First Foray Into Junipers

[thams]

I paid a visit to Plant City Bonsai today in Claremont, GA to scope out some material. After sorting through the "sea of junipers" for about an hour, I selected two shimpaku junipers to take home. These are my first junipers ever, so I'm excited about the prospect of tinkering with them. I have a ton of reading to do before I really touch them, but I cleaned out most of the dead foliage and branches, cleared the top of the soil of debris, brushed the trunks and branches to get rid some gunk build-up, and cut down the pots to the soil line to discourage excessive moisture within the canopy. One has a straightforward structure with one main trunk and the other has multiple trunks with tone of crazy bends. I tried snapping some pictures, but it was difficult to photograph the trunks with all the foliage in the way.

Are there any other things I should immediately do while reading up on styling tips and general care? I'm not a stranger to bonsai, but I've only kept deciduous and evergreens before now. I know I'll need to bend the hell outta the branches to achieve a nice silhouette, but I'd like to also encourage back budding where I can.

 

[defra]

Id say they look prety damn healthy!

Im currently still in the process of pruning and wireing a few of my juniperus and i guess it will be allright to thin it out and open up the foliage some let the light and air inside
Also that will let you have a better look inside the tree to look for the styling options

 

[thams]

@Adair M will you potentially put on a workshop at Plant City in the spring for junipers and pines? I think I can manage thinning the tree out myself, but I'll definitely need branch selection and styling help. A workshop would be an ideal place for this so I have some hands-on guidance. I'm also about to join the Atlanta bonsai club, so I'm sure there will be workshop options there as well.

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M will you potentially put on a workshop at Plant City in the spring for junipers and pines? I think I can manage thinning the tree out myself, but I'll definitely need branch selection and styling help. A workshop would be an ideal place for this so I have some hands-on guidance. I'm also about to join the Atlanta bonsai club, so I'm sure there will be workshop options there as well.

I do repotting classes at PCB in the spring.

I just held a pine class on wiring and styling for pines last weekend.

 

[thams]

I do repotting classes at PCB in the spring.

I just held a pine class on wiring and styling for pines last weekend.

Cool - I'll keep my eye out for emails announcing classes. In the meantime, I'll look for styling workshops to help me sort through these guys. I might be back by Plant City to pick up a couple more - these look like they'll be a blast to style.

 

[coachspinks]

Ah, the "Sea of Junipers." It really is hard to decide which one to pick, isn't it? However, are you sure they are Shimpaku and not procumbens?

 

[Adair M]

Ah, the "Sea of Junipers." It really is hard to decide which one to pick, isn't it? However, are you sure they are Shimpaku and not procumbens?

Yep, those are procumbens. A lot have scale foliage, which will revert to juvenile as soon as they’re pruned and/or repotted.

 

[thams]

Oh, my bad. I thought Steve said they were shimpaku as I was sorting through them. Thanks for the correction - that will help with my care research. Both of mine have some juvenile foliage on them. I was just reading up on what to do if that's the case. It seems like the advice is to leave it alone until the growth tips produce mature foliage.

 

[coachspinks]

I have several from the Sea of Junipers and Adair is correct, when you prune them they will explode with juvenile foliage. My advice is one insult per year....pot with root pruning or heavy foilage pruning but not at the same time. I have done that with several and they are super healthy. I know a couple of people who repot/root prune and style the tops at the same time. Their's survive but I don't chance it.

Plant City's shimpakus are on the benches, not in the sea of junipers.

 

[thams]

I have several from the Sea of Junipers and Adair is correct, when you prune them they will explode with juvenile foliage. My advice is one insult per year....pot with root pruning or heavy foilage pruning but not at the same time. I have done that with several and they are super healthy. I know a couple of people who repot/root prune and style the tops at the same time. Their's survive but I don't chance it.

Plant City's shimpakus are on the benches, not in the sea of junipers.

I appreciate the advice - I'll definitely keep it in mind. I'm assuming that shimpaku junipers are more desirable, right? Not that I'm disappointed with them being procumbens. I'm just trying to learn differences.

 

[coachspinks]

I appreciate the advice - I'll definitely keep it in mind. I'm assuming that shimpaku junipers are more desirable, right? Not that I'm disappointed with them being procumbens. I'm just trying to learn differences.

In general Shimpaku are considered more desirable. Procumbens are great to learn on though and can make great looking trees.

 

[thams]

So I've been gathering as much information as possible from threads here as well as articles online on junipers. I'm wondering if someone can confirm the timing of work on junipers considering my zone (7b). I plan to experiment on one of the procumbens I picked up and keep the other as is until I have a better grasp on care and styling direction.

The best time to style junipers is now. They can be pruned back hard as long as no more than about 30-35% of foliage is removed. Wiring (including heavy bends) is best done now as well since moisture is leaving the branches making the bark more resilient to damage. Foliage should be thinned on existing branches to promote increased exposure to sunlight and greater air circulation.

Repotting should be done in early spring. No more than about a third of the root ball should be removed at a time, and they should not be bare rooted. Native or nursery soil should be removed gradually over 3 or so repots as to not stress the tree too much. Obviously the native soil should be replaced with a good quality mix. Jin and shari should preferably be made in the summer when the bark can be more easily stripped. This can be done at other times of the year, but the bark has to be scrapped away instead. Am I missing anything vital?

 

[River's Edge]

Am I missing anything vital?

