one of my old san jose' junipers

susieq

One that I started from a cutting at least 25 years ago or longer.... always had a guy-wire root on it that bugged me. You know, one of those roots that come off the main trunk an inch or so above the soil line and if not removed, will eventually cause a reverse taper.....one of those. Through a few repots, including the original root trim/putting into a bonsai pot for the first time, I didn't cut it off. Probably because most of the roots of the tree came from that one root.

Early this spring, I was trimming, repotting some junipers. Not that one though. As I was working out there one day, it struck me that that root had to go.....total brain fart here..... it completely left me why I had ever let that eyesore remain on the trunk and since it was the right time of year, with one quick snip of my concave cutters, I removed it.....and stood there suddenly wondering if I had goofed. After a week or so, it became obvious that indeed I had goofed. The tree started to turn that really sick shade of green and I started to feel sick right along with it. It looked worse by the day after that.

Usually, when a juniper turns that shade of green I just toss it. But I couldn't bear to. I put it into some shade, hit it with super thrive (yeah, I know....) Parts of it became brown and dead looking. I figured, it was gone but when I scratched the bark, it was still green. Couple times a week, I scratched, still green. I decided as long as it was still green, no way could I toss it. I sprayed it for pests, super thrived it, kept it in the filtered shade/sun area. One day it seemed that the sickly shade of green wasn't quite so sickly looking. My imagination? More time went buy and the green areas did look a brighter, healthier shade of green....among the crispy brown.

New Growth!!!! Cautiously optimistic..........maybe it will live.

I think it might make it. It will probably never look the same again, probably need a major restyle after this. Not going to do anything to it for the rest of this season though. I am just grateful that it seems to be pulling through. Stay tuned......

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BunjinEnt

Fingers are crossed. let us know how it turns out.

-Wm

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eeiko321

can you show us some pictures of this juniper, so we can have a sticky beak?

susieq

I will try to get a picture of it in it's current state and post it here....
It is sad looking but hopeful. I think I posted a picture of it about a year ago on here, along with some other san jose' junpers I have. Everyone else is doing fine.....

susieq

Well, here it is.... sad but alive. I am gradually moving it back to full sun now. I won't do much except water and feed it this season until I see how much of it comes back. This one is about 25-28 years old, a cutting from one a few years older that I also started from a cutting. They may not be great bonsai but they are old friends and I don't want to lose them....especially to my own stupidity (forgetfulness, what ever)

ps. it's about 14 inches tall from the soil line.

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Mcspeed

Susieq you could always start grafting shimpaku on to replace the SJ branches that are in tough shape. With that trunk and shimp foliage It'll be nice.

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Bill

susieq

That would be a great idea Bill, except that first and foremost, I don't have a clue how to do a graft. I also don't own a shimpaku. They don't like me so I gave up on them a long time ago. I just envy everyone else's.

I know you take a piece of (in this case, shimpaku) cut the graft end into a wedge shape, make a corresponding cut into the bark of the subject to be grafted, insert, tie/wax over or wrap it and pray. What time of year one does this, don't know. Just the thought of it is intimidating. Anyhow, wouldn't a graft with san jose to san jose stand more of a chance?

Mcspeed

__________________
If at first you don't succeed -- skydiving is not for you.


Always remember that you're unique -- just like everyone else

Enjoy this day.
Bill

MattO

If the problem was caused by root removal, grafting won't help a bit. If the roots are having difficulty supplying the upper tree, adding more foliage seems counter productive, no?