Ashe Juniper…Possibilities or Hopeless Case?

[Jetson1950]

So, about 6 years ago when I first started looking into Bonsai, I collected this Ashe Juniper from my brothers ranch outside of Abilene, Texas. It was fuller, had more limbs, but I think the high humidity and excessive rain here in Florida were not to its liking and it has not faired well. It looked pretty bad. A few months age, I took it out of the dirt it was in and put it in bonsai soil and trimmed off all the dead limbs. It has started growing again. It’s still dealing with black mold, but I’m working on that. I’ve also moved it to a position where the sprinklers won’t hit it to cut down how much water it gets.

For those of you who are more versed in growing junipers, what do you think? Does this thing look like it has any potential to grow into something nice? It’s 16” tall and the trunk is 1 1/4” diameter at the base. There is a solid root ball just below the surface that about 4” across. If yes, I’ll work on it. If not, I’m headed to Texas next week for a family reunion and will be looking for trees. There are lots of junipers there to pick from.

 

[Hartinez]

if it’s alive, the possibilities always there. In this case it just needs to grow for a few years, maybe more, then the design considerations can start.

 

[Shibui]

Agree. Not much to work with now but who knows what it will look like if you can get it to grow a bit.
Depends how much patience you have or whether you are after instant.

 

[Jetson1950]

Agree. Not much to work with now but who knows what it will look like if you can get it to grow a bit.
Depends how much patience you have or whether you are after instant.

Patience is easy. I just have to figure out what it needs to grow better. I think I’ve been keeping it too wet. Will try and see if it likes it a bit dryer.

 

[rockm]

So, about 6 years ago when I first started looking into Bonsai, I collected this Ashe Juniper from my brothers ranch outside of Abilene, Texas. It was fuller, had more limbs, but I think the high humidity and excessive rain here in Florida were not to its liking and it has not faired well. It looked pretty bad. A few months age, I took it out of the dirt it was in and put it in bonsai soil and trimmed off all the dead limbs. It has started growing again. It’s still dealing with black mold, but I’m working on that. I’ve also moved it to a position where the sprinklers won’t hit it to cut down how much water it gets.

For those of you who are more versed in growing junipers, what do you think? Does this thing look like it has any potential to grow into something nice? It’s 16” tall and the trunk is 1 1/4” diameter at the base. There is a solid root ball just below the surface that about 4” across. If yes, I’ll work on it. If not, I’m headed to Texas next week for a family reunion and will be looking for trees. There are lots of junipers there

Patience is easy. I just have to figure out what it needs to grow better. I think I’ve been keeping it too wet. Will try and see if it likes it a bit dryer.

The soil you have it in is far too organic. Ashe juniper likes to dry out a bit between waterings. Coarse inorganic soil will work much better and help overall. APL akadama, pumice and lava soil is probably what you should aim for

And FWIW being as you’re in Florida and the tree species is native to specific climates in relatively dry Central Texas your tree will likely continue to have issues with too much water. Western collected conifers of many kinds have become more mainstream in US bonsai. Keeping them east of the Mississippi River can be hit and miss since there tends to be a lot more humidity/precipitation and altitude than western regions. That can take a short term and long term to on western species

 

[Jetson1950]

The soil you have it in is far too organic. Ashe juniper likes to dry out a bit between waterings. Coarse inorganic soil will work much better and help overall. APL akadama, pumice and lava soil is probably what you should aim for

And FWIW being as you’re in Florida and the tree species is native to specific climates in relatively dry Central Texas your tree will likely continue to have issues with too much water. Western collected conifers of many kinds have become more mainstream in US bonsai. Keeping them east of the Mississippi River can be hit and miss since there tends to be a lot more humidity/precipitation and altitude than western regions. That can take a short term and long term to on western species

Yes. I’ve already got it in bonsai rock and I’ve put it where the only water it will get is rain. Can’t do much about the humidity. I think you are right and I probably should not bring any more of them to Florida. It’s a little too hard to give them their natural climate.

 

[rockm]

Yes. I’ve already got it in bonsai rock and I’ve put it where the only water it will get is rain. Can’t do much about the humidity. I think you are right and I probably should not bring any more of them to Florida. It’s a little too hard to give them their natural climate.

Fwiw I have a lot of Texas collected native bonsai here in Va. I have live oak, cedar elm and bald cypress. All of those do VERY well here. Cedar elm I’m particular is bullet proof and can take the wetter climate. I highly recommend it as a bonsai species. You can collect them in Texas VERY easily with a saw in early spring. I’d bet theyre all over the place where you collected this juniper

 

[Jetson1950]

Fwiw I have a lot of Texas collected native bonsai here in Va. I have live oak, cedar elm and bald cypress. All of those do VERY well here. Cedar elm I’m particular is bullet proof and can take the wetter climate. I highly recommend it as a bonsai species. You can collect them in Texas VERY easily with a saw in early spring. I’d bet theyre all over the place where you collected this juniper

Yes, they are. Texas and the USDA pay ranchers in central Texas to dig up and destroy junipers on their property. I believe they say that 90-95% of rain that hits junipers never makes it to the ground. They suck up water like crazy and deplete the water table. Point being there are lots of back hoed junipers that refused to die and could make great bonsai with a lot of deadwood. If I find some, I’ll probable try them. There are lots of live oak and cedar elm where I’ll be. I seedlings from the oak grove behind my sister’s house is on my list. Also native pecans. My Dad planted pecan trees everywhere. Just for fun, I may find me a couple of real healthy Mesquite seedlings. Probably won’t make a good bonsai, but would be fun to try.

 

[rockm]

Yes, they are. Texas and the USDA pay ranchers in central Texas to dig up and destroy junipers on their property. I believe they say that 90-95% of rain that hits junipers never makes it to the ground. They suck up water like crazy and deplete the water table. Point being there are lots of back hoed junipers that refused to die and could make great bonsai with a lot of deadwood. If I find some, I’ll probable try them. There are lots of live oak and cedar elm where I’ll be. I seedlings from the oak grove behind my sister’s house is on my list. Also native pecans. My Dad planted pecan trees everywhere. Just for fun, I may find me a couple of real healthy Mesquite seedlings. Probably won’t make a good bonsai, but would be fun to try.

I’be got a live oak collected in Salado. Had it for almost 30 years. Have a few cedar elm as well. Current working this one collected off my parents place near Tyler. BTW the live oaks in Texas are either quercus fusiformis (escarpment live oak) or hybrids of southern live oak (quercus Virginiana) and fusiformis. That hybridization is particularly intense in central Texas around Austin. Fusiformis is superior to Virginiana as bonsai from what I’ve seen

 

[Jetson1950]

I’be got a live oak collected in Salado. Had it for almost 30 years. Have a few cedar elm as well. Current working this one collected off my parents place near Tyler. BTW the live oaks in Texas are either quercus fusiformis (escarpment live oak) or hybrids of southern live oak (quercus Virginiana) and fusiformis. That hybridization is particularly intense in central Texas around Austin. Fusiformis is superior to Virginiana as bonsai from what I’ve seen
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My sister lives on our old family homestead farm in San Saba Texas. Most of the oaks there are quercus fusiformis (escarpment live oak). You’ve probably heard of the most famous one there. It’s about 3 miles from her place on the China Creek road. They call it the Wedding Tree. My grandpa would tell me it was originally called the Hanging Tree back when that was a common practice, but they changed it because people thought it was giving the town a bad reputation. I think there were a lot more hangings there over the years than weddings.