Lil Juniper #2

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
I just posted a pic in my blue point thread. That will be the last pic I post here. I will continue reading material here but no more postings of my trees.

Rick
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
Why are you quitting posting of pictures ???
BTW it looks like Shimpaku, very nice young tree.
I like your styling, if it were growing wild on a Mountain Top in Japan I suspect it would look just like you have it....
 
Last edited:

defra

Masterpiece
Messages
3,237
Reaction score
5,991
Location
The netherlands Zone 8b
USDA Zone
8b
again nice little tree Rick ,
are they on the same trunk below soil lvl ?

sad to see you dont want to post anymore i liked reading your threads
 

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
Yes they are on the same trunk line under the soil. I wish I could separate them as I think they would make nice individual trees. I'm not learning anything by posting them up because no one will tell me what I did right or in most cases, and I expect this, what I did wrong. I see things different than most people I guess, but that's what makes us all unique.

Rick
 

defra

Masterpiece
Messages
3,237
Reaction score
5,991
Location
The netherlands Zone 8b
USDA Zone
8b
ah i see well im still a beginner tough but here is what I see Rick.

looking at your wireing where they go from trunk to the branch there is some space between the wire and the branch so its kinda loose thats something to try to do better next time

the right trunk is going straight up maybe you could bend/pull it more leaning to the left so it Comes a bit closer to the left trunk
 

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
I can try that. Make it look similar to a windswept tree. I also feel one of them needs to be reduced down also but that's going to be difficult seeing I want the tree to stay small. Thanks for your input

Rick
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,330
Reaction score
23,227
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Sorry you feel that way. It is true that many of us won't comment on a tree that has little potential. So many new to bonsai don't take criticism well. And most of us want to encourage new members. So I want you to continue, and enjoy the hobby. All that really matters is if you enjoy what you are doing. I'm glad you want to learn. So I'll be honest.

This tree needs three to five years of growing out before it's first styling. It has very little character, nothing to work with.

Looking at the photo, the tree on the right looks like a dancer kicking it's leg in the air and moves to the right. It is straight and upright. The tree on the viewer's left is an okay slant moving left. The two trunks look like a divorced couple, one celebrating freedom, the other stalking away. They don't work together, one needs to go.

If this were mine I would Jin the straight right trunk. Then repot to a grow box or flat or nursery can and let it grow wild. Once each year, late summer or autumn, prune off straight growth, or wire straight growth and put bends in it. Don't really worry about style but do be consistent, keeping the tree "logical". In nature the same forces work on the whole tree. Don't worry about front or back, it is too early to style it. Get it bushy, you want a lot of branches to choose from when it is ready to style 5 years from now. Let one upper branch extend to become a sacrifice branch. It won't be ready to style until the trunk is over 2 inches in diameter.

That is what I'd do with this tree. Hope you don't mind the brutal honesty. You did ask for an honest answer. Main point, back to growing grounds for this one. It ain't ready yet.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,330
Reaction score
23,227
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Addendum, or correction. With junipers, never just prune off a branch. Always turn it into a Jin. Leave it as long a Jin as practical. When it comes to time to style tree, you then can choose which jins to keep, shorten to proper length. As you grow out, accumulate dead wood as much as you accumulate branches. You want to have choices once it is ready to style.
 

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
Addendum, or correction. With junipers, never just prune off a branch. Always turn it into a Jin. Leave it as long a Jin as practical. When it comes to time to style tree, you then can choose which jins to keep, shorten to proper length. As you grow out, accumulate dead wood as much as you accumulate branches. You want to have choices once it is ready to style.
OK I get what your saying. I really do, but I've been training these little trees to stay in a mame pot, and remain small and to be honest I don't see that as being a problem. Thanks for your honesty. I really appericiate it and my feeling didn't get hurt.

Rick
 

0soyoung

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,496
Reaction score
12,828
Location
Anacortes, WA (AHS heat zone 1)
USDA Zone
8b
Yes they are on the same trunk line under the soil. I wish I could separate them as I think they would make nice individual trees.
So, this can be as simple as making a knife cut in the crotch of the two stems (actually might not be necessary), taking it out of its pot, grabbing one stem in one hand, the other in the other, pull, and potting the two trees you now have. There is, of course, the possibility that one part separates with no roots (pot it like a cutting), but if you do the pulling apart carefully, you likely can correct the path of the split with a little knife work.
 

