Juniper garden centre practise...

[ac1986]

Evening all,

Picked this up cheap at the garden centre to play with. I've done nothing more than give it a ten minute trim at this point but would welcome any pointers. Didn't want to chop too much before I had more of a direction.

Cheers.

 

[Trenthany]

Evening all,

Picked this up cheap at the garden centre to play with. I've done nothing more than give it a ten minute trim at this point but would welcome any pointers. Didn't want to chop too much before I had more of a direction.

Cheers.

I’m in the same area except I’m also researching care lol. All I’ve done so far is clean off the trunks and branches a little so I could see them.

 

[leatherback]

Hi, good to see you starting off.

First lesson.. Do not start trimming from the inside. STart from the outside. See how far you can reduce branches without killing the tree. In bonsai, the challenge is in keeping to foliage close enough to the trunk to make something look like a tree.

You seem to have removed all growth from the innermost pat of the tree completely, leving you nothing to cut back to during styling.

So thinning out, yes. Removing weak inner growth in cotches: Yes. Reducing long branches. Yes: to viable side branches. This way, get an overview of the tree and the main branches. THen make a plan and do not remove lots of inner growth untill you have a plan.

 

[ac1986]

Hi, good to see you starting off.

First lesson.. Do not start trimming from the inside. STart from the outside. See how far you can reduce branches without killing the tree. In bonsai, the challenge is in keeping to foliage close enough to the trunk to make something look like a tree.

You seem to have removed all growth from the innermost pat of the tree completely, leving you nothing to cut back to during styling.

So thinning out, yes. Removing weak inner growth in cotches: Yes. Reducing long branches. Yes: to viable side branches. This way, get an overview of the tree and the main branches. THen make a plan and do not remove lots of inner growth untill you have a plan.

Thanks for the advice - it makes sense now you've put it in those terms so thank you. I think I was too keen to have the trunk on show and got a bit carried away.

 

[leatherback]

I think I was too keen to have the trunk on show and got a bit carried away.

guess we all start off that way

 

[ac1986]

guess we all start off that way

Despite everyone's (myself in particular) initial enthusiasm, the more you see and read the more you realise bonsai is a slow game. Lots of time and patience needed.

 

[leatherback]

and patience

only if you think the road is cumbersome. For me, the road is the aim. So I just enjoy the day to day development

 

[augustine]

Foliage and branching will grow back faster if planted in ground.