‘Kishu’ Juniper from National Arboretum workshop 2011

[Japonicus]

It is not running yet,

I have to recant that statement.
The Itoigawa is running semi healthy runners. More to go yet so I am feeling better about potting it down somewhat now.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Coming right along!
Yes the soil looks repellant. As for the sphagnum I would wait till the weather dictates.
Expecting hotter temps this year I'm assuming, but I'd wait.
If I were seeing runners, I would say repot now, but I am not.
My Kishu's are running up here already. I have an Itoigawa that is in bad need of potting.
I got it at the Nationals last year and the soil is absolutely terribly piss poor.
It is not running yet, and I have my doubts that it will ever run if it stays in the soil that it is.

Additionally the 2 lowest branches are becoming a bit more confusing with the recent shortening.
I would still leave it on, taking nothing off before you repot. Nothing more than underneath cleanup
of branches. In particular the yellowing shoot.
If the foliage is exposed to sunlight, leave it till after recovery from repotting.

Good advice all around. Thank you @Japonicus ! For whatever reason the water was soaking in a little better yesterday. Maybe I just rough up the surface and then wait for shoots to do a full repot as you suggest.

 

[Japonicus]

Good advice all around. Thank you @Japonicus ! For whatever reason the water was soaking in a little better yesterday. Maybe I just rough up the surface and then wait for shoots to do a full repot as you suggest.

Depends on the root health and the depth of that pot, possible soil issues down below surface.
Also depends on plans for the next pot like what pot and when.
Will you have a couple of other options if the rootwork can't fit desired pot?...but I was going to say if you had to postpone potting, you could use a round tent spike like nail with plastic hooked collar to plunge through the soil methodically but repeatedly to aerate the soil. Won't hurt to slip it out and run a root hook in a few spots to see what it says it needs. Could just be surface and shin breakdown of field soil congested and the rest ok or not. Look under the hood

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I see buds just starting to move and we are past the last freeze. But, it did have some work done over the winter with the cut and style. I have a next pot picked out that is wider and shallower, at about the same volume? I do have a larger fallback pot if I want to give it some room to run.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I opted for the conservative approach of breaking up the surface soil, scraping it off and drilling a few air holes around the perimeter with a very stiff piece of wire. I washed the surface too and let the water soak through a few times and covered lighly with long grain spaghnum and course aggregate (Erie sifted sand). Next year I may attack the Shin if it is doing well, but I think I improved the flow a good bit.. and, I’ll stick to chem fertilizer for a while. Weak orchid MSU(?) mix from @Leo in N E Illinois

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Some very strong shoots forming. I’ve been keeping it well watered in the heat. I was thinking I might do a late summer/early fall repot.. not like the winters get that cold around here. I am thinking to push some growth for a while and maybe try to thicken it up a bit.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Kind a weird photo, but I was trying to capture some of the spikes/shoots emerging.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

This one is growing gangbusters this year. I think it might be the new climate/humidity.

Even my Yank-a-dori J. virginiana (below) is pumping out growth despite being yanked out of the rocks and landscaping cloth next to the sidewalk.

The Sargent Blau behind it is looking healthy after nearly giving up the ghost to cedar apple rust at our former residence

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I started de-wiring this tree and plan on repotting late Spring when it starts runnering. Should I cut back some shoots and top/ bottom growth now? Also thinking ahead to which pot, though I am leaning toward the one with the red arrow below for size and earthy color.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Little help? Should I do some trimming and cutting back as I de-wire? I had to do some to get to the wire to remove on the first half of the tree, but what about knocking back runners and/or cutting back to back growth?

Planning a repot in late Spring. Suggestions on the new pot?

 

[Japonicus]

Personally I would wait till it recovers from repotting to remove any runners.
How late in Spring are you talking?
I don't expect a cooler Summer, and being coastal you might consider mid Spring at latest.

 

[Japonicus]

Suggestions on the new pot?

This one on the left (both by Sara Rayner) might be a sample style if you intend to keep the cascading branch. If not a little more shallow yet, next go of it would be a good direction I think.
Tree's really come along.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

View attachment 579174
This one on the left (both by Sara Rayner) might be a sample style if you intend to keep the cascading branch. If not a little more shallow yet, next go of it would be a good direction I think.
Tree's really come along.

Sweet Rayner pots! I have one of her pots, but the prices seem to be going way up. I do like the style for sure.
And, thank you for noting the progress. I’m sure I’ve noted earlier in the thread, but I was disappointed when I got nearly last choice in the material at a workshop at the National Arboretum some 10+ years ago. But, it had a little bud near the base, and the whole tree has grown out from there. I’m pretty sure it is a Kishu variety, based on the fine, green foliage.
Summers don’t get as hot here as they did in D.C. the Juniper really seem to enjoy the climate. But I hear you on being conservative. Repot first and then do the cut-backs once it is showing strong growth again.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Repot incoming. Not a final pot, but a bit more room and more stable.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Aight:

 

[MrFancyPlants]

There is a little yellowing of older inner growth since the repotting, but I think it is still in pretty good shape.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

@Bonsai Nut : Can I please change thread title to “ ‘Kishu’ Juniper from National Arboretum workshop 2011. “ or something thereabouts?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Nice progression. Youve done great with it's health! Where do you see this as a final overall shape/style?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Nice progression. Youve done great with it's health! Where do you see this as a final overall shape/style?

Thank you!

I believe it will remain cascade in the same general form that it has now. The previous, freshly wired form makes it most apparent:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/‘...al-arboretum-workshop-2011.12098/post-1093234

No doubt it is more than a bit busy, with two cascade branches, and working on the third. I had left the lowest cascade to thicken the trunk, which it has done well for taper, even if juniper isn’t generally taper’d. With the idea I’d replace with the one above eventually. But, I prefer the trajectory of the lowest branch, so I may keep.

For now, I am going to take it branch by branch. Reducing branches if they over-thicken, and cutting back to inside shoots as they appear. I am relegated to clip and grow until next time my brother in law comes to visit since, without any local clubs or bonsai friends yet in SC.

I did a little thinning of the crown yesterday.

 

[bwaynef]

I think this tree has more of a future as an upright than as a (semi-?) cascade. It'd be an improvement to lose the cascading branch.

Where in coastal SC are you? I don't need your address, but a county or city name'd help. There used to be a bonsai shop/pro in Summerville, but he passed several years back. There may be pockets of a community in the area. There's a group in Florence that meets regularly. There's a facebook group for bonsai growers of SC, where you could connect with folks local-ish.