My crappy attempt at literati style (procumbens juniper)

[Kiani]

I picked this juniper up around a month ago when I knew very little (and still do) about bonsai, and in hindsight I should have picked a better specimen with taper on the trunk and really picked something that I had a vision for its future. Well, here I am a month on and decided to go for a literati style on my first nursery bonsai. Personally I don't think it looks good, and I have no idea how to style it from here on or how to improve it. So I ask for your honest critique on the next step for this tree.

Before and after

Another angle

 

[Smoke]

Looks pretty good to me. I have no idea about your level of expertise, but based on how long you have been here, I would be proud. I think the next step is to do some wire on some of those branches and do some fine styling. Spread some foliage and remove some to open each foliage pad. Clean out some of those crotches inbetween the brachlets and allow some air to get in there. Keep those branches pruned back and do not allow them to elongate and maybe it will get some buds back in on the bare part of some of those branches.

As you do more wire add some shape into the primary portion of the branch so they don't just look like ribs on an umbrella. When you get that all done I think we will see an improvement again.

Good job.Al

 

[buddhamonk]

that's a big shari for that small of a tree. Hopefully it lives

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

To echo Al, you are actually doing quite well. You've understood some basic aesthetic principals for adding interest to a tree... and that is an accomplishment. Al's advice is as usual, spot on... so my comment is just an encouragement. What you learn from how this tree reacts to the design will teach you a lot as well. But you live in a region which is very conducive to growing juniper... so I don't think you'll have any problems with all the shari on a tree this young.

Good luck.... Victrinia

 

[ghues]

Hi Kiani,
One thing that most will agree on is that you will have learn to be patient and most of us in the early years have killed a few trees due to the lack of it lol.
It will be interesting to see how the tree responds to the shari work you’ve done.
For your consideration on the design of the tree…perhaps a future repotting idea would be (using the second picture) to angle the tree more upright and to the left…i.e. put a block of wood under the right side of the pot and you should see what I mean. I also think it would look nice in a smaller round pot.
Cheers
Graham

 

[Kiani]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. I was expecting a list of all the mistakes I had made lol. Thanks Smoke, I'll work a little on the foliage pads this weekend.

Thank you Victrinia for the encouragement. Graham I was also thinking that a smaller oval pot would suit this style better, but I just re-potted this tree last month.

 

[HotAction]

Looks pretty good to me. I have no idea about your level of expertise, but based on how long you have been here, I would be proud. I think the next step is to do some wire on some of those branches and do some fine styling. Spread some foliage and remove some to open each foliage pad. Clean out some of those crotches inbetween the brachlets and allow some air to get in there. Keep those branches pruned back and do not allow them to elongate and maybe it will get some buds back in on the bare part of some of those branches.

As you do more wire add some shape into the primary portion of the branch so they don't just look like ribs on an umbrella. When you get that all done I think we will see an improvement again.

Good job.Al

I agree with everything Al has to say with the exception of the bold text. While developing juniper Bonsai, it is important to LET the branches elongate. This makes the plant healthy, then you prune back to interior branches and rewire. If a juniper doesn't have long shoots it isn't ready for work.

Dave

 

[october]

Hello Kiani.. This is a nice little tree and a nice start to your bonsai collection. In about 2-3 years, when it can be repotted. A small round pot, as suggested, would compliment the tree. Here are a couple of virts.

 

[Kiani]

Hi Kiani,
One thing that most will agree on is that you will have learn to be patient and most of us in the early years have killed a few trees due to the lack of it lol.
It will be interesting to see how the tree responds to the shari work you’ve done.
For your consideration on the design of the tree…perhaps a future repotting idea would be (using the second picture) to angle the tree more upright and to the left…i.e. put a block of wood under the right side of the pot and you should see what I mean. I also think it would look nice in a smaller round pot.
Cheers
Graham

Hi Graham, you mean like this?

Hello Kiani.. This is a nice little tree and a nice start to your bonsai collection. In about 2-3 years, when it can be repotted. A small round pot, as suggested, would compliment the tree. Here are a couple of virts.

Hi October, thanks for the pot suggestions, i think it would look a lot better in one of those too!

 

[Ang3lfir3]

a very nice beginning to a design

In about 2-3 years, when it can be repotted.

^^^^
pay VERY VERY close attention to this piece of advice....

You've done more than enough to this tree since you purchased it .... junipers can take months (as much as 6 sometimes) to show any signs of ill health/death ....

you need to let this tree grow on for a while until you see some nice extensions ... then cut back as Al stated .... healthy unstressed trees developer faster than weak/sick/dieing/dead trees .....

junipers are tough tho...so lets hope for the best

 

[dick benbow]

While your waiting for the tree to respond to your efforts, here is a nicely done background on literati that might come in handy as you work to refine your masterpiece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27mzdermc8&feature=related

Like the others before me, I'd like to be encouraging to you for your artistic efforts and yet always tempering our artistry to be done with the trees health as Paramount.

Nice to see several posters here in the bremerton area. I'll be speaking at the Pacific northwest Association of koi clubs in Silverdale on the weekend of August 11th and working to get our Suiseki club to make a presentation there as well. The first weekend in April, I'll be puting on a bonsai demonstration for sakura-con in downtown seattle . Would enjoy meeting those local who post here.

 

[Michael T]

Less is more.

 

[HotAction]

a very nice beginning to a design


^^^^
pay VERY VERY close attention to this piece of advice....

You've done more than enough to this tree since you purchased it .... junipers can take months (as much as 6 sometimes) to show any signs of ill health/death ....

you need to let this tree grow on for a while until you see some nice extensions ... then cut back as Dave stated .... healthy unstressed trees developer faster than weak/sick/dieing/dead trees .....

junipers are tough tho...so lets hope for the best

There, I fixed that typo for you.

Dave

 

[Shimpaku]

Not trying to be a spoiler, but the number one rule of Bonsai is to retain the health of the tree. I think that you may have severely compromised that with all that has been done to this tree in a very short period of time. Personally, I liked how the tree was developing in the "before" picture in the beginning of thread.

When I buy something that strikes me, I leave it for a year and completely plan what I want to do before picking up pruning shears. I often go back and forth several times before settling. Unfortunately, as mentioned, you will have to wait with this juniper to find out if the stress has killed it. I would also stop moving it around.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

There, I fixed that typo for you.

Dave

LOL sorry about that....... Dave and Al ...... hows that