Chinese juniper first styling

[Mike132327]

This was a clearance Home Depot tree I bought at the start of my first year to learn how to repot. To my surprise it survived. It served its original purpose so I figured why not keep the learning going. Now I am learning how to wire properly. Figure while I’m wiring I might as well test out the styling muscles as well.

I forgot to take a before picture, and this definitely isn’t the pot I would chose after this styling but it is what it is for now.

Any feedback is appreciated, this is the first tree I have styled after seeing real trees at the national show and trying to build on what I learned there. I am going into my second season of bonsai and am looking to improve wherever I can. Thanks for the help!

 

[Themilkyway]

Not an advice because I’m not sure but does anybody know if picking off the berries will help in energy distribution for junipers?

 

[ponderingsage]

Hey, that’s really good for a first styling. Nice job. If I had any advice to offer, I would say to compress the design a little bit make your tree look more powerful. The foliage is lower and closer to the trunk.

To answer the other question, I think berries take energy to make so if you don’t want that energy going into berries, it’s better to pick them

 

[Shibui]

Agree that's a good effort, but like most beginners I suspect you're trying for 'balance' or just trying to use as much of the original material as possible in the final tree.
In bonsai, balance does not have to mean green foliage equally distributed around the trunk.
The right side of the tree looks windswept with strong flow to the right but the left side flows to the left. What natural forces do you think would cause any tree to grow like this?
Strong winds usually come from the same direction so windswept trees grow strongly in that direction with very little growth in the opposite direction.
Limited light also causes trees to grow in one direction, but, again, there's rarely any growth in the opposite direction because there's not enough light that way.

Consider removing or reducing the left trunk to create a strongly windswept style juniper. Could retain some of that trunk as jin to match the other jins you've already made.
As always, please consider carefully before following online advice. We only have 2D photos to work with and may not be able to see some important features that would make the proposed design a bad option.

 

[Mike132327]

Agree that's a good effort, but like most beginners I suspect you're trying for 'balance' or just trying to use as much of the original material as possible in the final tree.
In bonsai, balance does not have to mean green foliage equally distributed around the trunk.
The right side of the tree looks windswept with strong flow to the right but the left side flows to the left. What natural forces do you think would cause any tree to grow like this?
Strong winds usually come from the same direction so windswept trees grow strongly in that direction with very little growth in the opposite direction.
Limited light also causes trees to grow in one direction, but, again, there's rarely any growth in the opposite direction because there's not enough light that way.

Consider removing or reducing the left trunk to create a strongly windswept style juniper. Could retain some of that trunk as jin to match the other jins you've already made.
As always, please consider carefully before following online advice. We only have 2D photos to work with and may not be able to see some important features that would make the proposed design a bad option.

Thank you for this, that thought process is very helpful. I would move a branch and step back and think weather it looks good or not. Not considering weather a branch in this position makes sense for how a tree would grow in a particular style. I really like natural looking bonsai styles, and I would imagine with that kind of design the idea of environmental factors would play an even bigger role. That is something I will bring into my next wiring session.

This was the type of critique I was hoping for from this post. Thank you for the insight I really appreciate it. I will have a good sit down with the tree and consider it with some new knowledge.

 

[Shibui]

We looked at a very similar shaped, but much older, Shimpaku juniper at out club get together today. The owner was not satisfied by the styling but unsure what was not quite correct. After discussing the same points, we came up with several options - remove or reduce the upright apex to create a believable semi-cascade; OR, remove some or all of the cascade to leave an upright trunk. Both would be good options. The owner was not really taken by the cascade so is more likely to remove that part and go with an upright tree but either option is a big step so he needs time to consider the options or whether to just live with the tree as is.

 

[Mike132327]

We looked at a very similar shaped, but much older, Shimpaku juniper at out club get together today. The owner was not satisfied by the styling but unsure what was not quite correct. After discussing the same points, we came up with several options - remove or reduce the upright apex to create a believable semi-cascade; OR, remove some or all of the cascade to leave an upright trunk. Both would be good options. The owner was not really taken by the cascade so is more likely to remove that part and go with an upright tree but either option is a big step so he needs time to consider the options or whether to just live with the tree as is.

After some thought I decided to go for the reduction. I took out the whole left side and few little things on the right side. In time as it grows I might push it down to more of a cascade but for now I like the look of the semi.

Hey, that’s really good for a first styling. Nice job. If I had any advice to offer, I would say to compress the design a little bit make your tree look more powerful. The foliage is lower and closer to the trunk.

To answer the other question, I think berries take energy to make so if you don’t want that energy going into berries, it’s better to pick them

I also brought the foliage tighter in the the trunk and condensed the canopy a bit. It definitely gave the trunk and base a more powerful look. I appreciate the advice!

I am still trying to decide on the deadwood. I think I should shorten the first Jin on the left. Possibly all of them, but I think the largest one is distracting from the tree.