Japanese Juniper Help!

treebeard55

Going back to your first question ... remember that all the basic bonsai styles are based upon the growth habits, and images, of full-sized trees.

And for most of us, it's best to follow the styles until we've got some solid experience under our belts. But I think we need to be prepared to bend the styles if that's the best way to reproduce the image of a real tree, one we see in front of us.

__________________
Treebeard 55

"... the Lord God made all kinds of trees ... trees that were pleasing to the eye ..." (Genesis 2:9, NIV.)

Advertisement

BonsaiSteve1

I bought it for $9.00.

I have not brought it outside yet, I purchased it in winter (very cold where I am) and it was indoor in a greenhouse. I did not want to bring it home and set it outside thinking the cold would kill it. I will put it outside very soon and leave it there. I will take this advice and put it either in a larger pot or put it in the ground and let it go for a few years.

Thanks!

jeremy_norbury

Oh - and the best way to make it grow faster is to buy a whole bunch of small plants and seedlings from the local garden center/DIY superstore. When you've got more, you'll have less time to watch the one. I have 300 or more - they all seem to grow like weeds...

__________________

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
I told you I was ill. Spike Milligan's Gravestone

BonsaiSteve1

Ok, I repotted it (very carefully because the last potting was just a few months ago). I think it looks 10x better. I will be going for the cascade or semi-cascade style.

I am going to let this do its thing for at least 2 years. There is lots of room in this pot so the roots can grow and I'm hoping the trunk will fill out.

Any comments??

Attached Images

picresized_th_1207285475_P1020270.jpg (58.6 KB, 21 views)

clrosner

Junipers are a lot of fun, but you have to pinch new growth constantly during the growing season. Here are two pictures I dug up from my archives. The first one was taken in 1998 and the second two years later.

When I looked at your tree, the trunk is perfectly vertical. If and when you repot, you could lean the trunk to one of the corners of a cascade pot. That way you can direct the tree into a cascade rather than a semi-cascade. Try to alternate the branches so that a branch is on the outside of a curve. (wire the main branch to accompish that fact.)

You can cover the soil with plastic screening (using tape or rubber bands) and lay the pot on its side to point the tip of the cascade toward the light for several days at a time to encourage the tip to grow toward the light.

I'm sure that you will recieve many terrific ideas. The main thing is to have fun and enjoy your tree. You are the final say. All of these ideas are just suggestions!

Good luck!

Attached Images

	JUNIPER 01 cascade old 1998.jpg (32.1 KB, 16 views)
	JUNIPER 01 cascade 101800.jpg (52.1 KB, 21 views)

__________________
Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]:
www.carlrosner.com

PatArizona

G'day Steve...

Welcome to the wonderful world of bonsai...

Your bonsai is a Juniper, and Junipers are outdoor plants...so, get it outdoors soon. If you keep it indoors...almost guarenteed death.

The PomPom "style" was mentioned. Just so there's no misunderstanding... there is no PomPom Bonsai Style.

Slow down, my friend. Take a deep breath. Patience! You said that in two months time, you've repoted twice, trimmed, root pruned, and wired. That's much too much, too much, too much stress to subject your bonsai to.

You could do yourself a great favor Steve, if you would join a bonsai club, and hook up with somebody who has experience keeping bonsai in your local geographical area. That, and bonsaiTALK will help you get off to a very good start.

So, always remember that bonsai is a trip that demands time and patience. Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.

Pat

__________________
BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain.
THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

jeremy_norbury

Pat has great advice - especially about joining a club.

I would agree that it is a misnomer to name bonsai Pom Pom as a classical Japanese or Chinese bonsai style. I suppose we should consider it more a form of topiary or "Cloud pruning".

__________________

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
I told you I was ill. Spike Milligan's Gravestone

PatArizona

G'day Jeremy...

Thanks for the "pat" on the back...

And..."...a form of topiary or 'Cloud pruning'...".

I like it!

Pat

__________________
BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain.
THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

BarbaraM

Steve, that pot is a BIG improvement. It is the right style for a cascade. Yes, a 2 year rest and growth is good. I agree about pinching new growth at the tips but go easy this season. Your tree has experienced a lot in a short time. Keeping the space between the trrunk and branch transition free of growth will help it look tidier while it rests. Keep studying cascade images. Read about junipers. You will be rewarded by this plant.

__________________
"What I like about bonsai is that it has a beginning but no end. A bud today becomes a branch tomorrow. It is like searching for the rainbw's end; the farther it is pursued, the farther away it is." John Naka