Wow thank you for such a comprehensive reply. Info updated: i live in zone 9a/9b sonoma County california. I removed some inner foliage because it was nothing but runners and long single thread needles thst just hung off in bunches but i will try to approach that differently next time. I will not re pot for a year, or at least until i know it's fully recovered. I do intend to chop it somewhere... And Will for sure jin some scarce branches. It has been steadily raining but i still keep an eye on the days where it does not I feel it could use a re pot as it has taproots poking out of the top of the soil. I just covered them in sphagnum for now.maybe they will become a feature some day. Really learning my patience there. Its takin a while. But im really takin my time. Thanks for the reply and would you happen to have a clue as to what type of juniper it is?
A tap root, is the main heavier root we prune away to get more finer roots and sit more flat in a pot.
Typical grows downwards.
No, I intentionally did not address which juniper it may be, I don't know, although a scale rather than needle juniper.
Check near the bottom of this page or just click on the resources tab.
https://www.bonsainut.com/resources/
There's 3 short articles there, on developing foliage pads.
I have a trunk chop in mind (but others will chime in on styling ideas for the future).
Mostly due to the fact that, that branch I referred to that is so sparse inwards, yet it is the largest branch.
Being the largest branch midways up to a reduced apex is not the deal breaker.
The deal breaker comes with the lack of foliage on that branch...for me.
I would keep it if it were mine, remove branch below it, wire that big branch reduced by 25% or so,
lower it, and put movement into it similar to the 1st left branch or best you can carefully, to tighten up the sparse branch.
A branch inside a curve is not always removed. Sometimes, in this case you are forced to work with such
or remove the branch that leaves a lot of bare space creating an unbalanced trunkline.
Then you COULD go for a much taller tree utilizing the branch, but you see where I'm going with this?
You've created handicaps, by removing what you thought were possibly energy suckers, that could've tightened up the form.
It is possible to get back budding with a healthy tree, but usually at the trunk line or closer to existing foliage.
With luck, a back bud will appear where you want, but takes years to be a good alternative.
The thin sparse inner foliage is, can be GOLD! When you prune the outer foliage, clean underneath the pads
wire the branches and feed well, those spindly "suckers" will take the energy that was being applied elsewhere
that no longer exist, and replace it.
The roots above the soil line should be removed. Just let them do their thing in the free air and tend to them at repot.
Get the foliage LUSH and do not prune before/after repotting next year. Solar pads they are! Just keep the underside
of the pads cleaned (remove downward growing), wire in the Fall.
For wiring, visit craftsy.com, join-free search Bonsai Wiring Essentials. Colin Lewis wiring, add free class to cart and bookmark it!!!!!!
Go buy some junipers in 1-3g pots nursery cans, or pre bonsai. There's many in here from California that can assist in helping
you find a
local club to join. Shimpaku may be what you have, but try both scale and needle foliage junipers. Have fun.
