Juniper (procumbens nana) Cascade project

Dr3z

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Being new to this hobby, I've been reading and watching videos but felt I needed more hands on practice and so I picked up this Juniper.

This unremarkable specimen was chosen in large part due to the fact that I knew it was a species suitable for bonsai and it was available and apparently healthy. I liked that it was 3 gal thinking it might have a larger truck and hopefully just be more resilient overall. I also liked that two of the leaders showed promise for a Cascade (although one turned out to be a bust). I bought a pot matching one I already had knowing it had decent drainage and was the right size, while perhaps not traditional I thought it suited a Cascade.

I started my pruning by clearing the trunk area which was crowded by one of the leaders growing out horizontally and low, then focused on anything growing down, in the crotches or thinning competing branches that were too close to one another. I would have kept going but I was trying to be conservative and I could always take more off later. My pile felt like it was approaching 50% and my understanding was not to go more than 70% with 50% being much safer.

My vision lots of other techniques, for instance there is a useless branch between two of the main branches I can see thickening a bit and being turned into jin. But for now, I've skipped other techniques including wiring and will practice more if it's thriving later.

In an ideal world I would now let it recover but if I plan on being allowed to keep it I fear I need to work it into the aesthetic of our deck which means potting it. On one hand the soil is absolutely trash but on the other the stress of a full bare root. I've been reading about half bare rooting and I think that might be a good compromise.

Obviously lots left to do with it... I find I'm pinching off something every time I pass so might need to exercise some restraint but hopefully for a newbie I did alright.

Alright, now let me have it! First two pics are before.
 

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canoeguide

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That thread title tho.... :eek:

It's a pretty easy-to-grow species, and I've had no problems bare rooting relatively young ones in early spring with good aftercare. Get yourself some more trees or nursery stock so that you don't get bored and overwork this one!
 

Dr3z

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That thread title tho.... :eek:

It's a pretty easy-to-grow species, and I've had no problems bare rooting relatively young ones in early spring with good aftercare. Get yourself some more trees or nursery stock so that you don't get bored and overwork this one!
Haha, we'll call it a working title then. A work in progress not unlike the Juniper itself 😉

Finding other subjects it good advice otherwise dead trees will be the tax for my practice and over attention. I feel like this hobby teaches bonsai skills only secondarily and instead patience more than any other skill!

If you think it should be able to handle a bare root it would be nice to get it over with...
 

Orion_metalhead

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Same!

But I think you did a decent job for getting it ready for a good season of growth. I would maybe thin the top a little, to get light to the inside of the tree so that it continues sending resources to interior growth and doesnt kill off foliage closer to the inside. I would take off anything you know you dont need.
 

Dr3z

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Same!

But I think you did a decent job for getting it ready for a good season of growth. I would maybe thin the top a little, to get light to the inside of the tree so that it continues sending resources to interior growth and doesnt kill off foliage closer to the inside. I would take off anything you know you dont need.
There were vowel replacement spelling errors in the taxonomy that with some creative license could have been NSF. You'll have to use your imagination now! Who knew horticulturalists would have their minds in the gutter? I guess botany is rife with phallic language... @Bonsai Nut thanks for cleaning things up!

@Orion_metalhead
Your observation is well placed and helps quite a bit. I started from the base and worked my way up so as my pruning pile grew and I got to the top I was being far more conservative. It makes sense that it needs a little work there yet. I completed the repotting over the weekend and I essentially bare rooted it, I ended up needing to prune the roots as the whole 3 gallons pail was a mass. We got some below-freezing temps and good frost overnight however so I'm going to let things warm up a bit before trying to work on the top at all. I'll add some pictures after the next step.

For posterity, I found this after I did the pruning, and while it is a pretty simply illustrative, I still find it a helpful guide.
 

