Itoigawa Shimpaku Redemption

[Shogun610]

So I had a Itoigawa before and killed it due to lack of knowledge and how to wire / timing. It was frustrating and was angry with myself for trying to do too much before I knew how to handle quality… and bonsai. But now I’m in a much better place with Bonsai thanks to all the practice at the studio .. probably one of the best decisions I ever made Bonsai wise for my future development and education and a clearer path and have had practice. So I hit my boy Ed up and got this juniper. The trees roots are fully packed so it will be due for repot next spring if styling goes well but I’m in no rush.. I’m going to have fun with this one. It was shipped wrapped up with no plastic pot so packed in a pond basket with pumice. Enjoy I know just what to do.. peak the angle in the first 2 pictures.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Wondering.

Is that a completely separate media surrounding the original media?

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Shogun610]

Wondering.

Is that a completely separate media surrounding the original media?

cheers
DSD sends

Yes it is .. I had no 2 gallon nursery pot roots container that would actually fully fit everything else would have been too small or too large so I slip potted it .. it was shipped w just the rootball.. rootball is completely full o roots

 

[Shogun610]

More pictures, I like the bottom right branch as the first branch , then as you go up to the left it curves almost downward.. which I think I’ll have my new apex.. top is too straight , but I did think about removing all the batch and developing a nice Jin from it .. I’ll have to raffia the lower right branch to bend downward but not too much .

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I’m sure you know this, but jic, be careful when watering to the dissimilar medias to ensure the inner separate media area is actually well watered.

Being a Juniper, perhaps not as much of an issue, but still something to to be aware of.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Shogun610]

I’m sure you know this, but jic, be careful when watering to the dissimilar medias to ensure the inner separate media area is actually well watered.

Being a Juniper, perhaps not as much of an issue, but still something to to be aware of.

cheers
DSD sends

Thanks , I am aware but I literally have no other choice lol unless I find a 1lb container but even then there will be a gap

 

[Shogun610]

.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Where did that come from? A cross post?

In any event, I sure don’t agree with it if it isn’t.

Please clarify…

DSD sends

 

[Shogun610]

Where did that come from? A cross post?

In any event, I sure don’t agree with it if it isn’t.

Please clarify…

DSD sends

Yea wrong thread

 

[Hartinez]

.

Haha. Deep breath bro.

 

[LanceMac10]

Image 1and 2 ? Rootball is a decade out from even contemplating this planting angle. Tree has clearly been trained to a cascading-type habit.
Even if you get the roots to co-operate, trunk line leans way back....why fight against what's there?

Outer media is way too porous. Inner media will be water-phobic by Monday morning. In a colander ain't helping.

 

[Shogun610]

Image 1and 2 ? Rootball is a decade out from even contemplating this planting angle. Tree has clearly been trained to a cascading-type habit.
Even if you get the roots to co-operate, trunk line leans way back....why fight against what's there?

Outer media is way too porous. Inner media will be water-phobic by Monday morning. In a colander ain't helping.

Would you be able to tell me what you’d do then to prevent the hydrophobic from happening then

 

[LanceMac10]

No disrespect man. I'm sayin' ya'll bit off a "big chunk" of horticulture. Junipers grow in far less horticulturally "ideal" conditions than most. But here, I think your pushing some boundaries that will just increase the difficulty of care.

 

[Shogun610]

No disrespect man. I'm sayin' ya'll bit off a "big chunk" of horticulture. Junipers grow in far less horticulturally "ideal" conditions than most. But here, I think your pushing some boundaries that will just increase the difficulty of care.

I’m legit interested.. it was shipped without a container so I have no other options.. non plastic pots fit exactly either..

 

[Hartinez]

Do you have a terra cotta pot that’ll fit that root ball better? A bit of media around the root ball is fine but it looks like almost an inch of media lol the way around? It’s a tad late, but I’ve had plenty of success chop-sticking some finer pumice into a juniper football midsummer. Essentially opening up avenues for oxygen into the core with out disturbing the roots too much. But as healthy as the tree is, a proper sized terracotta pot with a slight back fill for the remainder of the year would do just fine.

 

[Shogun610]

I do not have a terracotta pot or a small pumice size…. Maybe a juniper shouldn’t have been retried seeems I’m already killing it

 

[Hartinez]

I do not have a terracotta pot or a small pumice size…. Maybe a juniper shouldn’t have been retried seeems I’m already killing it

Nah. It’ll prob be fine. It’s current health alone should carry through till next spring.
And don’t you have a Lowe’s or HD near by?? A proper size pot is 5/6 bucks at either store. Worth a trip IMO

 

[LanceMac10]

Need beer........


Here., I'd get the hands dirty and finger around the root-ball to loosen. Be gentle and caress the roots, create space for new soil and avenues to introduce oxygen closer to the core.

As mentioned by @Hartinez , gentle introduction of your porous substrate via chopstick/fingers should aid in water retention.

 

[Scorpius]

Hey Shogun610, I would go to home depot, lowes, menards and get a smaller pot. You don't need anything fancy at this point. You just want something slightly bigger than the rootball so you can pack some media in. Look for some perlite in the garden center while you're there. That'll get you through till you can repot in next or the year after.

 

[Hartinez]

Need beer........


Here., I'd get the hands dirty and finger around the root-ball to loosen. Be gentle and caress the roots, create space for new soil and avenues to introduce oxygen closer to the core.

That’s hot.