to right only, of that makes sense.

My wire was just too lift that up off the ground, didn't really do much, half assed idea that happened during planting.

B

 

[tmjudd1]

Prune & wire, let grow out 2-3 years, prune & wire, let grow out 2-3 years. Repeat cycle as necessary.

Here's another one of my Junipers. After quite a bit of pruning and some wiring... this is all I can currently see to do with it. From this point forward, It'll be a game of patience and care. I'll be doing what Leo says... "Let it grow out, look at it for new ideas, prune, wire, repeat!" There's a work of art lurking somewhere in this tree, however. "It just hasn't told me 'where', yet!"
Pardon my loose wiring on that one low branch. It was a delicate limb that didn't need much coaxing, just a little upward support. I'm simply giving it some elbow room while that little limb fattens up.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here's another one of my Junipers. After quite a bit of pruning and some wiring... this is all I can currently see to do with it. From this point forward, It'll be a game of patience and care. I'll be doing what Leo says... "Let it grow out, look at it for new ideas, prune, wire, repeat!" There's a work of art lurking somewhere in this tree, however. "It just hasn't told me 'where', yet!"
Pardon my loose wiring on that one low branch. It was a delicate limb that didn't need much coaxing, just a little upward support. I'm simply giving it some elbow room while that little limb fattens up.

Not to clutter the OP’s thread here, but a good tip to remember is using guy-wires to tighten up the design. Consider adding 2 guy-wires as shown below, reducing the height, reducing some of the gaps between branches, and increasing the movement and appearance of density.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/guy-wire-primer/

 

[tmjudd1]

Consider adding 2 guy-wires as shown below, reducing the height, reducing some of the gaps between branches, and increasing the movement and appearance of density.

Nice call, Brian! I didn't think of that! Hmm...???

 

[tmjudd1]

Brian, I 'also' do not wish to derail someone else's thread, however. I think that there may be something beneficial to learn here, for both 'brentwood', as well as myself! In such. I have two questions..;
...#1) When tightening guy wires, how do you know when you have reached the limit of your specific tree's ability to be safely bent? Surely you don't wait until you hear it start to 'crack'! LOL
...#2) Thinking years ahead. How tight is 'too' tight? IE., if a tree bends freely without problems, how do you gauge the amount of bend so that when the trunk becomes thick, and mature, it does not grow into itself and look like multiple 'layers' of trunk, laid directly atop one another, like a stack of pancakes? (Does 'that' make sense?)
I've not yet read your link, Brian. I'll read it later when I have time. Hopefully, these two questions are not premature. If this is covered in the link, just tell me to 'RTFL' (read the frigging link)