repurposing shrubbery

[hoosiercheetah]

Okay, so I might be completely crazy. I have two juniper shrubs in my front yard. They're the scale-leaved kind, not the needle-leaved kind. They've been growing unrestricted for who knows how many years, and they had formed nice rounded mounds, about two feet tall and four feet diameter. I hate round shrubs. I was planning to rip them out.

Then, I started getting interested in bonsai, and I read that juniper is a good place for a newbie to start. So in the late spring of this year, I butchered my two juniper bushes. I cut out all of the ground-hugging branches back to the trunk. I left branches that were reaching out or up in the places I thought I might want them to be. Overall I think I cut about 60 percent of the foliage off of each bush. I'm going to wait until next spring to do any more cutting or to attempt any styling. My long-term plan is to try to shape them like bonsai, but to leave them where they are in the yard.

So the problematic part of this project is that the foliage that's left is mostly at the ends of long, thin branches. My question is, can I get the foliage to grow on the branches closer to the trunk, and is there any way to get new branches to grow lower on the trunk itself?

I'll try to get a few pics up, but I wanted to see if anyone has any thoughts first. Thank you in advance for any advice!

 

[Paradox]

Pictures would be a big help.

Some junipers back bud readily, others dont. The key is correct pruning and getting light into the inner areas of the tree.
Cutting 60% of the foliage at one time might be a little too much depending on the species of juniper and how healthy it is.

Bonsai is a slow process, dont rush it.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Yeah, I lost track of how much was coming off while I was cutting. When I stood back and looked at it, I thought I'd maybe gone a little too far. If they don't survive the winter, my next plan is to leave the dead trunks in the ground, and plant new trees up against them, like you would with driftwood.

 

[sorce]

They'll live.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Okay, here's some pics.

Bush One:

http://s1110.photobucket.com/user/hoosiercheetah/media/juniper bush bonsai/IMAG0426.jpg.html[/img]

Bush Two:

The reason I cut most of the branches that were low on the trunk is, those branches went straight out along the ground and were bare for a good foot and a half. So I didn't think they'd work very well.

I think maybe these guys would work for a literati style, but I think I'd still need to get the greenery thinned and wired into pads - does that sound right? Anyone see any other possibilities?

Edit: I have failed to correctly link the images. I'll keep working on that. I hate html. Sigh.

 

[Paradox]

Just load the pics to the site

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I didn't see a button to push for that. I suck at forums. I'll have to figure it out later today, or this evening. I'll get them up eventually!

 

[sorce]

I didn't see a button to push for that. I suck at forums. I'll have to figure it out later today, or this evening. I'll get them up eventually!

If you're on a desktop its easiest to just drag and drop them.

I'm dying here.

Sorce

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Okay, trying again. I had no idea I could drag and drop them. Here's the first plant, from several views

 

[hoosiercheetah]

And the second:

 

[Cotyledon]

That's not juniper

 

[hoosiercheetah]

That's not juniper

No? Any idea what it might be?

 

[Cypress187]

It's an evergreen conifer, so that doesn't help anything, welcome to the forum man.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

It's an evergreen conifer, so that doesn't help anything, welcome to the forum man.

If I get a close-up of the leaves, will that help Id them? And the big question is, can I still use them to learn and practice bonsai techniques?

 

[Cotyledon]

I think chamaecyparis pisifera. Looks like you could do something cool with it

 

[Smoke]

I just can't do it......

It's too soon...

Fo....forgive me

Foe...

nope couldn't do it.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I think chamaecyparis pisifera. Looks like you could do something cool with it

I like doing cool things! I'll look up that name and see if it looks a match.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I just can't do it......

It's too soon...

Fo....forgive me

Foe...

nope couldn't do it.

I'm very confused. What do you mean?

 

[Cypress187]

If I get a close-up of the leaves, will that help Id them? And the big question is, can I still use them to learn and practice bonsai techniques?

Well, it's a conifer so im the worst person to ask. You can train the foliage closer to the trunk (each year a little bit), but it's not as easy as an decidious (you can just wack/chop at most of them). Better ask someone else.

 

[M. Frary]

I just can't do it......

It's too soon...

Fo....forgive me

Foe...

nope couldn't do it.

No time like the present! If it feels good do it!