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
So, this can be as simple as making a knife cut in the crotch of the two stems (actually might not be necessary), taking it out of its pot, grabbing one stem in one hand, the other in the other, pull, and potting the two trees you now have. There is, of course, the possibility that one part separates with no roots (pot it like a cutting), but if you do the pulling apart carefully, you likely can correct the path of the split with a little knife work.
That easy huh.. I might have another idea for the right trunk..I will study it tonight for the possibility.if not I will go that route on next repot
Rick
 

defra

Masterpiece
Messages
3,237
Reaction score
5,991
Location
The netherlands Zone 8b
USDA Zone
8b
hope all of these comments got you motivated to keep posting rick!

looking forward to see what you Come up with!
 

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
This idea will only work if that right side branch will let me bend it.

Rick
 

Vance Wood

Lord Mugo
Messages
14,002
Reaction score
16,909
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
5-6
Part of the problem is that some tend to be critical of the responses that are offered to those ----- who do offer opinions. You have your reasons for getting un-involved, even if it is because no one wants to comment. That lack of response may be about the negative aspects about your tree which you may think is a masterpiece. You may get offended and leave, other people read this response and make the accusations that the responder is being mean and discouraging a new member. Before this goes any further, even at this point, the YOU in this post is only a hypothetical YOU not a specific YOU. See??? Even in this context there is no way to answer the question that does not invite a fire storm of bad feelings even if the opinion is offered with the best of intentions with no ill-will intended. The critique will invite criticism in itself and a lot of people will not always choose to go down that rabbit hole. The only solution is to put your feelings away and continue to post as many images as you have and see where opinions land. Many people will not like what you have done, many may like what you have done but may not care either way enough to say anything either way.

I have been on the site and have posted mostly here for more than twenty years, I do know what I have said to you is true. I have been down wind of many poop storms, many of which have been specific and targeted. Much is based on human nature and no one can claim anything other than that. But that does not mean you wont be targeted. You need to thicken up you skin and make someone explane what they mean by what they have said or not said.
 

Vance Wood

Lord Mugo
Messages
14,002
Reaction score
16,909
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
5-6
This idea will only work if that right side branch will let me bend it.

Rick
You need to research how to apply raffia, apply it slowly and carefully. Raffia is to help to distribute the stress around the entire exterior surface of the trunk without breaking it, instead of hitting one or two specific points on the trunk causing a break at a weak point. You cannot join a point broken this way and hope to have it re-fuse itself successfully.

Much of this battle is dependent upon your ability and willingness to accept criticism and act on the advise offered to achieve a goal. Another point is the willingness to accept failure and encourage the acceptance of that failure and the information as to why it happened. No one is going to offer you a solution that will definitely cause in a negitive outcome.
 
Last edited:

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,305
Reaction score
11,339
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
As Vance and Leo noted, many of us don't like to comment much on a newbie's trees, because we feel we should be honest in what we tell someone so that they can learn. Very often we have made the same mistakes and are trying to spare the person that pain.

All too often in the past, our honesty in telling someone that the tree they thought was a future masterpiece really isnt going to be that, was met with anger and resentment.

For myself, I just can't bring myself to mislead the person and tell them the tree is awesome when it's not. The saying, "if you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing" applies.

Instead we resort to letting the person figure it out on their own, which they usually do in a couple of years of more reading and seeing better trees. You're not alone, it's happened to most if not all of us.

So don't take it personally, keep working trees and keep posting. You'll learn along the way and some day the light bulb will turn on.
 
Last edited:

RickMartin

Omono
Messages
1,111
Reaction score
618
Location
Joplin, Mo.
USDA Zone
6b
So how is one suppose to learn then. Reading on it isn't going to cut it with so much contradictory out there. I don't post my trees because I think they are a masterpiece, I post them so others can tell me their weakness and their strengths. I have some pretty tough skin, but when I post and get nothing, I feel like I have wasted my time, and I've wasted enough of my life already, I'm done with that. This forum I assume was made to help people.if we don't do that why even have it. Thanks for your time everyone.

Rick
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
Rick style your Juniper in a way that please's you and live with it...you know enough to take a Starter and stick it in a pot with some Pruning & Wiring and you may consider it a Bonsai FWIW,,,If it please's you that is all that matters...

BTW Vance is considered a Master Bonsai Gardener and he speaks the Truth and 98% of the time the Truth Hurts....
 

Bolero

Omono
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
1,201
Location
Plymouth, Michigan
So how is one suppose to learn then. Reading on it isn't going to cut it with so much contradictory out there. I don't post my trees because I think they are a masterpiece, I post them so others can tell me their weakness and their strengths. I have some pretty tough skin, but when I post and get nothing, I feel like I have wasted my time, and I've wasted enough of my life already, I'm done with that. This forum I assume was made to help people.if we don't do that why even have it. Thanks for your time everyone.

Rick


Rick, Grow Up....
 
Top Bottom