Saybrook Gold Juniper

[Kodama]

So the guy at the nursery was trying to get rid of this castaway Saybrook Gold Juniper for $15 and I couldn't pass it up. I recently pruned just a few branches that will not be needed in efforts to clean it up just a little and get an idea of what to do with it. I also wired a few other branches to space things out a little and get some kind of new apex direction. Then I seen this model of a Semi Cascade and was wondering if this material is even a potential candidate for this kind of styling? It looks out of control. Probably still too many branches. Before proceeding any further I want to get this repotted in early spring and then really work on styling the year after. Wanted to get some ideas from the community. Thoughts...suggestions?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Missouri botanical gardens classifies this as a variety of Pfizer or Media junipers, which are hybrids between Chinensis and Sabina. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=256561&
Some have sabina traits, some have chinensis traits. But most of the pfizers are known to have coarse foliage that is hard to work with. Some pure sabina junipers from the mountains have very tight foliage, so do pure chinensis, but hybrids of the two tend to have a more open structure. This'll make it hard to form pads on them.
They are known to be very vigorous and very forgiving though! I cut one in half vertically, during a freezing winter, wired and repotted it in a single go, and it's still kicking two years later.

To my experience, they don't backbud very well, so it's wise to make use of the foliage that's there. Also consider grafting shimpaku, grafting is easier than most people think.
They're also pretty susceptible to borers and rust is pretty common in older specimens. So that's something to watch out for.

I have no input to give considering styling other than that I wouldn't do a cascade. There's some good motion in the fist half of the trunk and plenty of branches that could be new leaders. Tilt the pot to the left and you might find something you haven't seen yet.

 

[Kodama]

Missouri botanical gardens classifies this as a variety of Pfizer or Media junipers, which are hybrids between Chinensis and Sabina. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=256561&
Some have sabina traits, some have chinensis traits. But most of the pfizers are known to have coarse foliage that is hard to work with. Some pure sabina junipers from the mountains have very tight foliage, so do pure chinensis, but hybrids of the two tend to have a more open structure. This'll make it hard to form pads on them.
They are known to be very vigorous and very forgiving though! I cut one in half vertically, during a freezing winter, wired and repotted it in a single go, and it's still kicking two years later.

To my experience, they don't backbud very well, so it's wise to make use of the foliage that's there. Also consider grafting shimpaku, grafting is easier than most people think.
They're also pretty susceptible to borers and rust is pretty common in older specimens. So that's something to watch out for.

I have no input to give considering styling other than that I wouldn't do a cascade. There's some good motion in the fist half of the trunk and plenty of branches that could be new leaders. Tilt the pot to the left and you might find something you haven't seen yet.

Thank you for this info and suggestions. Do you have a photo of yours you can share? I'll be rethinking my original plan...lol

 

[Kodama]

Now I've been searching for Pfitzer Juniper and is giving me hope after seeing this.

Styling a lanky Pfitzer Juniper | I collected this juniper in 1979 and never bothered styling it until this summer. | By Bruce Baker Bonsai | Facebook

I collected this juniper in 1979 and never bothered styling it until this summer.

fb.watch

 

[Forsoothe!]

This isn't my bailiwick, but I would offer that you should wire the biggest limb/trunk/whatever and see what you can do with it. That will govern the principal design flow and proceed from there with a design. It doesn't matter what you wanted to do in the first place, that big wood will limit everything.

 

[Kodama]

This isn't my bailiwick, but I would offer that you should wire the biggest limb/trunk/whatever and see what you can do with it. That will govern the principal design flow and proceed from there with a design. It doesn't matter what you wanted to do in the first place, that big wood will limit everything.

Thanks for the helpful tip! I'm sure I'll be staring at it way longer than I should.