Riveved Juniper

[Stella]

This juniper started out as a big bush for a club competition.
Received 1st styling and repot in 2019.
End of 2020 it suffered tremendously but I couldn't discover the cause.

3 months ago I cut of everything dead and dying and this was what was left.

Then it started to look better every day and now I'm seeing new growth

27 Aug I did a repot with a major change. Will leave it another 2-3 weeks to just recover, then I want do do some wiring.

Please help me with some styling advise?
I know it is still not a certainty that the tree will survive, but I would like to think that it will

It will probably end up in the mame category with this new angle and little foliage to work with. The main trunk ending in deadwood is just about 2cm off the ground

 

[Shibui]

I would be waiting much longer than a few weeks after repotting to do any sort of work on a juniper. Doing too much close together can kill junipers. Rushing to 'finish' a juniper bonsai can actually finish the tree completely.
Any sick or stressed tree should be given time to recover and grow to replenish stores and vigor.
One of the problems you are having in seeing inspiration is that there is so little to work with here. When the time comes and this tree is healthy and vigorous enough to work on post some photos from different angles. It is almost impossible to give good advice on style from a single 2D, out of focus photo.

 

[Stella]

So far my idea is to bend that branch back and creating a semi cascade in the direction of the deadwood. Having that 2nd branch with the most foilage surrounding the deadwood.
My teaching rendering skills are very poor, but I will attempt a sketch later today

 

[Paradox]

I agree with @Shibui
It needs more time

 

[Stella]

Ok thanx. Will give it much more time then.

Should I fertilize this like pines every week to help it gain strength?

So far, this sketch is the best I can do to portray my basic idea. I also included a picture of the pot I might end up using should this be able to work

 

[sorce]

I know it is still not a certainty that the tree will survive

It must be certain.

There is a recent thread on "stages" we find ourselves in.

One of the most important and hard to define stages is this one where we change over from uncertainty to certainty.

Just as underwatering can cause instant death, where overwatering is a slow process to problems which lead to death.

Cutting too much can cause instant death, where leaving excess foliage is a slow process to ruining design, and gives life.

It's easier to find solutions in the time made available by the slow processes.

The large question though, is what happened at the Repot in 19? How much did that have to do with the decline of 20?
IMO, it was either a pest infestation or a lack of water.
If we don't figure it out, you will not be able to move to the next stage.

IMO, this tree is ready for the "backburner of sentimentality". A place in the ground, or tucked somewhere it will get water and no other attention.
Which is the kind alternative to...
Throw it out and start over if you value your time to as little as $3/hr.

Sorce

 

[Stella]

thank you. yes, I saw that thread and enjoyed it very much.
lets call this tree a as a stage of stepping up creativity and providing a serious learning curve.

I do think the decline was due to pests as I lost 6 trees in those 3 months - junipers and elms.

it is now planted in a much better growing medium, so has the best chance ever of completely recovering.
It's been spending almost a whole year now recovering. I am over the moon with the new growth starting to show and taking it as a very good sign

 

[Forsoothe!]

The drawing looks back-asswards. (You were right) You screwed this up, or down, to a shohin, and you need to prove you can keep it alive until the time for another suspect move, by you. Junipers are wired in late autumn/early winter. "See you... in September..."

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

This looks like a procumbens. Those are usually pretty cheap in garden stores; about 10$ a pop.
If you get a couple more, you can do whatever you want to learn how to take good care of them, what works and what doesn't.
That's a 30 dollar 12 month lesson that nobody else can teach you.
For me, cheap material scratches that itch of wanting to do more in a limited time span. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But there's always something to pick up information wise.

 

[penumbra]

Let the poor thing rest. One miracle a year is pretty good. Just take care of it and let it grow a year or better two years.
The potential is there for something pretty special, unless you rush it and kill it.

 

[Stella]

Very happy to see so much new growth. This little tree is definitely a survivor. Even see a bunch of new buds.

 

[Housguy]

Nice it is growing, now let it keep growing until those shoots are long, that promotes root growth and strength for your tree! Once those shoots are nice and long, say 6 to 12 inches or longer, then look to cut back and style your tree. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Stella]

Thank you for all the advise. taking on everything posted, my plan is to not do any cutting back in the next 2 maybe even 3 years.
but I will do some basic styling just after the heat of summer breaks a bit.
spring has just started here - here in South Africa our spring and fall are almost non existent - summers are long and very warm with no easing into it - spring weather for about 2 weeks then it full on heat wave after heatwave.
so will take extra care with watering and fertilizing for the next 6 months and then depending on the weather in March I will do some wiring just to get the one big branch in position.
stated previously that wiring should be done in fall - if March is still to warm I'll wait till April.

 

[Stella]

A baby praying mantis baby has taken residence in my juniper. The smallest one I've ever seen

 

[Stella]

As this tree recovered so nicely. 5 months after the repot I wired the main branch in January.

 

[Stella]

Today another 4 months later I wired the small branches. We are strongly in autumn with winter coming in early.
This little tree is growing strongly.

I cut the pot away a bit a I do not want to repot this coming spring.
(Although the previous report was more of a slip pot - I would rather give the tree another season before I start doing anything with the roots)

I would like to get it a bit more compact, but I would rather do it in stages and do some more bending next year

Getting closer to the initial picture I had in mind

 

[DanaWhicker]

This is an inspiring comeback for that little guy. I have a juniper in a pot that I bought in an estate sale that looked fine when I bought it but now I realize it may have already been doomed. I'm trying to save it.

 

[Shibui]

Great to see one come back.
Congrats on a great job of styling. I love the dynamic movement instead of the usual 'balance'

 

[Stella]

Winter is just about over here. Here is some pics before spring growth. The tree is budding out like crazy
Unfortunately the little potential apex died. There is a tiny little bud right at the base of the Ded branch so I'm happy about that

So main branch was wired in Jan and side branches for styling in April. I'll probably wait another month or 2 to remove the wire or should I wait till it bit in?

 

[Shibui]

I think it is good that your potential apex has died. This tree looks so much more windswept with all the branches going left it would be a pity if there was an apex going right up at the top.
I would keep developing the branches as you have them.