Can I make this juniper cascade style?

[WHB123]

I bought this juniperus chinensia from a nursery and trimmed it up to get a better idea of what I’m working with. Now that I can see the whole plant better I’ve been thinking how I want to style it. Can I train this tree to be a semi cascade or full cascade style? I’m new to bonsai so I’m not sure if I trimmed it correctly (I was afraid to take too much off) so any tips or thought would be appreciated.

 

[CosmonicGrav]

Hi @WHB123, your Juniperus chinensis has potential for a cascade or semi-cascade style. To enhance the cascade effect, consider wiring the main branch with tighter coils to introduce more movement and compactness. Ensure the cascading branch receives ample sunlight to promote healthy growth. Remember, junipers thrive outdoors, so place it in a sunny spot. With patience and careful styling, your tree can develop beautifully

 

[Potawatomi13]

I bought this juniperus chinensia from a nursery and trimmed it up to get a better idea of what I’m working with. Now that I can see the whole plant better I’ve been thinking how I want to style it. Can I train this tree to be a semi cascade or full cascade style? I’m new to bonsai so I’m not sure if I trimmed it correctly (I was afraid to take too much off) so any tips or thought would be appreciated.

Agreed these lend themselves well to cascade styling. Be aware not to wire during growth times for the tree. While growing the bark is loose and slippery in the cambium layer and if it slips while bending the branch will be dead.

 

[Shibui]

I agree. This is a very young juniper so could be styled in almost any bonsai style at this stage. I would point out that cascade and semi cascade are not quite as easy to achieve good style as first appears but worth having a go.

Before you start styling any tree you should find where the main roots are. No point styling a great tree then find there's another 6 inches of trunk below soil level. That would potentially spoil the initial look.
Do you think that's 2 separate trees or 1 tree with 2 trunks buried deep in the soil?

Please heed the warning not to bend junipers during Spring growing period. Sometimes you can get away with it but often branches die when manipulated at that time.
Taking it slowly with junipers is also recommended. Removing too much foliage too quickly is another thing that can set them back and potentially kill so you were right to be conservative with initial trimming.

It is very worthwhile adding a location to your personal profile so we know what time of year it is at your place. So much of what we do in bonsai is seasonal so you'll get better advice if others can see what part of the world you are.

 

[Paradox]

Yes, as others have said, you can wire the tree in the fall to bend into a cascade. In addition, you can also tilt the trunk more towards a cascade style when you repot which will help enhance that style

 

[WHB123]

I agree. This is a very young juniper so could be styled in almost any bonsai style at this stage. I would point out that cascade and semi cascade are not quite as easy to achieve good style as first appears but worth having a go.

Before you start styling any tree you should find where the main roots are. No point styling a great tree then find there's another 6 inches of trunk below soil level. That would potentially spoil the initial look.
Do you think that's 2 separate trees or 1 tree with 2 trunks buried deep in the soil?

Please heed the warning not to bend junipers during Spring growing period. Sometimes you can get away with it but often branches die when manipulated at that time.
Taking it slowly with junipers is also recommended. Removing too much foliage too quickly is another thing that can set them back and potentially kill so you were right to be conservative with initial trimming.

It is very worthwhile adding a location to your personal profile so we know what time of year it is at your place. So much of what we do in bonsai is seasonal so you'll get better advice if others can see what part of the world you are.

I dug around until I found the bottom of the trunk and left the soil at that level, I couldn’t tell if it was 1 tree or 2 because the roots were all in 1 ball so if its 2 then they are all entangled. Can I get away with wiring during the late summer or should I wait until the fall. I live in middle Georgia so it is already summer weather here.

I have been wondering if I do a semi- cascade style will branches eventually grow on the “top” of the trunk where it is bare?

I didn’t know how to reply to everyone at once so I only did to you, thank you everyone else for the input.

 

[Shibui]

Late Summer should be OK for bending juniper. The risk seems to get less and less as the growing season passes.

I couldn’t tell if it was 1 tree or 2 because the roots were all in 1 ball so if its 2 then they are all entangled.

I suspect you've only gone down to the new, finer roots but that doesn't matter for now. Just work with the trunk you've uncovered this time. Are you planning to use both of the trunks for the bonsai? Easy enough to chop one off if you just want a single trunk but double trunk semi is also possible.

I have been wondering if I do a semi- cascade style will branches eventually grow on the “top” of the trunk where it is bare?

