Juniper field Growing Techniques

[pmalelis]

I would like to start a discussion about field growing techniques. Especially with reguards to shimpaku and developing trunklines and future branch options. My questions are do we snip spring runners to keep a tree dense and redirect a normally horizontal spreading tree upward? How often should we work roots? Or do we just let them grow to get our required thickness? Share your experiences.

 

[fore]

I have about 10-15 planted Shimpaku's. I prepared the bed first mixing in used bonsai soil into the soil. I then wired the whips and planted last spring. Some growth, but hardly any all yr. This is the second yr in the ground and most are finally kicking it into a higher gear. I will not cut off anything. Prob in a yr or two, depending upon growth, I'll spend a couple days on my belly wiring the new extensions for future trunk bends, or wiring to shape a future jin.

So far, I've had no problems/diseases at all. So I don't have tons of experience yet on juniper ground growing, but I'll share what little I do know lol

Good Luck!

 

[Jaberwky17]

I have one in the ground and haven't really done any training on it this year. I do have a question though - some of the lower foliage that I'm leaving to aid in trunk development is drooping on the ground. Should I watch for this and trim/wire as needed to keep foliage off the ground?

 

[Paulpash]

I have one in the ground and haven't really done any training on it this year. I do have a question though - some of the lower foliage that I'm leaving to aid in trunk development is drooping on the ground. Should I watch for this and trim/wire as needed to keep foliage off the ground?

Just leave it - when it hardens off a little you can wire to shape then ground layer it ....

Make sure your sacrifice branch rockets away - it needs to be strong to beef up that lower trunk. The one I have grown basically has 2 trunks of equal vigour - the sacrifice and the main branch leader. Keep other main primary branches unshaded, bushy but don't let them thicken too much... i've tip pruned these to back bud. Once the sacrifice is removed your main branches will get stronger and it'll be time to harvest in the next couple of seasons.

 

[JudyB]

Thanks Marie1, that is good solid easy info...

 

[AboveBeyond]

Just leave it - when it hardens off a little you can wire to shape then ground layer it ....

Make sure your sacrifice branch rockets away - it needs to be strong to beef up that lower trunk. The one I have grown basically has 2 trunks of equal vigour - the sacrifice and the main branch leader. Keep other main primary branches unshaded, bushy but don't let them thicken too much... i've tip pruned these to back bud. Once the sacrifice is removed your main branches will get stronger and it'll be time to harvest in the next couple of seasons.

Do you have any pics? I have a couple in the ground but they are bushy and have no leader.

 

[Smoke]

A forum without pictures is well.....just talk.....

 

[Smoke]

These are the opportunities that are manifested each day on this forum and never have any validation. Here is a perfect example of someone giving a very good response to how a plant should or could respond to certain technique in the ground. But we will never know because this poster has failed to show us what it did, not what it could do.


Did anyone ever notice how many bonsai books have been written over the last four decades and for the most part the author either does not "do" bonsai or does not have one picture of his own work in the book. When the picture credits are shown they are from all over the world.

Show us the sacrifice cut off, show us why you retained the leader you did. How much girth was achieved in the ground and what would be a resonable rate of return per year under average conditions?

These are the things even an old sage like me would like to see. I don't grow in the ground, I just buy what I need. It would be nice to see what I could do.

 

[pmalelis]

This was beginning to be a good discussion, lets keep it on track. I think there was another thread about what should and shouldnt be posted on the forum.
Anyone here have a field grown juniper progression series? My questions still remain on creating a prominent trunkline as junipers seem to lack apical dominance and seem to grow naturally as a shrub
I have taken pictures, I hope this thread and you all will be around over the next 5 to 10 so we can see my success or failure

 

[Smoke]

My questions still remain on creating a prominent trunkline as junipers seem to lack apical dominance and seem to grow naturally as a shrub

Thats because they are........

A picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe you could take a pause from the keyboard and show us a picture of what it is you seek. To grow an upright juniper will require staking and wire and a good amount of talent in bonsai design to achieve what ever it is you wish to accomplish.

What you are asking and what you have provided is akin to asking the forum how you can turn a Volkswagon into a Porsche.

 

[Smoke]

I have taken pictures, I hope this thread and you all will be around over the next 5 to 10 so we can see my success or failure

Hope you only want about a 1 inch trunk......

 

[pmalelis]

Hope you only want about a 1 inch trunk......

why yes, yes i do.

 

[Smoke]

why yes, yes i do.

Obviously you didn't read the thread in which you quoated. This is why experienced people don't wish to help. You already know everything. Good luck in your endeavors.

 

[pmalelis]

It was a joke relax....

 

[pmalelis]

Ok, pardon the poor lighting due to the sun and my tree is planted in the ground . Just as a clarification, I did my poorman's virt as to what I am trying to accomplish. So the green is the current trunkline I am developing for a future informal upright which already has decent taper from 1.5" at the base to a .25" tip . I clipped this year at (1), attempting to redirect growth back toward my planned future continuation in red (2)
There are better views of the 3 gallon plant in my other thread if you would like a better Idea of my start point. http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12217-Juniperus-Chinesis-Sargentii-var-Virdis All thoughts and advice are welcome.

 

[pmalelis]

or should clip #1 have occured further back to eliminate length of the straight section?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

At some point, quite a bit of the current tree is likely sacrifice growth, and will become deadwood, so it's too early to really tell. Grow it big and hard, leave everything and start to think about what the tree can become. As an example, see my shimpaku thread from over the last 2 years. 75% of the tree will become Jin and Shari, and the tree will be styled from just a few of the branches that comprise the best taper and movement.

 

[HumbleTrees]

To start, I am not giving advise but seeking it.

First picture: A guy wire pulls the current leader down.

Second picture: The resulting trunk lines. Blue line is the current leader, red line would be the new leader.

I am not sure what you are looking for, as far as final design goes, but would this kind of work defeat the purpose, or slow the development down to the point that it should be done later when you start killing branches off for jins?

the pics may be switched. sorry.

 

[pmalelis]

I see where your idea comes from, but I am taking a more macro view of this tree about how much styling vs letting grow actually occurs. I am leaning this route more as brian pointed out, yet not going to set it and forget it either. Perhaps just 1 or two clips a year only if a dominant branch gets overzealous and may change the trees over all look in the future.

 

[october]

Ok, pardon the poor lighting due to the sun and my tree is planted in the ground . Just as a clarification, I did my poorman's virt as to what I am trying to accomplish. So the green is the current trunkline I am developing for a future informal upright which already has decent taper from 1.5" at the base to a .25" tip . I clipped this year at (1), attempting to redirect growth back toward my planned future continuation in red (2)
There are better views of the 3 gallon plant in my other thread if you would like a better Idea of my start point. http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12217-Juniperus-Chinesis-Sargentii-var-Virdis All thoughts and advice are welcome.
View attachment 40751

This tree has potential. Actually, I would not have put this in the ground. In the next year or 2, you have a tree that could have some work done to it. This tree already has some decent thickness and some really nice movement. Personally, I would have liked to have more control over it. I mean while it's in the ground, it cannot be moved. If it was left in the pot or put into another pot. You can really control temperatures, water, fertilizer. If it gets sick, you can move it out of the sun and take care of it. You can still do these things, it is just a little more difficult.

Although it will thicken faster, I do not think it will be worth growing it in the ground. Unless you are going to wait several years. Also, during this time, if growth is not monitored and there are bad weather conditions, you may get dieback on the bottom/ middle portion of the tree. Which is going to come to bite you, because you want to keep the growth low and close to the trunk.

You might be using this tree as a learning tree in regards to ground growing. Nothing wrong with that. It is a nice tree.

Rob