Question on Juniper Trunk Development

[walton1993]

Happy holidays everyone

Wanted to ask about growing the trunk of a juniper.

I purchased a small Juniper and was hoping to thicken it’s trunk. I repotted the juniper into a larger pot, about 12 inches in diameter (see attached photo).

I live in a tropical climate close to the equator (I think this means I have a growing season year round?).

Based on the photo, is this a setup that allows the trunk to grow / thicken reasonably well?Unfortunately, I don’t have space to grow the tree on the ground with reasonable sunlight.

I only hope I’m not wasting time with this setup, understanding that it could take years for the tree to develop. Any advice and feedback is greatly appreciated

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think the pot size is good for letting this tree grow, but it might take two years before it really takes off.
This is because there's so little foliage. For a juniper trunk to go fat, you'll need a lot of growing foliage. It's just not there yet. It could very well be possible that in a year time, the foliage will double. Next year it will triple compared to now. That's when the trunk thickening will happen.

Keep it in good health and fertilize it appropriately and I believe it will reward you.

 

[walton1993]

Thank you for the feedback. I

I think the pot size is good for letting this tree grow, but it might take two years before it really takes off.
This is because there's so little foliage. For a juniper trunk to go fat, you'll need a lot of growing foliage. It's just not there yet. It could very well be possible that in a year time, the foliage will double. Next year it will triple compared to now. That's when the trunk thickening will happen.

Keep it in good health and fertilize it appropriately and I believe it will reward you.

Thanks very much well noted

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

No problemo! I like the coarse foliage, do you know what type of juniper it is?

 

[walton1993]

No problemo! I like the coarse foliage, do you know what type of juniper it is?

Unfortunately I don’t . And I’m not sure how to identify it either

 

[Beanwagon]

Check my juniper/thread out.

Beanwagons Nana #1

This was the 1st Juniper Squamatta that i purchased. It has been very neglected. I put it in the ground and had planned to keep it there for as long as possible to thicken it up, however i have to move house now so i put it in the largest pot i could find. A picture from January 2016...

www.bonsainut.com

Mine started as a twig. Placed in the largest pot I could find. Gave plenty of water and let grow.

 

[walton1993]

Check my juniper/thread out.

Beanwagons Nana #1

This was the 1st Juniper Squamatta that i purchased. It has been very neglected. I put it in the ground and had planned to keep it there for as long as possible to thicken it up, however i have to move house now so i put it in the largest pot i could find. A picture from January 2016...

www.bonsainut.com

Mine started as a twig. Placed in the largest pot I could find. Gave plenty of water and let grow.

Super cool! Thanks for sharing.

Our of curiosity, is the size of my pot too small? Worried if it is too shallow at this stage and if it constrains growth. Separately, may I ask what soil mix you had for the first four years?

 

[Beanwagon]

Super cool! Thanks for sharing.

Our of curiosity, is the size of my pot too small? Worried if it is too shallow at this stage and if it constrains growth. Separately, may I ask what soil mix you had for the first four years?

I do not feel like I know enough about bonsai to confidently answer that but for me I have always believed the bigger the pot the better.

 

[W3rk]

I do not feel like I know enough about bonsai to confidently answer that but for me I have always believed the bigger the pot the better.

There is frequent commentary advising against over-potting (small tree in overly large container) actually. The explanation has to do with the water table in a pot and how water in a pot functions much differently than in the ground.

Where one draws the line - exactly at what point/when would you determine that a pot is too large for a tree I am not sure.

 

[Beanwagon]

There is frequent commentary advising against over-potting (small tree in overly large container) actually. The explanation has to do with the water table in a pot and how water in a pot functions much differently than in the ground.

Where one draws the line - exactly at what point/when would you determine that a pot is too large for a tree I am not sure.

I have seen that argument before. I usually what some may consider overwater my trees and have never had a drama. As I said though I do not feel qualified to give a definitive answer.

 

[sorce]

If you believe a root tip knows it's place in space, it could be argued a small pot is best because the roots realize "it's not getting any better than right here", when they turn at the edge, so they establish themselves quicker, sending feeders.

The rest you hear about pots too large is ALL MYTHS, that actually depend on your soil and watering habits.

Overly large pots are a waste of space and water.

Sorce