Juniper Pruning Help

zabo

HI , i had this juniper for 1 euro in a nursery , maybe some of you can help me figure out how to prune it properly to give it a good shape. here it is. , thank you
i have also posted a pic with the trunk highlighted so you can have a better idea of the tree. bye bye from italy

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jun1.jpg (43.5 KB, 291 views)

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zabo

other angle

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jun2.jpg (32.6 KB, 278 views)

zabo

highlight

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jun-color.jpg (42.5 KB, 277 views)

zabo

other higlight

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jun-color2.jpg (33.0 KB, 271 views)

LostHawken

Hey Zabo,

I have no expert advice to give, but I thought that guessing @ what the real artists here would have to say would encourage some added response for you.

I suspect that the first thing recommended will be some serious thinning and maybe pruning of the interior, so that a good look @ the trunk can be gained. Then as the mantra seems to be around here "let it grow for a while, and then decide on a style that will work for the tree." I’m a big fan of the informal upright and I think that your tree would work nicely shaped as such.

So Bonsai experts, am I close?

From the movement in the truck I would say that it has a lot of potential. I like the color of the foliage as well. I think it'll make a nice Bonsai soon.

Good luck!

ovation22

Looks like LostHawken has you covered.

I would say thin out the foliage some to see what you've got to work with. This will also help let light and air hit the inner branches to keep some of the inner growth from dying. After that, time. Let it grow to thicken the trunk some and to develop some new growth where you removed some.

It's hard to tell too much from the pictures, but I would take a look at the branch crossing the trunk coming towards the camera in post #2. Either remove this, or wire it out of the way. If you choose to go with LostHawken's idea for informal upright you could easily fill in this space with the branch above this one.

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mkonig

Hi Zabo

Have you got any experience in growing bonsai?

Mike

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zabo

well , i do have some experience in growing bonsai, but i never handled this kind of juniper. my main concern was about either to cut off or not one of the lower branches , since i don't know if pruning a little bit would cause internal sprouting , wich would be great , but as i said , i dont know the specimen enough.
thanks everybody for the suggestions , sorry for for the poor quality pics.

mkonig

Hi Zabo

Hope you did not mind me asking. The answer for a total beginner would have been different.

It looks to me like Juniperus squmata of some kind.

You can prune it quite hard so long as you leave some healthy shoots and enough needles to sustain them, but I think your tree needs to grow a bit before you start serious pruning. Never cut back to a bare branch!
Taking off one of the lower branches (without pruning the roots) may well produce random buds to break on the trunk, but I dont think you can rely on that.

I would take a good look at the trunk line and determine which branches to keep, take off any you dont like and then let the tree grow for a season or two. These junipers grow quite quickly (especially in your mild climate). Pinching out the growing shoots during that time will promote back budding and will help to keep the foliage compact.

Hope this helps

Have fun

Mike

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meyers2post.jpg (21.8 KB, 151 views)

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