Need help styling nursery juniper!

[Tieball]

Continued growth. After I few years of growth, or some intentional grafts, I’d start a migration of the foliage to the left. But still leaving the weight centered more toward the right. Just daydreaming, coloring and wondering what could be. Sort of a......What if? Both are significant departure from where you are right now. But quite possibly achievable with growth....and patience. Rushing won’t work. Tree health is important. Back budding is key....if you’re fortunate to get buds.

 

[Paradox]

Whatever you do, you NEED to let this tree recover. You did A LOT of work in a very short time. If it survives give it until spring 2021 before you do anthing else.

 

[Pitoon]

That exposed root is distracting in my opinion.

 

[HENDO]

Thanks All for the guidance on this one. The exposed root will be the next to go for sure, and then I'll work towards a shape closer to what Tieball has shown.

It will be a long rest period for now for this guy - fingers crossed that it will survive the last round of work done.

Thanks again!

 

[Tieball]

Will be good to see where you take this tree.

 

[HENDO]

Hey All and thanks again for the support on this one. In hindsight I should've taken your advice and STOPPED working on it, but being new and impatient I couldn't help myself. Update... it's now dead!!!

Well, lesson learned for sure. This is the biggest tree I've killed. I now hang it above one of my benches and use it as a reminder of what not to do, and to practice carving with

 

[canoeguide]

There are exceptions to every rule, but the prevailing wisdom is to give a tree "one insult per year."

I think of it as reducing variables, so that I know what works and what doesn't. This tree encountered multiple stylings, removal of a lot of foliage on a juniper which weakened it, a repotting that possibly included bare-rooting and removal of some roots, some kind of aftercare, watering, etc. and whatever weather and conditions during this time. This list isn't intended to lecture or scold you at all, but to illustrate that with that many variables, it may be impossible for you to know what actually was okay and "worked" or didn't.

By performing one thing (or "insult") at a time, we keep the number of variables to a minimum, improve the tree's ability to recover, and can draw better conclusions about what works well and what doesn't.

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