Newbie styling

[Impatient_growth11]

Hello everyone! I am brand new to this whole process. I recently picked up some nursery stock of carpet juniper and boxwood and styled them. What do you think? Both of them started off as bushes, and the boxwood was a bunch of branches sticking out of the soil so I just clipped the ones I didn't like until I got to a single branch I thought had potential. I'm not really sure what I am doing so any advice would be awesome!

 

[Shibui]

Welcome to bonsai.
The wiring looks quite neat apart from a few crossing wires but more practice will help you work out how to plan to avoid that. No before pics so it is hard to assess how effective the wiring is. Wires don't make it a bonsai. They are just to help change the shape so not needed unless change is also needed. Many beginners just wire everything for the sake of putting wire on.
A couple f the branches on that juniper look very straight. Withe the bends in the 1st branch I would be following that with some similar bends in all branches for consistency of style and design.

You will surely get a range of opinion on how appropriate it is to style little, skinny trees like these so be aware there are many ways to develop bonsai and a whole range of standards of bonsai. Most beginners start out with skinny little sticks which usually gives us some good practice before graduating to growing trees with some real character and decent trunks.
You need to be aware that trees in small pots really slow down growth and development so these are likely to still be little skinny trees in 5 years. Many of us routinely develop our trees in larger grow pots or in the garden to get faster growth and only move trees into bonsai pots when they are well developed. I think it is worth getting some more trees to go in larger pots for future projects. That way you have the satisfaction of having a couple of 'bonsai' but also have some more potential developing for when you are ready to take the next steps.

Also be aware that, thanks to the WWW bonsai nut has readers all over the world. It is really helpful to add a location to your profile so others can modify advice to suit your particular local conditions.

 

[Impatient_growth11]

Response below.

 

[Bnana]

These are a nice start but need to grow and fatten up. That goes faster in a bigger pot (but there is no hurry).
It's hard to see from one photo but the juniper looks a bit flat, it needs branches moving towards the front and back. Brendon the branches can help with that. (But might look more flat than it actually is).

 

[Impatient_growth11]

Welcome to bonsai.
The wiring looks quite neat apart from a few crossing wires but more practice will help you work out how to plan to avoid that. No before pics so it is hard to assess how effective the wiring is. Wires don't make it a bonsai. They are just to help change the shape so not needed unless change is also needed. Many beginners just wire everything for the sake of putting wire on.
A couple f the branches on that juniper look very straight. Withe the bends in the 1st branch I would be following that with some similar bends in all branches for consistency of style and design.

You will surely get a range of opinion on how appropriate it is to style little, skinny trees like these so be aware there are many ways to develop bonsai and a whole range of standards of bonsai. Most beginners start out with skinny little sticks which usually gives us some good practice before graduating to growing trees with some real character and decent trunks.
You need to be aware that trees in small pots really slow down growth and development so these are likely to still be little skinny trees in 5 years. Many of us routinely develop our trees in larger grow pots or in the garden to get faster growth and only move trees into bonsai pots when they are well developed. I think it is worth getting some more trees to go in larger pots for future projects. That way you have the satisfaction of having a couple of 'bonsai' but also have some more potential developing for when you are ready to take the next steps.

Also be aware that, thanks to the WWW bonsai nut has readers all over the world. It is really helpful to add a location to your profile so others can modify advice to suit your particular local conditions.

Shibui,

Thank you so much! I appreciate your advice on the wiring. I did not take before photos. Honestly, the juniper's main trunk is not very pliable with the gauge of wire I am using (2mm), so it's not doing much I think, and the 1st branch already had a somewhat good curve going on. In terms of pruning the juniper, should I just let it grow free for now?

That's a little disappointing to hear. My understanding was that vertical root pruning and repotting like that led to better surface roots, so I kind of just hacked it down to get into a bonsai sized pot. Would it be prudent to move them back into a deeper pot at this point, or is the damage done?

Thank you for bringing that to my attention, I just added that information to my profile!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Greetings from the Forest, across the Great Lake, fellow cold-dwelling traveler! It’s alright, the Woody Dwarves (Pa-is) are NOT ones to forget the blankets.

Glad to have you here. This place is like a grand communal library of knowledge and experience... Take what you need... then start fillin’ your own shelves.

If you’re on the Peninsula.. you are colder than I am.. thas’cold..

If you’re “mainland” you are a touch warmer.

I won’t speak specifics of your trees with you yet.. it appears you already have some very able-minded folk “on it”.,

Just swangin’ through..

Pleasure to make your acquaintance.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Also.. deeper pots, YES, for development and.. um.. girth attaining..

Buuuuut you NEED TO (need to, need to, NEED to) understand just HOW “serious” a re-pot, or most any root disruption really IS to the tree... it is like open heart surgery.. root work is damn near the most traumatic, resource-consuming, insulting procedure you can perform.. and THAT’s EVEN when you time it right.. right now.. is the wrong time for repot.. and your tree(S) is(are) just recovering from this HUGE operation.. that’s bedrest for AT LEAST a season... DEFINITELY 1-2 years at the VERY least until it’s next “open heart surgery“..

So YES.. bigger, deeper pots... WHEN.. the time is right..

(wait for what the others say, too.. I’m kind of a goon )

 

[Tieball]

Adding to good information you’re getting…..keep all those roots covered for quite awhile. Covered and moistened when watering. Well covered so they don’t dry out.

 

[Shibui]

My understanding was that vertical root pruning and repotting like that led to better surface roots, so I kind of just hacked it down to get into a bonsai sized pot. Would it be prudent to move them back into a deeper pot at this point, or is the damage done?

Root pruning is a good thing. Cutting vertical roots to promote shallow laterals is a good thing. The tree should grow well after this root prune though it is usually done earlier in spring. What I was trying to get across is that when confined to a small pot growth really slows. Your tree has already had enough of a fright for this year. Repotting again now is counterproductive.

You have the choice to keep these trees in these little pots and have very slow growing trees for as long as they stay in pots but you will have something like bonsai OR next year they can be planted into larger pots so they will grow faster so development will speed up and they might even get thicker in 4-5 years instead of 25 years.
As you say, just file the info away for future.

 

[Potawatomi13]

All advice based on IF these survive being repotted at wrong time. Normally is done after last hard freeze just as growth starts. If surviving 2021 should be put in larger growing containers to develop decent sized trunks next season if wanting this. Patience grasshopper. After proper watering is hardest Bonsai lesson to learn.

 

[sorce]

I'm not really sure what I am doing

You're learning!

Welcome to Crazy!

I think you can find better material of both kinds.

That's certainly not to say you are wrong!

Sorce