Parson's Juniper

Cre8tive

I just stopped by Lowes for my weekly browse and came across this Parson's Juniper. They were only $4.98 US and the size of the trunk made me grab it without hesitation. I will have to look it up as I am not familiar with the Parson's variety but even if it is not suitable for Bonsai then it will made decent styling practice...updates soon.

Regards,
Mark

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ART - An object or event that evokes an aesthetic reaction—a sense of beauty, appreciation, harmony, and/or pleasure; the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria

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subnet_rx

Wow, they tag their stuff a lot better than our Lowe's. I'm lucky to see the word "Juniper" on the pot.

Cre8tive

heh...there were actually 2 tags on the the juniper and one on the pot.

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ART - An object or event that evokes an aesthetic reaction—a sense of beauty, appreciation, harmony, and/or pleasure; the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria

susieq

Hi Mark,
Parsons juniper or Parsoni as we used to refer to them in the nursery trade here in Florida, are common landscaping junipers (at least in this area) that lend them selves nicely to bonsai. I have found them easy to work with. Good luck with your nice find there....

Cre8tive

I did some minor cleanup around the trunk and branches to let in the air and get a better look at what I am dealing with. I would love to hear if anyone sees anything interesting in the material. Sorry about the picture quality...It was a challenge to show much without removing more. I added the paper in the pot for contrast and not as a potting medium.

Regards,
Mark

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ART - An object or event that evokes an aesthetic reaction—a sense of beauty, appreciation, harmony, and/or pleasure; the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria

bonsaial1

They make quite good bonsai. This looks to be a good one. You might know it by it's more common name, Prostrata juniper. Can't wait to see what comes next.

Al

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Cre8tive

What comes next I am going to wire it up, put it in a pot three sizes too small, ask for advice, ignore advice, put it in a grow box after more root pruning, remove wire, trunk chop, sleep, ask for opinions and advice, and then bury it in a shallow grave in the back yard!

Seriously, there probably won't be much to see for a while as I will only do minor pruning to redirect some of the growth. I think I want to train a new leader and force an informal upright style. I plan to wait until next spring to inspect the roots and begin a careful root pruning regiment. I haven't decided if I am going to put it in the ground or a grow box yet. I do think I am going to leave all the lower branches for a while to fatten the trunk even more.

Are there any warnings about sacrifice branches with junipers I should know about?

Regards,
Mark

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ART - An object or event that evokes an aesthetic reaction—a sense of beauty, appreciation, harmony, and/or pleasure; the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria

Vonsgardens

Sacrifice branches on Junipers? I guess the first thing you need to decide is "how big" of a tree do you want? If you want a bigger tree, then you either need to do a series of up-pottings over the next few years, or plant it out in the garden for a few years. Either way, pick a main leader and get it to grow in a more upright vs prostrate (not the gland) manner and go from there. They grow relatively fast and can make good sized trees.

Now if you want a smaller tree, then prune the long branches back towards the trunk to encourage budding back inside.

best of luck,
John

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Cre8tive

I was assuming that the many branches protruding from the lower portion of the trunk contributed to the large diameter. I assume they would continue to do so if left to grow freely. My concearn is the training of the new leader during this time. Will i be able to promote top growth if I allow the lower branches to go unchecked? Also, should I shorten the uppermost horizontal branch to increase growth of the new leader (a branch already in a near ideal position)?

Regards,
Mark

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ART - An object or event that evokes an aesthetic reaction—a sense of beauty, appreciation, harmony, and/or pleasure; the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria