Juniper branches close together

Nj6964

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I’m just getting into bonsai, I’ve pruned a small DAS and just bought my first junipers yesterday. In the store the branching looked solid but when I got it home I realized there was no leader-branch structure. All the branches come out from the same area. Sort of like this tree attached photo I saw online from Dallasbonsai.

My question is, what do you do to get it into a more proper shape? So far I’ve kept the large lower branches and wired the furthest branch along the trunk upright to become the leader. However, it looks like an upside down letter T because the lower branches and the “leader” are all the same size. I’ll add a photo of this shortly.

I understand it may take years to form a pleasing bonsai shape, but don’t see the path forward right now. Any advice is appreciated.
 

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Wires_Guy_wires

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A T can always be wired to form a Y. That's just a simple example. A T can become an L as well. Or a V.
It all depends on what you have. If you want good advice, the forum will need a good picture of your tree.

It's hard to work in the dark.
 

Nj6964

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Thanks for the welcome!!

Just ran out and took a photo of the tree. I know it’s tough to discern the depth of the branches. The one with wire is placed almost straight up. Then there are 3 side branches on the right, left and back left. If the front is 6 o’clock, the branches are at about 8, 11 and 3.
 

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Leo in N E Illinois

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What sort of shape do you want? Form? Informal upright? Cascade? Slanting? How large a tree do you want? 8 inches? 14 inches?, 24 inches? 48 inches?

When you have a cluster of branches coming from one spot, you normally reduce the number unless you are doing a broom on a deciduous tree. Now your tree is young, no need to permanently impose a specific style just yet. I would keep the largest, and a couple of the smallest branches at that whorl of branches. I would get rid of the medium sized ones.

You have wired your branch dead arrow straight. I would likely put bends in it unless you purposely want a rigidly straid angular tree.
 

my nellie

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Welcome to BNut!
I’m just getting into bonsai... ...
Welcome into bonsai, too! :)
How much have you read about bonsai?
How many photos of bonsai trees have you looked at?
No matter what you do with your first Juniper, no matter what styling advice you choose to follow, you need to delve into what is bonsai and further advance to cultivation, techniques and so on.
BNut library is a wealth of Bonsai articles. You're in the right place. Please read, read, read!
 

Nj6964

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Thanks for the replies. I’d love to eventually have a very full informal upright or slanted tree. I’ve read a good deal on various sites about bonsai before getting these junipers and watched a ton of videos but I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the info out there. I’m learning a lot about what I’ve read by actually working on trees. I’ve found that wiring branches is not as easy as I thought (also all I have is electrical wire right now).

What it sounds like I should do with 4 equal size branches at a junction is eliminate all but one and keep any small branches in the area. This makes sense as I can’t reconcile how I can achieve an upright tree with 4 equal branches going in different directions. Thanks!!!
 

Nj6964

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So that I don’t waste 3/4 of the tree’s branches, is there any chance to air layer them next spring and replant the 3 branches later in the year?
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Junipers root well as cuttings. No need to put an air layer on a tree as young and thin as yours. The weight of the air layer would bend the branch over. Just make cuttings. Stick them in a pot. Store the pot outdoors all winter. Don't baby the cuttings. The will root by end of summer 2019
 

Adair M

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For wiring instruction: start by watching Colin Lewis’s free tutorial on www.craftsy.com. It’s free, but you do have to register. Once in, search for “bonsai”. If you had taken it, you would have wired two branches, not just one!

And electrical wire needs to be annealed to be soft enough for bonsai use.
 

sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

That bunch on the left with close green bits oughta stay.

S
 

coltranem

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Junipers root well as cuttings. No need to put an air layer on a tree as young and thin as yours. The weight of the air layer would bend the branch over. Just make cuttings. Stick them in a pot. Store the pot outdoors all winter. Don't baby the cuttings. The will root by end of summer 2019
Leo how big of diameter can you go with Junipers for cuttings?
 

Nj6964

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Thanks! Is your suggestion to cut off 3 out of 4 branches for cuttings or cut them all off and start new? If I only cut off 3, will the 1 remaining branch with roots survive if I’ve cut off 80% of the trees foliage?
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Leo how big of diameter can you go with Junipers for cuttings?
I've only tried half inch diameter and smaller. For me, only the 1/4th inch and finer rooted. Only cuttings old enough to have brown stems rooted. Only cuttings taken between late summer and middle of the winter rooted for me. Successful was about 25 cuttings out of 75 attempted. Usually take a half dozen every time I work one of my junipers. No "bag n sphag", no humidity domes, no hormones, just stick em in a pot of pumice. Keep outside in part shade.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Thanks! Is your suggestion to cut off 3 out of 4 branches for cuttings or cut them all off and start new? If I only cut off 3, will the 1 remaining branch with roots survive if I’ve cut off 80% of the trees foliage?
I would remove only 1 or 2 branches, not all 4 at a time. Until you are skilled at your horticultural after care, taking it slowly is more likely to be successful. Remove less than 50% at a time. Real safe is 30% or less.

Yes, there are experienced dudes who chop off 90% at a time, and have the tree live, but they are the exception.
 
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