I'm thinking raft style...

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I picked this up over the summer and haven't really done anything with it safe for fix some heavy bends in the branches and some base level cleanup. In the spring I'm thinking of transferring into a growing box and maybe go with a raft style. I know that technique is considered to be pretty advanced but with this clearance sale item and that hard fork in the middle I'm not sure where else to take it. If this was in your collection what would you do?

I really, REALLY appreciate your thoughts.

Nana 2 2022 Summer.jpgNana 4 Juniper 2022.jpgNana 3 Juniper 2022.jpg
 

thebonsaiproject

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I wonder if there is such thing as a cascading raft? If you position that right bend on the rim of the pot with the right overflowing and the left is slightly 'buried' soil level for raft. I haven't seen it before but could look cool.
 
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I wonder if there is such thing as a cascading raft? If you position that right bend on the rim of the pot with the right overflowing and the left is slightly 'buried' soil level for raft. I haven't seen it before but could look cool.
That would fix the less than impressive trunk by elongating it and hiding the weakness below ground. I've not seen that before either but could be a good strategy.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Likely one would want to think about the final size of the raft and the number of trunks. For a decent raft one might want to have five + decent trunks not in a straight line, well spaced, if at all possible to hit the sweet spot.

The left side (figure one) doesnt seem to fit well. That leaves you with plenty of material left to work with on the right side, given a raft is still what you want.

cheers
DSD sends
 

Potawatomi13

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True trunk less than impressive however using largest upward branch/trunk can be bent, twisted, folded, etc made much impressiver if growing bigger tree. See illustrations of many juniper Yamadori on BN website for inspiration. Only seek best advice on WHEN to bend, twist tree before doing so🤔. Please.
 

Shibui

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Many beginners latch onto raft style for any tree that doesn't seem to fit upright style. I know I've tried a few times but truth is that raft looks easy but in actual fact is quite hard to get right. Extra trunks add complexity to any bonsai. Add a horizontal trunk and that complicates it even more.
By all means have a go. I can see some possibility in the right side (remove the left side completely IMHO) but don't be surprised if it does not live up to expectations.
I see wire on some branches but it does not appear to be doing anything? Need to remember that wire does not make a bonsai. Wire is used just to make bends so if not bending don't waste wire.
Cascade and semi cascade are also styles that are overused and hard to get good results with but best possibilities I can see with this is semicascade.
No scale so hard to decide whether it is possible to bend those branches but I doubt that small wire will do anything. Junipers tend to be stiff and hard to bend but with technique and real wire you may be able to achieve something. The big issue will be the lack of taper in any of the trunks.

Good luck with developing this one.
 
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I see wire on some branches but it does not appear to be doing anything?
It was stuck in a bottom cramped shelf causing two of the branches to have bends I just wanted to get out. The bends didn't look natural and as you can see with the last two pics I'd already removed the wire once the shelf impact was addressed. I agree on preferring to maybe do something else. I just don't see a lot of rafts that I can easily study to get more comfortable with developing. Might be I put it in the ground and revisit when I have more experience.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Might be I put it in the ground and revisit when I have more experience.
That's not how you gain experience my friend!
I'd eliminate the right trunk, reduce the triplet of branches on the right side to two (one trunk, one branch) and flip the organism so that it's upright.
It'll tell you what it wants to be, and if it doesn't.. Just start wiring. I think you'd be amazed about how that works out for you.
 
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