Juniper from lowes

[Spudwrench]

Hey guys I've been reading and watching videos and trying to absorb as much info as possible. I got a bonsai tree already done about 8 years ago and life was too busy for me to care for it. Things have slowed down now and I'm ready to jump in and do it myself.

I picked up a Japanese juniper dwarf 2.6qt size. It's got a pretty nice spread going but still very small. Do I go ahead and start to shape it and start the wiring process or is it best to plant it and let it grow first?

 

[coltranem]

It depends please post pictures

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

I don't disagree with @coltranem 's recommendation - for people with some experience working with bonsai. However, there is also a certain benefit to getting your hands dirty (literally) when you are just starting out. A half gallon juniper is going to be a small thing. My recommendation would be to buy at least four. This is too late in the year to repot juniper in Georgia, so I would try to restyle them all... but make sure that you use wire and try as best as possible to use proper bonsai technique. You will make a ton of mistakes, break branches, prune the wrong thing, style it improperly, etc - but that is how you learn. You want to make mistakes like this on small cheap trees, so that when you eventually start working on more valuable material, you have already gotten your beginner mistakes out of the way. The only way to know when a branch is about to break... is to break a bunch of branches

Then after you work on your trees a little and feel like you are warming up to the hobby, go and take some classes - either at a local bonsai store or at a bonsai convention. You will grow exponentially working with an instructor.

 

[sorce]

You want to make mistakes like this on small cheap trees, so that when you eventually start working on more valuable material, you have already gotten your beginner mistakes out of the way.

Like busting your knuckle on a sharp flange.

Sorce

 

[Spudwrench]

Thanks for the tips it is sort of small. I was thinking I would trim back the pot to expose the main trunk more and possibly shave back the roots some

 

[W3rk]

Thanks for the tips it is sort of small. I was thinking I would trim back the pot to expose the main trunk more and possibly shave back the roots some

One of the first things you want to try to do is open up the tree a bit to see what's underneath/inside. Removing some of the soil on top to expose the trunk more and see where the main roots are will definitely help that. Another step to open it up can be to remove dead foliage or branches. You might also have to just pull branches to the side for an interior view to see what your main/best branch options are and how you can edit the tree and pick some branches/foliage to remove.

Ryan Neil/Bonsai Mirai started a beginner video series that talks about material selection and these preliminary cleaning up steps to better find what your material has to work with.

 

[Spudwrench]

One of the first things you want to try to do is open up the tree a bit to see what's underneath/inside. Removing some of the soil on top to expose the trunk more and see where the main roots are will definitely help that. Another step to open it up can be to remove dead foliage or branches. You might also have to just pull branches to the side for an interior view to see what your main/best branch options are and how you can edit the tree and pick some branches/foliage to remove.

Ryan Neil/Bonsai Mirai started a beginner video series that talks about material selection and these preliminary cleaning up steps to better find what your material has to work with.

Ok I will go watch it thanks for the info

 

[James W.]

Thanks for the tips it is sort of small. I was thinking I would trim back the pot to expose the main trunk more and possibly shave back the roots some

Instead of cutting the pot down pull the tree out of the pot. When you are done messing with it, just drop it back into it's pot. Unless when you start to knock it out all the soil starts to fall off.