Advice on Juniper Nana Punning - Styling

[Dantas]

Hello there! I’m seeking for advice on design/pruning for my Juniper Nana. I can’t decide on the design.

Any experienced Bonsai lover here? They may not be the most impressive but I love them and I’m afraid to make a mistake

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

hi @Dantas welcome to the group! I can definitely relate to Nanas not being the most impressive, but it holds a special place with you. It's pretty much known as the "starter species" right?
One advice I can give you is to keep it outside/outdoors 100% of the time - it won't survive indoors.
As far as design, bonsai aesthetics all depends on your taste and what you're trying to convey when you display your tree.
From the photos you've shared, it looks like it could work as a cascade, or even a literati (but with plenty of branch removal)!

I have only 2 Nanas in my collection, so I wouldn't say I'm an expert in the subject matter.
The only thing I can confidently say is that I have kept them healthy and growing since 2012... (10 years and counting?)
I'll post photos as soon as I get home so you can have a comparison.

 

[Dantas]

Hello @Bu-Jetjet thank you so much for replying my friend and for the warm welcome.

I was afraid my post wasn’t worthy the comment of members because most are such pros here.

I would love so see your trees. Please share

Mines are on the guest balcony in my condo in Miami. It’s a two story unit so not much cover from the sun. It is exposed from sunrise until 12pm although in the winter it gets a couple of hours less.

I did a lot of pruning although I still need to develop the apex as I pruned most of it.

i hope you can see it better this was. As for the other one, I will keep it cascade although I hope I can develop a semi-cascade

Check this out

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Hey buddy! I’m just on the other side of the continent from you . I’m attaching the one I was talking about. Pardon the wild growth, I’ve let it recover the past two growing seasons from the extreme summer we experienced. It’s one of my two Nana junipers out of 30 pines

 

[Dantas]

Thank you for sending. Your tree is a dream for someone who knows how to design it.
I’ll continue to learn learn so I can enjoy the results of it on my trees.

what kind of pines do you have? Maybe I’ll acquire one as well

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Thank you for sending. Your tree is a dream for someone who knows how to design it.
I’ll continue to learn learn so I can enjoy the results of it on my trees.

what kind of pines do you have? Maybe I’ll acquire one as well

They are mostly Ponderosa, JBP, and a few Canary Island pines.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Hello @Bu-Jetjet thank you so much for replying my friend and for the warm welcome.

I was afraid my post wasn’t worthy the comment of members because most are such pros here.

I would love so see your trees. Please share

Mines are on the guest balcony in my condo in Miami. It’s a two story unit so not much cover from the sun. It is exposed from sunrise until 12pm although in the winter it gets a couple of hours less.

I did a lot of pruning although I still need to develop the apex as I pruned most of it.

i hope you can see it better this was. As for the other one, I will keep it cascade although I hope I can develop a semi-cascade

Check this out

Yes, I see their position better. More sunlight would benefit it. Mine gets full sun, from sunrise until sunset.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Looking interesting with lots going on.
Lots of balls of foliage there.
I would start doing some secondary wiring to develop flat layers of pads within each foliar mass.
I like Nanas, very flexible and forgiving.
Fun project for sure.

 

[Dantas]

Thank you so much for the advice @Eckhoffw I started flattening the pads now. It was a lot of work but I hope it takes it well.

See the pictures before. I don’t have a final picture from this angle. I really need to develop an apex I guess

 

[Dantas]

Yes, I see their position better. More sunlight would benefit it. Mine gets full sun, from sunrise until sunset.

I can see that! Yours is as healthy as a plant can be. I wonder what it was during the summer that affected it. I can’t see from the pictures as it’s so healthy. Was it the sun or the heat? I can’t imagine California being too hot.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Thank you so much for the advice @Eckhoffw I started flattening the pads now. It was a lot of work but I hope it takes it well.

See the pictures before. I don’t have a final picture from this angle. I really need to develop an apex I guess

Nice. Looks less like topiary.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Thank you so much for the advice @Eckhoffw I started flattening the pads now. It was a lot of work but I hope it takes it well.

See the pictures before. I don’t have a final picture from this angle. I really need to develop an apex I guess

Nice work. The apex will come. Probably give it a rest and the pads will definitely shape up.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

I can see that! Yours is as healthy as a plant can be. I wonder what it was during the summer that affected it. I can’t see from the pictures as it’s so healthy. Was it the sun or the heat? I can’t imagine California being too hot.

The summer of 2021, we had a heatwave that lasted a good 3 weeks. Over 110 degrees... burnt the needle tips of a couple of my Ponderosa pines. For the junipers (Nana, Shimpaku) I saw the tips browning, so I made sure to water more often. The California juniper took it like a champ and just shrugged the heat off like nothing.

 

[Dantas]

The summer of 2021, we had a heatwave that lasted a good 3 weeks. Over 110 degrees... burnt the needle tips of a couple of my Ponderosa pines. For the junipers (Nana, Shimpaku) I saw the tips browning, so I made sure to water more often. The California juniper took it like a champ and just shrugged the heat off like nothing.

Lucky you!! I’m glad to hear you didn’t lose any. When you can, I would love to see your Pines? It would be great to get one if zone 10/11 is appropriate

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Sure thing! It probably won't happen until tomorrow though, because I usually get home pretty late from the office. Sun has been setting pretty early lately.