Spacetime
Seedling
I recently went to a bonsai store and my wife picked up a juniper. So far I have just been watering and watching it. Any recommendations on how to further refine this tree?
Refining a juniper
- Thread starter Spacetime
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bonsaichile
Omono
yes, start by taking that rock out
Shinjuku
Mame
@bonsaichile has a good point. There are multiple reasons to remove that large rock. The practical reason is that it when you pour water on the soil, it will physically block water from seeping down into the soil underneath the rock. It creates a “dead space” in the soil where roots cannot get water.
The next thing that you can do is keep it outside. I’ll skip the physics explanation, but sunlight through a window is just a small fraction of the brightness of sunlight outside. This particular tree needs very bright sunlight, and lots of it. If you keep this tree indoors, even next to a window, it will most likely die within a year or two.
Watching it and learning to water it, as you’re already doing, is a great place to start. Keep reading and learning, and I hope that you a lot of enjoyment from bonsai.
The next thing that you can do is keep it outside. I’ll skip the physics explanation, but sunlight through a window is just a small fraction of the brightness of sunlight outside. This particular tree needs very bright sunlight, and lots of it. If you keep this tree indoors, even next to a window, it will most likely die within a year or two.
Watching it and learning to water it, as you’re already doing, is a great place to start. Keep reading and learning, and I hope that you a lot of enjoyment from bonsai.
bwaynef
Masterpiece
The main thing I wish I'd learned earlier is how to clean juniper. Remove foliage growing down. Remove crotch growth (in areas you won't be cutting back to the crotch growth. This is how you keep the tree dense and small). Remove the first 1/8-1/4" of growth along a branch. (It makes wiring much simpler.) Remove branches growing in the wrong places. Thin down to two branches most every where.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
...while the tree is not a Juniper, Ryan coaches the fellow thru an initial pruning to establish some structure......
….pretty much "this"...
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
That thick branch above the rock should get removed sooner than later. You can root it next Spring.
Unless you feel like removing the rest of the top, leaving only that Branch. Ponder that thru the winter.
If you are watering correctly, the rock should have no impact.
But it can break your pot, on....impact
Sorce
Unless you feel like removing the rest of the top, leaving only that Branch. Ponder that thru the winter.
If you are watering correctly, the rock should have no impact.
But it can break your pot, on....impact
Sorce
bwaynef
Masterpiece
I second the removal of that low right branch. Its coming from (at this angle) the inside of a curve and has no movement or taper. (I'd probably use it for cuttings or treat it as one big cutting, ...but I'm learning to just 15Augthrow things away.) Also, I'd strongly consider compressing those bends. If you don't have a bonsai jack, use this as an excuse to justify the purchase. (You don't have to tell your wife that you MIGHT could get by with the judicious use of a bar clamp. They're clunkier and you give up a bit of precision.)
River's Edge
Masterpiece
The first step is to learn how to care for the tree and keep it outside.
As for a plan forward I would airlayer the tree trunk at the first bend next spring. This will remove the straight section and inverse taper giving the tree a better look and much more powerful base.
I agree the lower right branch needs to go, but i would keep it for the time being to provide extra strength for the air layer. It can be removed at any time. Once the tree is reestablished on its own roots. ( after the air layer) then the design work can begin. At this point you should learn how to thin foliage, wire branch and pad structure for future shape.
Junipers air layer very easily and the improved nebari will be another improvement for the tree. Three for the price of one simple technique!
Straight section gone, inverse taper gone, nebari improved.
If you are looking for some helpful literature i would suggest " Junipers"
Growing and Styling Juniper Bonsai available online through Stone Lantern.
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Spacetime
Seedling
Thank you all for the advice. I plan to get that book and educate myself more on junipers and then begin thinning out the foliage and working on the pads. I haven’t airlayered before so I’m excited to try that out. And by turning this tree into multiple trees I could probably justify the purchase of a bonsai jack to my wife. The rock hs been removed as it was getting in the way of watering.
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