Procumben Juniper... Any Ideas??

[snowsurf125]

I got this Procumbens Juniper a few years ago, early on when I was getting started, because I like the nebari, and it seemed like it was a great tree, at the time. It wasn't very healthy, so I spent a year or so getting it healthy, then reduced the roots by about 50% into this pot. Its been growing since. I liked it a lot for a while cause it grew nice thick folliage pads (something I thought was a all it needed to be a great tree).
Over the last year or so, I have learned a bit more, and realized it didn't look like anything more than a trimmed up bush. I'm not too fond of it, but I'd like to be again. I dont see a lot of options with it, so Im looking for ideas.
The trunk is a little thinner than a coke can, depending on the exact angle. Ive thought about hacking it back pretty far and/or grafting shimpaku onto it, or possibly twisting it up like in Smoke's post. I was presented with the idea of a wind swept, but I'm not terribly fond of that.
Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[Dan W.]

I can't decide whether I like the first or the last angle best...leaning toward the last.

Either way I think I would begin by removing that first branch...either completely or to a jin. The jin on the rest of the tree looks like it may already be suggesting wind-swept?

I don't have as much experience as many of the others here...so I'd like to hear what they think...

 

[MACH5]

Perhaps I would try something like this.

 

[snowsurf125]

Thanks Mach. I love the idea and drawing. I have thought about doin a nice little cascade out of this. It will definitely require a bit of wiring and hopefully I'll be able to keep some of the larger, nicer jin and twist it up a little too. Should be some fun work when the season comes...


Dan, most of that jin came when I got the tree early on when I didn't know quite as much. I thought big green foliage and a handful of dead branches would make it look and be great. After a while, I realized much different. Thats when I started not liking it too much. And no I am looking for a fresh set of eyes for some ideas. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[MACH5]

Your main challenge is that all foliage is away from the trunk. You'll definitely need raffia to bend back all those long branches in closer harmony with each other and to the trunk itself.

 

[snowsurf125]

I wired this tree up a couple months ago and set the frame for it to do detail wiring maybe next year. I was going to wire the entire tree, but lately some of my other trees have either died or died back a lot, , so for the time being, I have gotten less eager and more patient with the things I have been trying. It is a little hard to see everything going on, but I put a bit of movement into it. I think the first picture is the front I am leaning towards, but I think the top needs to come forward more.

Any thoughts, criticism, likes?

 

[october]

Hello snowsurf125. I really like what you have done here. I agree that the first pic should be the front. Not only because the overall image is nicer, but more importantly, the base of the trunk. The base of the trunk in pic one is much nicer. Pic 2, the nebari is not as good and neither is the area above it. The trunk is usually the primary factor in choosing a front.

Rob

 

[D'Angelo]

With the last picture being the front in my opinion, I would remove the lower large left branch and wire the rest of the tree into a windswept design!!...but...that's just me!!

 

[jk_lewis]

And repot -- deeper in the pot. Those roots are a mess. The tree -- which is otherwise looking good -- seems to be perched on top of a nest of snakes.

 

[JudyB]

Nice job so far, already looks tons better. And your wiring and raffia is very neat. If you're going to have to look at it like that for a while, it might as well look nice!
Kudos.

(I agree about repotting lower...)