Juniper Pfitzeriana large branch removal in early summer

[Sootys trees]

Hi guys,

I Was looking at a tree I’ve been messing around with for a year or so today,

I decided the supposed ‘back’ of the tree is far better for a double trunk design instead of the original single trunk I wanted before for the tree.

This is also very beneficial For the tree as I won’t have to remove half its trunk / structure.




So here is the tree, my finger is on the branch I’ll keep and also the small whip above this and one whip also to the back of the branch… I would be removing this ‘look at next image’




Highlighted in red circle is the part of the branch to removed leaving 3 finer yet woody branches that can be bent and shaped to form future Shari or a second branch / trunk.

I would like advice on if this sort of work would harm the tree or would it be better to wait until mid summer ?

I was just going to go for it given general searches suggest this would be OK to do this time of year if not any time… but why not make a post and update it, get some input :-D

Any advice on the tree appreciated

 

[leatherback]

You just want to clip of that one small branch in the red circle? Don't even think about it, and just do it.
If you want to create a bonsai you will have to take half of each of the other side-branches on that primary branch too. (Roughly up to where your finger rests.

 

[Sootys trees]

You just want to clip of that one small branch in the red circle? Don't even think about it, and just do it.
If you want to create a bonsai you will have to take half of each of the other side-branches on that primary branch too. (Roughly up to where your finger rests.

Thank you,
I went ahead,
With regards to the remaining three branches I want to leave one for a second trunk, so I’d need to leave it for continuation and prune the remaining 2 branches… or, leave all three to add thickness to the whole second trunk, just wire them lightly and grow them to create thickness… maybe maintain them in later summer to stop lower branches dying back too much
Thank you again, what do you think ?

 

[Sootys trees]

Here

And three whips remain

These are too be left for thickening with one as a new trunk leader, wired, thoughts or suggestions much appreciated

 

[leatherback]

I want to leave one for a second trunk,

really?
Then I do not understand why you wanted to remove the branch.
Maybe have a design first before discussing more pruning.

 

[Sootys trees]

really?
Then I do not understand why you wanted to remove the branch.
Maybe have a design first before discussing more pruning.

Yes, well the branch I removed was very thick and did not have much taper or movement, bending may have resulted in loosing the whole of that side, now I have three branches to choose and create movement and taper…
It’s just an experiment tree to be honest it’s was very cheap and I want to see what I can do with it..

This side was originally going to be stripped entirely for Jin !

As long as the Health of the tree is not compromised my work was a success
Thank you for your help

 

[Japonicus]

Summertime is great for working the foliage and pruning.
However, I would keep the lower branches
to help build trunk girth. If you cut the apex or these branches, you are slowing down exponentially the growth of the plant.
(You have removed both?
Not a deal breaker, but I think it will delay development and have less foliage now that would've helped recovery from potting next time).

Conversely, if you clip back the branches you are keeping and remove others in the mid section you will begin development of those branches.
If you've removed top and bottom foliage i wouldn't work any more foliage until after you pot this one.

 

[Sootys trees]

Summertime is great for working the foliage and pruning.
However, I would keep the lower branches
to help build trunk girth. If you cut the apex or these branches, you are slowing down exponentially the growth of the plant.
(You have removed both?
Not a deal breaker, but I think it will delay development and have less foliage now that would've helped recovery from potting next time).

Conversely, if you clip back the branches you are keeping and remove others in the mid section you will begin development of those branches.
If you've removed top and bottom foliage i wouldn't work any more foliage until after you pot this one.

Hi thank you for the advice much appreciated.

I didn’t remove anymore branches other than the ones I mentioned before.

Then I proceeded with wiring the finer branches lower down to create some more twisted branches to cut back to later.

I did remove a branch up top to stop any swelling, the branch spread isn’t great and to be honest it’s not the best species or subject for bonsai, but I like it, I’m willing to keep it and thicken it right up, take it back to some lower branches as future main stems…

It’s grown a lot since my last post, whips have doubled in length and size and roots are beginning to peak out the drainage holes… it was only repotted this spring into a larger container, no root pruning just old soil removal…

I’ll put a pic of when I bought the tree and the tree today…

I would like to make a double trunk tree

 

[Sootys trees]

Before




And now



Potential style, twisted double trunk, or more shaped trunks




Other than cutting one side away or having two trees from layering or maybe one as a gin I don’t see anymore deliberate work I can do to this, but I like the foliage and it’s a strong grower. I’ve made dozens of new plants from cuttings :-D

But for a double trunk, I’ll proceed with a leader on each trunk, cut one more aggressively to have one smaller trunk and one larger. Maintain the lower branches and concentrate on growing the trunk

On second thought I really don’t see a bonsai here lol, it’s got a long way to go. Maybe you’ve seen worse look great in the end ?

 

[Japonicus]

No it's not a non bonsai candidate. Seen worse get better? Yes.

Hope you're up for some critiquing
You slip potted into a bigger container...other than a pot breaking, or other accident
never miss a chance to work the roots when up or down or re---potting.

Trespasses, that one branched wired across the trunk in a circular manner is what I
like to refer to as a trespass. It's wrong, BUT! do not change it now. If you bend it yet again
most likely the branch will fail, and there's a good smaller interior shoot you could cut back to at
some point in the journey with this juniper.
This branch is now imposing or trespassing on the bar branch directly opposing the branch on the trunk.
Bar branches, especially this low, will cause inverse taper through swelling at the whorl.
Branches crossing the trunk are generally not smiled on in the hobby. Sure it occurs in the wild here
and there, but it's not pleasing to the eye. The opposite branch and it are now competing for the
same position, and as it grows, all the more. I've seen some nice wind blown trunk crossing branches
but they're the exception.