Junipers are notorious for NOT developing new buds on old, bare wood so it is unlikely you'll get new branches from bare sections. They are quite good at growing new shoots from the armpits - where another branch forks off the trunk or a larger branch so if your bare part has any long, bare branches it may still be possible to develop some small branches there.
Looking back at the original photo it appears you already have plenty of small branches all along the lower trunk so probably no need to worry about buds on bare wood at this stage.

 

[WHB123]

Late Summer should be OK for bending juniper. The risk seems to get less and less as the growing season passes.

I suspect you've only gone down to the new, finer roots but that doesn't matter for now. Just work with the trunk you've uncovered this time. Are you planning to use both of the trunks for the bonsai? Easy enough to chop one off if you just want a single trunk but double trunk semi is also possible.


Junipers are notorious for NOT developing new buds on old, bare wood so it is unlikely you'll get new branches from bare sections. They are quite good at growing new shoots from the armpits - where another branch forks off the trunk or a larger branch so if your bare part has any long, bare branches it may still be possible to develop some small branches there.
Looking back at the original photo it appears you already have plenty of small branches all along the lower trunk so probably no need to worry about buds on bare wood at this stage.

I thought/am still thinking about a double trunk but the other stem is cascading the opposite way as the one pictured. I recon I have time to think while I wait for late summer to get here.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

You can go cascade as others have stated but the tree already has nice lines for an informal upright which may be easier to visualize and work with for a beginner.



Naturally up to you but its often best to work with what the tree gives you.

If youre dead set on the cascade, youll need to grow out some length on the low branch. Id leave all top growth to aid in trunk thickening. Id wire this fall and repot next spring. Next year after repot, let grow freely. Fertilize well this year in preparation. standard chinensis growth isnt particularly tight or fine so consider that in your design.

Good luck!

 

[Shibui]

I thought/am still thinking about a double trunk but the other stem is cascading the opposite way as the one pictured.

A trunk heading in a different direction is not always a deal breaker. Junipers are relatively flexible so some heavy wire and muscle should teach that trunk who's in charge. Not saying you need the second trunk. Less trunk lines usually makes design easier.

 

[WHB123]

You can go cascade as others have stated but the tree already has nice lines for an informal upright which may be easier to visualize and work with for a beginner.

View attachment 602131

Naturally up to you but its often best to work with what the tree gives you.

If youre dead set on the cascade, youll need to grow out some length on the low branch. Id leave all top growth to aid in trunk thickening. Id wire this fall and repot next spring. Next year after repot, let grow freely. Fertilize well this year in preparation. standard chinensis growth isnt particularly tight or fine so consider that in your design.

Good luck!

Wow! thanks for the drawing, I’m new to all this so that is something I didn’t even see. I’ll post some pictures after I’ve wired and all later in the year.

 

[WHB123]

A trunk heading in a different direction is not always a deal breaker. Junipers are relatively flexible so some heavy wire and muscle should teach that trunk who's in charge. Not saying you need the second trunk. Less trunk lines usually makes design easier.

I am hoping that I will be able to separate trunks so I end up with 2 separate trees. Thanks for the help I’ll post picture updates down the line

 

[WHB123]

@Shibui @Orion_metalhead I just read something that said it may be a bad idea to prune before trying to separate 2 trees from the same pot (if it’s possible). I have already pruned so should I wait longer to repot and separate or should I not try and separate at all.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I would not repot this late in the year if youve pruned. With junipers, it is ideal to only do one major "insult" a year. If you prune, you prune. If you wire, you wire. If you repot, you repot. You dont combine more than one, especially if the specimen is not in ideal health.

In a good bonsai mix, juniper dont need repotting typically for several years, so a good cycle to consider would be something like:

Year 1: Spring - repot, fall - minor style work.
Year 2: Spring - minor styling, fall - full wiring
Year 3: Spring - Hard pruning style, fall - unwire.

So, if youve done any major work or pruning this year, id wait til next year to separate. You can figure out where in the cycle you are and then adjust.

 

[Shibui]

If root pruning was not possible after pruning we would never be able to repot any bonsai because they have all been previously pruned at some stage.
Are you planning to separate the trees next week? It would not be a great time of year for that in your neck of the woods so I doubt that's the intention.
By next Spring - much better repot time - the trees will have got over the pruning stress and be ready for whatever repotting you can throw at them. Then you'd leave them a season before any further styling or pruning (late Summer or Autumn)

I remember the insult thing originally as one insult each SEASON but it seems to have morphed into one per year? Need to be aware that also only applies to a limited number of species and, in my experience, only to older, established trees. Most seedlings and most deciduous can cope with much, much more.