Opinion on this article

[Yoppyx]

Recently stumbled upon this blog post and now my whole beliefs on how to deal with junipers have potentially changed. This article suggests you only trim super elongated shoots and leave most of the new growth as is and unpinched. I thought that pinching in moderation was a requirement in order for the interior of the tree to receive proper air and light levels. Also if you don't moderately pinch, you will never be able to keep a juniper shohin size.

Any thoughts on this article would be appreciated: https://crataegus.com/2012/08/26/how-to-pinch-junipers/

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Article is correct, your thought is not.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The article is correct.

 

[Yoppyx]

Article is correct, your thought is not.

So should I pinch or never pinch?

 

[Yoppyx]

The article is correct.

I guess I'm still a little confused with how I should be handling my juniper chinensis. Is the general guide to let the tree grow, then cut it back or do you let it grow out. How do I maintain shape without weakening the health of the tree. I see so much advice online and in books that is contradictory. It is hard to tell whats up and whats down with bonsai advice sometimes.

 

[bonsaichile]

I guess I'm still a little confused with how I should be handling my juniper chinensis. Is the general guide to let the tree grow, then cut it back or do you let it grow out. How do I maintain shape without weakening the health of the tree. I see so much advice online and in books that is contradictory. It is hard to tell whats up and whats down with bonsai advice sometimes.

I think you might be confusing pinching (the removal of active growing tips) with pruning or cleaning the foliage (removing interior or crotch or weak shoots in their entirety, not just the tips)

 

[bonsaichile]

To be clear, it is piching the active tips that is not recommended. You should still clean the foliage to allow air and light in

 

[Yoppyx]

To be clear, it is piching the active tips that is not recommended. You should still clean the foliage to allow air and light in

In order to clean the foliage and allow air one must also reduce new growing tips as well. I guess the article just warns about pinching all new growing tips as junipers energy is stored in its foliage.

 

[bonsaichile]

In order to clean the foliage and allow air one must also reduce new growing tips as well. I guess the article just warns about pinching all new growing tips as junipers energy is stored in its foliage.

Exactly, which it was widely recommended some time ago, but not standard practice anymore

 

[sparklemotion]

Recently stumbled upon this blog post and now my whole beliefs on how to deal with junipers have potentially changed. This article suggests you only trim super elongated shoots and leave most of the new growth as is and unpinched. I thought that pinching in moderation was a requirement in order for the interior of the tree to receive proper air and light levels. Also if you don't moderately pinch, you will never be able to keep a juniper shohin size.

Any thoughts on this article would be appreciated: https://crataegus.com/2012/08/26/how-to-pinch-junipers/

There have been *a lot* of thoughts about that article over the years.

What it basically comes down to is that what Hagedorn called "pinching," in his article is not what a lot of people think of when we hear the word "pinch."

I feel like this article is better at explaining "what not to do": https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/07/25/juniper-pinching-pruning-and-wiring/

What you're describing is a little closer to what I would call "thinning out," which is, of course, necessary.

 

[Yoppyx]

There have been *a lot* of thoughts about that article over the years.

What it basically comes down to is that what Hagedorn called "pinching," in his article is not what a lot of people think of when we hear the word "pinch."

I feel like this article is better at explaining "what not to do": https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/07/25/juniper-pinching-pruning-and-wiring/

What you're describing is a little closer to what I would call "thinning out," which is, of course, necessary.

I'm still a tad confused how the shape of a juniper is maintained. Just trimming runners still won't be enough to shape the tree correct? Is it essential to trim more than just runners and if so what is the guideline to the percentage of foliage that can be removed each year. I think I read that reducing 15% foliage each year allows the tree to stay healthy and fully recover. So for with my Juniper, I "pinched 20% of new growth to open up the foliage and now its recovered and is going through another flush of growth.

 

[sparklemotion]

It's hard to discuss this without pictures. But let's try this... when I hear "cleaning the foliage to allow air [and light] in," what my brain sees is the progression from the first to second picture in this post: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/post-your-juniper-pinching-posts-here.22528/post-336772

Yes, growing tips are removed, but they aren't all mowed down in as a hedge, for the most part the cut was made from the "inside" of the foliage, which in the landscape pruning world is considered a "thinning cut" as opposed to a "heading cut."

 

[Yoppyx]

It's hard to discuss this without pictures. But let's try this... when I hear "cleaning the foliage to allow air [and light] in," what my brain sees is the progression from the first to second picture in this post: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/post-your-juniper-pinching-posts-here.22528/post-336772

Yes, growing tips are removed, but they aren't all mowed down in as a hedge, for the most part the cut was made from the "inside" of the foliage, which in the landscape pruning world is considered a "thinning cut" as opposed to a "heading cut."

Thanks this helps