Twisting the upper half while the lower half is straight does not look good.
An S shape atop a straight trunk doesn't either.

In the before picture, was the point at which twisting the trunk was under a caution light at the growth stage.
You now have a red light at this point in the trees life to twist the lower half of the trunk. (too big)
Higher experienced folks than I who might attempt to do so, would do it, not during the growing season
and over a time frame rather than all at once. Maybe not at all. Needs to be done earlier in the trees life.

Simple branch placement is ok but bends should be put off until mid Fall through late Winter.
Nice if it didn't break the cambium layer with what you've done, but know that running red lights are dangerous.
Not sure when you did the bending.

The two "trees" aren't working for me. I have junipers that I've done twin trunks with But that straight up
trunk is just killing the design. Moreso than the slanting style design.
Looking at the base of the S shape, there are 3 new shoots which I would preserve at all costs
as they could potentially be the building blocks that just make this work
Keep the S for now, and consider jin or air layer for the straight up trunk, is what I would
do if this were mine.
As far as any cascading branch is concerned, you have many years to decide as long as it is there.
You might decide next year to lop it off, maybe 5 or 10 years down the road. It's yours. Make it shine.

 

[Japonicus]

...oh and take care of that eye poker loose wire sticking up.

 

[Sootys trees]

No it's not a non bonsai candidate. Seen worse get better? Yes.

Hope you're up for some critiquing
You slip potted into a bigger container...other than a pot breaking, or other accident
never miss a chance to work the roots when up or down or re---potting.

Trespasses, that one branched wired across the trunk in a circular manner is what I
like to refer to as a trespass. It's wrong, BUT! do not change it now. If you bend it yet again
most likely the branch will fail, and there's a good smaller interior shoot you could cut back to at
some point in the journey with this juniper.
This branch is now imposing or trespassing on the bar branch directly opposing the branch on the trunk.
Bar branches, especially this low, will cause inverse taper through swelling at the whorl.
Branches crossing the trunk are generally not smiled on in the hobby. Sure it occurs in the wild here
and there, but it's not pleasing to the eye. The opposite branch and it are now competing for the
same position, and as it grows, all the more. I've seen some nice wind blown trunk crossing branches
but they're the exception.

Twisting the upper half while the lower half is straight does not look good.
An S shape atop a straight trunk doesn't either.

In the before picture, was the point at which twisting the trunk was under a caution light at the growth stage.
You now have a red light at this point in the trees life to twist the lower half of the trunk. (too big)
Higher experienced folks than I who might attempt to do so, would do it, not during the growing season
and over a time frame rather than all at once. Maybe not at all. Needs to be done earlier in the trees life.

Simple branch placement is ok but bends should be put off until mid Fall through late Winter.
Nice if it didn't break the cambium layer with what you've done, but know that running red lights are dangerous.
Not sure when you did the bending.

The two "trees" aren't working for me. I have junipers that I've done twin trunks with But that straight up
trunk is just killing the design. Moreso than the slanting style design.
Looking at the base of the S shape, there are 3 new shoots which I would preserve at all costs
as they could potentially be the building blocks that just make this work
Keep the S for now, and consider jin or air layer for the straight up trunk, is what I would
do if this were mine.
As far as any cascading branch is concerned, you have many years to decide as long as it is there.
You might decide next year to lop it off, maybe 5 or 10 years down the road. It's yours. Make it shine.

Its good to hear someone believes it can be a bonsai.

There has been good top growth this year so a late summer - autumn repot to remove some more old soil might be an option ? To free up some more roots…

Regarding the trespass branch and the one opposite it, I agree and did know about these, I was more concerned with keeping the trees vigour for now and didn’t want to remove to much to soon as to power the roots this season.
One branch there can go though and has to, no big deal for the design.

Again I agree with the S being too high and also not a desirable style, i tend to avoid them or style them out in all my trees… so I’m going against a lot of rules if there are any, but I was mainly trying to not remove too much foliage and didn’t want to do any major bends on anything large during the growing season, again now with autumn a month or so away I may rewire out the S curve and try to put some movement into the lower portion as well.
It’s very hard and thick to put anything loopy into that part but I’m sure I’ll be able to improve it, maybe try some different planting angles or a new front as well seeing as I’m working the roots. Or this can all be next year in spring, although I read and have had my own success in both repotting and bending juniper in late summer-autumn.

Again, I agree the larger and straighter of the two trunks could be layered or just worked into Jin,

The tree is not very large or high, the idea for the tree is to let it grow for many years and be tall with a large canopy and lots of foliage in pads.
In this case the lower branches are only staying to help thickening. But I’ll remove any that might create unwanted swelling.

So I’ll layer the large trunk after removing anything that might create bad taper, maybe even leave part of it with growth for future Jin, if it’s not successful I haven’t lost a thing, and it will only add to the finished tree in the long run.
This will likely be next year as I’ll want to repot before doing any layers ?
Then try and create movement in the lower portion of the remaining trunk, and contort that S curve into a different shape.

Thank you again, it’s nice to have opinions and critique it improves my own outlook,

 

[Sootys trees]

...oh and take care of that eye poker loose wire sticking up.

Yes definitely, I’ve been lucky so far