Yes i think one key aspect should be considered. All of the comments you made are applicable if the plant is healthy and vigorous, planted in appropriate soil with a root ball and sufficient foliage to recover from the intended work.

In short the first steps when acquiring a plant from a regular nursery to consider should be repotting at the appropriate time into Bonsai mix to begin the process of getting the tree strong enough to apply Bonsai techniques for development.

Pruning, wiring and styling add stress, remove foliage which supports recovery. First step should be to get the tree healthy. Juvenile foliage indicates the plants have already been stressed and are not in peak condition.

 

[thams]

In short the first steps when acquiring a plant from a regular nursery to consider should be repotting at the appropriate time into Bonsai mix to begin the process of getting the tree strong enough to apply Bonsai techniques for development.

Pruning, wiring and styling add stress, remove foliage which supports recovery. First step should be to get the tree healthy. Juvenile foliage indicates the plants have already been stressed and are not in peak condition.

So is it your take that any juvenile foliage on a procumbens indicates the tree is in a stressed state? I ask because I found a video of Bjorn styling a huge procumbens at Kouka-en that sports mostly juvenile foliage from what I can tell from the pictures (his Sonare Juniper Bonsai Demo post). It appears that he mostly just wired it, but if the tree was stressed, then I assume he wouldn't have touched it at all. I've seen folks style procumbens (and all manner of other trees) in nursery soil as long as the tree is healthy and growing. I think it's sound advice to get the tree into bonsai soil, but is it a totally necessary first step if the tree is healthy?

 

[River's Edge]

So is it your take that any juvenile foliage on a procumbens indicates the tree is in a stressed state? I ask because I found a video of Bjorn styling a huge procumbens at Kouka-en that sports mostly juvenile foliage from what I can tell from the pictures (his Sonare Juniper Bonsai Demo post). It appears that he mostly just wired it, but if the tree was stressed, then I assume he wouldn't have touched it at all. I've seen folks style procumbens (and all manner of other trees) in nursery soil as long as the tree is healthy and growing. I think it's sound advice to get the tree into bonsai soil, but is it a totally necessary first step if the tree is healthy?

No that is not the implication, it is one indicator! Bjorn certainly has the skill and experience to assess the overall situation! There are lots of indicators including type and extent of new foliage.
The point is that the tree is likely to retain its health if it is transitioned to better growing conditions first. Being healthy in a nursery pot and nursery soil does not mean it will be able to recover as quickly or retain its health after one begins regular Bonsai development.
I understand it is common practise to buy a plant and dive right in with styling and pruning. The fact of the matter is that experienced, trained bonsai people understand the value of preparing the tree and improving the condition prior to beginning major work. just ask anyone who is responsible for selecting and acquiring workshop trees for a bonsai convention or educational program. They do not go out the day before and select things off the bench or the ground. The material is selected , often repotted and taken care of well in advance of these events.

 

[thams]

No that is not the implication, it is one indicator! Bjorn certainly has the skill and experience to assess the overall situation! There are lots of indicators including type and extent of new foliage.
The point is that the tree is likely to retain its health if it is transitioned to better growing conditions first. Being healthy in a nursery pot and nursery soil does not mean it will be able to recover as quickly or retain its health after one begins regular Bonsai development.
I understand it is common practise to buy a plant and dive right in with styling and pruning. The fact of the matter is that experienced, trained bonsai people understand the value of preparing the tree and improving the condition prior to beginning major work. just ask anyone who is responsible for selecting and acquiring workshop trees for a bonsai convention or educational program. They do not go out the day before and select things off the bench or the ground. The material is selected , often repotted and taken care of well in advance of these events.

Thanks for the thoughtful post. I agree that getting a tree into better soil is probably something that will improve the overall health of the tree - especially in the long term. Since I'm sort of rebooting my approach to bonsai, I've told myself that everything will be done with the health of the tree in mind. For years I screwed around with trees (mostly ficus kept indoors because I lacked outdoor space). In 10 or 15 years I want a worthy collection that's healthy and developed. I'd rather do the right things up front and have great trees down the line.

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks for the thoughtful post. I agree that getting a tree into better soil is probably something that will improve the overall health of the tree - especially in the long term. Since I'm sort of rebooting my approach to bonsai, I've told myself that everything will be done with the health of the tree in mind. For years I screwed around with trees (mostly ficus kept indoors because I lacked outdoor space). In 10 or 15 years I want a worthy collection that's healthy and developed. I'd rather do the right things up front and have great trees down the line.

One more observation, it is critical to understand the condition of a potential Bonsai before beginning pruning, wiring, etc. One of the best ways is to know what the root condition actually is! If you have any intention of showing a Bonsai in the future nebari is very important and one of the first things to understand and improve if possible. Next important is the line and flow of the trunk or trunks in a clump style. Focus on the fundamental characteristics that determine the value long term. A great approach is to focus on the overall health and vigor , then follow up with a focus on what counts in evaluating the species you are working with. Build your Bonsai from the roots up, is my approach, slower initially but more effective in the long run. In my opinion you will not find a professional who disagrees with this approach. Every Bonsai professional i have trained with emphasizes that one must take care of the health and root base development before creating Bonsai. Most of them will privately admit that the focus on workshops and demonstrations is actually contrary to the preferred development process. Quality Bonsai take time and Less at a time is more!