My 1st Juni

[BubblePopScott]

Hello

My 1st Juni, just starting this as a place to track progress and ask for advice etc.

I'm very new and learning heaps, I have a conifer that I've started from nursery stock, and I've taken a whole heap of cuttings which i'll start next year once the roots are grown.

I bought this off a local guy already formed - I thought it would be good for me to practice looking after a bonsai in a shallow pot.

I have two questions if anyone has advice that would be great - assume i know nothing please.

• Should i wire this as a wind swept style so that all the branches are heading in one direction? At the moment it looks like 1/3 are going left and 2/3rds are going right.
• How do i water it, when i pour water onto it, it disturbs the substrate/stones/soil (told you i was new!)

Thanks,
Scott

 

[TN_Jim]

Welcome Scott.

I personally avoid windswept. I find it not often done in a way that is appealing. However, this form certainly can be stunning. It’s just not something that I’ve found so easy as it first seemed.

Regarding water, this (link) is a good start. Over time you will come to know and sense it more -what is happening and perhaps what could improve your tree just by the practice of watering. Is your soil only that red rock?

 

[Bananaman]

This is the most important part of the root ball on a juniper. This is where all the fine feeder roots are and yours now are dry and dying. Everything below that red oval can be cut away and the tree should be lowered in the container to the crown of the trunk which is where the trunk starts and where the roots start.

 

[BubblePopScott]

Thanks that video is a nice link.

the rocks are just decoration, there is some sort of soil mix below - i think its some kind of potting mix with pumice (i didn't pot this one).

what kinda style would you say this tree is currently in, is it considered a semi cascade (if not windswept)?

thanks for your help

 

[BubblePopScott]

This is the most important part of the root ball on a juniper. This is where all the fine feeder roots are and yours now are dry and dying. Everything below that red oval can be cut away and the tree should be lowered in the container to the crown of the trunk which is where the trunk starts and where the roots start.

View attachment 214830

Oh ok wow thanks for that. I assumed it was ok as the guy who sold it to me had over 100 bonsai some juniper where over 30 years old. Thanks for the advice I'll repot it asap

 

[bonsaichile]

This is a good time for you to repot it. A few pieces of advice: 1) Follow Al's recommendations on how to position it in the pot. He really knows what he is talking about. 2) keep some of the soil that is inside the rootball and replace the rest with a mix of pumice and lava. This will ensure you will not overwater it, but you will have to water it everyday, perhaps twice a day. 3) After repot, keep it away from full sun for a week or two, and then put it in full sun again, where it should stay the rest of your growing season.

 

[BubblePopScott]

This is a good time for you to repot it. A few pieces of advice: 1) Follow Al's recommendations on how to position it in the pot. He really knows what he is talking about. 2) keep some of the soil that is inside the rootball and replace the rest with a mix of pumice and lava. This will ensure you will not overwater it, but you will have to water it everyday, perhaps twice a day. 3) After repot, keep it away from full sun for a week or two, and then put it in full sun again, where it should stay the rest of your growing season.

Thanks, just to clarify I'm in the southern hemisphere late spring, just about to get into summer. Will it be ok to repot now? Also who is al? Thanks for the help

 

[bonsaichile]

Bananaman is Al. And yes, you should do your repottings in spring

 

[BubblePopScott]

Cool thank you

 

[TN_Jim]

not sure about presence of style? I have that same pot.

 

[BubblePopScott]

not sure about presence of style? I have that same pot.

Sorry I feel like a big dummy and not sure what you mean?

 

[TN_Jim]

robert smith was in something people called a raincoat band
however, as time went on (and before) his hair never looked like he was ever in the rain at all, was often all over the place -certainly not in the rain

still though, in the wind or not, bob smith made something special and different, seemingly regardless with apparent influences and forms

this old cure song speaks to much such style to me musically. regardless, i'd seek to find the utmost of approach to healthy before seeking forms

 

[BubblePopScott]

Ok thanks to the advice here I dropped the tree down into the pot further. I had to cut roots for it to go any further as the root ball was already sitting on the base of the pot. I cut around 1/3 of the roots off, tried to leave the root ball intact as possible. I played around with a Paua shell I had trying to make a rock pool. Might keep it might not.

 

[Japonicus]

@BubblePopScott as Sorce would say, "Welcome to Crazy"!
Next year you'll be either cutting back and wiring (not much more to do this year really
other than a quick clean out for air but not much pruning), planting in a grow out box,
the ground, or something generous to thicken up the trunk. Leave most all of the foliage to
gain strength from the Sun this year, then once new growth begins, start increasing the feed.

As @TN_Jim mentioned, I've read over and over here that windswept can be a challenging
and difficult style to achieve. I've never done one.

Last picture post 13, the 3 tips above the railing...the right one looks very promising for the
apex/main trunk line for the future.
Nice movement within Best of luck

 

[BubblePopScott]

Thanks Japonicus

 

[Japonicus]

Thanks Japonicus

Yeh, ya know, your options are wide open. Very easy to wire and bend now (after it recuperates
this Fall) to, knowing me, an informal upright using most all side branches, but the trunk line
I mentioned, does have a lot of interest compared to an informal upright.

 

[BubblePopScott]

Hi all had a go at styling, how bad did I do?

 

[BubblePopScott]

Update October 2020

 

[BubblePopScott]

Not the best photos but have reported this spring and trying to get a bit more height to the tree. Hard to see but the close up is some wire damage so I may cut off the cascade and start again but hesitant to do so needs a fine detail wire but may do this during winter. (Spring now)