Let's try to style a juniper

[bonsaibp]

This may or may not work and I reserve the right to not follow suggestions if I think it's the right thing to do or if it takes too long for people to decide. I can't leave this in the workshop for too long. That being said how about trying to come up with a style for this old San Jose juniper.

As you can see the inner branching is not that great- lots of straight pencil thick or thicker branches with not a lot of foliage close to the trunk.

I cleaned up the deadwood a little and cut off and jinned one major branch that I knew would not be used. I created new shari where old branches had been cut and the sap had started to withdraw. I think this will help people see the trunk and live and dead wood better. I also lime sulphured the old and new deadwood to make it stand out a little. Here are some shoots of several possible fronts.

The L/S greyed the old deadwood so it may be a little hard to see it at the bottom left side of the trunk above and right side below.

Last one.

 

[edprocoat]

Side #4. seems like a no brainer too me. Trust me, being a no-brainer myself should account for something.

ed

 

[Dav4]

Another nice piece of stock. For me it's a toss up between 1 and 2. The trunk movement and angle with both options is more dynamic then any of the others, and I'm seeing a very nice dropped branch that mimics the angle of the trunk from those 2 fronts.

 

[Poink88]

#2 esp the original 2nd pic...but the best branch for it is already gone & jinned.

 

[Dav4]

#2 esp the original 2nd pic...but the best branch for it is already gone & jinned.

That branch was a bit too heavy...the one just above it will work, I think.

 

[bonsaibp]

The branch I cut off was more then a little bit heavy. The branch above can fill any purpose that may have had. Lets work with what is left. I'll wait until tomorrow around 10 my time then we'll pick the front based on your opinions----maybe

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Good trunk movement at #2. Don't know if I would tip it up as much as shown. Hard to tell from the photos, but the base looks thin there.

 

[bonsaibp]

Good trunk movement at #2. Don't know if I would tip it up as much as shown. Hard to tell from the photos, but the base looks thin there.

Might look that way because its hard to see the deadwood at the base- the L/S made it really grey. Though it is not as wide as the others. It doesn't have reverse taper is is shouldn't be an issue. Here it is after it dried and tipped less.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Still working on learning photoshop, but here is a thought from that angle...

 

[bonsaibp]

Hmmm a levitating juniper...... I think that's kind of roughly how it'll look from any of the fronts. It's a little limiting when all the foliage is coming from the top.
Anybody else got any ideas?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Can you tighten up any of the trunk bends? Jack/rebar/guy-wire to compact it some?

 

[bonsaibp]

I more then likely could, some anyhow, but don't know if it's worth all that work, but we'll see.
Can you expound on that idea a little more?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Just exaggerating the exiting bends a little to compact the overall shape, and a little more interest to the movement.

 

[Dav4]

Hmmm a levitating juniper...... I think that's kind of roughly how it'll look from any of the fronts. It's a little limiting when all the foliage is coming from the top.
Anybody else got any ideas?

I'd like to see that lowest branch pulled down toward the trunk to create one large mass of foliage by itself, and then have the rest of the canopy built above it...sorry...no photo shop.

 

[bonsaibp]

Just exaggerating the exiting bends a little to compact the overall shape, and a little more interest to the movement.

I think I could get close to the same effect with a little changing of the angle and trunkline with a lot less work. Most of the existing bends have deadwood on or right next to them. It would be possible to put a little movement in those places and a bit more in the rest of the trunk but I'm not sure it'll add that much. I'll give it another look after we pick a front.

 

[bonsaibp]

I'd like to see that lowest branch pulled down toward the trunk to create one large mass of foliage by itself, and then have the rest of the canopy built above it...sorry...no photo shop.

More then likely some form of this or another will be done in any case. It's a good way to lessen the fact that all the foliage comes from the top and to frame the lower part of the trunk. It also lets us lower the upper foliage and compacting the height a little.

 

[fore]

Bob, what great access to some really fine stock as usual!

I like front 5 myself. Nice sturdy base, nice deadwood and movement. But it looks like I'm in the minority lol

 

[rbtek1]

Here's a better PS'd version of what you have.

 

[rbtek1]

More trunk bend.

 

[drew33998]

1, 2, or 4