Dr3z

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I would maybe thin the top a little, to get light to the inside of the tree so that it continues sending resources to interior growth and doesnt kill off foliage closer to the inside.
I went at this again. First shot from inside foliage to get a sense of what I trimmed away. Second shows one of the upper branches that I think shows promising movement. Third shows the main two leaders and a branch between them, the in-between branch I'd like to thicken and then jin as I think it might look neat between the leaders that I plan to Cascade (I trimmed away significant branches off if it as I want energy into the brach itself mainly). Fourth gives a sense of how much more I removed. Fifth, shows from above...thin enough or keep working?
 

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Orion_metalhead

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Looks like you did a good job removing some extraneous branches.

Just leave as much good growth on branches you like close to trunk for cutting back to in future.
 

Dr3z

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Not sure what was going on but wasn't uploading all the images...
 

Dr3z

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Finally got these to upload...
 

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Dr3z

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Well this Juniper is waking up a little later than last year but so it seems is everything else. Looking for some guidance on where to take this.

The primary cascading branch is starting to come down nicely IMO and I've wired it so that is can curl around a little amd bring it down below the pot after constructing a stand. Where I'm really stuck is the secondary branches: one that sort if runs in parallel to the primary and a couple in the back that will start to Cascade if not dealt with.

  • I presume some need to removed altogether?
  • Those that stay proabaly need to be kept short?
  • Im thinking of starting to thin it out more now (I was somewhat conservative given I transplanted and styled heavily in year 1)
  • Any other thoughts?
 

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Arnold

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Whats the point of the big rocks on top? is not more difficult to know if the soil is dry or wet?
 

Dr3z

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I originally put them there to match a paired container with hens and chicks that were next to it (see the first picture in 2021) no more no less. They look nice when wet and add weight to the bowl (helpful on windy days, if the dog is coming through hot or if the squirrels are digging about) but functionally they serve little purpose beyond that. I do find they prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. As to monitoring the soil, I find that in the spring it's just waking up and nature is providing enough water so no need to touch the soil. In summer, it needs water every day it's not raining anyway so no need to monitor the soil. In fall it's less of an issue again. I know rocks are an unpopular substrate in bonsai from a traditional sense but I find them aesthetically pleasing in some situations. I can still wiggle my figure in if needed and a chopstick would make the task even easier.
 

Japonicus

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nature is providing enough water so no need to touch the soil.
I've gone straight from not watering much in Winter, to watering twice a day over a month ago.
The rocks also help secure the root ball if not secured to the bottom of the pot with wire.
Also, the roots could be up taking water deeper in the pot, and drying out, while appearing damp
directly under the rocks.

Colour is off on the foliage. Does not look healthy.
Remove rocks and heft the weight of the planting. It may've dried out
and one good drying out can be fatal, even if it does not need watering at the moment.
Rocks hold heat.
 

Dr3z

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I've gone straight from not watering much in Winter, to watering twice a day over a month ago.
....
Colour is off on the foliage. Does not look healthy.
Remove rocks and heft the weight of the planting. It may've dried out
and one good drying out can be fatal, even if it does not need watering at the moment.
Rocks hold heat.

Things are still waking up here, over the last week I've begun daily watering when it's not raining but before that, the buds were not even breaking. That said everything you say makes good sense. The next week or two will be telling for this tree. Honestly, we had a few extremely windy (and cold) days early in spring and I saw some drying and cold damage in those few days so I can appreciate that it doesn't take much. If its health suffered at all, I blame myself for not sheltering a couple of trees (including this one) during that week.
 

Japonicus

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Yeh, minus the rocks, hefting a pot can be a good practice in determining water needs.
Especially with lightweight pots. Heavier pots not so much.
Hoping you project pulls through, and that the off colour is just the photo.
Could you post a couple pics of the foliage up close?
Including areas that look like buds are pushing, and where not.
Take photos in the shade no flash, or indoors with flash several feet away.
Juniper as you might know, can display green colour even though it is past the point of no return.
Hopefully not the case, just a not so fun fact.
 
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