Help with first wiring

[notapom]

Hi, so I've had a juniper for a couple of years. Has always thrived, I've performed mild pruning during the 2 years. Was due to do my first repot in march but stupidly I mismanaged it's care during the winter months and I only recently realised that it had perished.

Anyway, I've bought another juniper from the garden centre and I'm going to try to bonsai it myself this time as opposed to buying an existing bonsai.

I'm looking for input on the shaping and wether I should prune the roots and repot into a bonsai soil mix now or should I wait until next year?

I'll add an image of what I have and another with a rough idea of how I was thinking I should wire.

Thanks

Edit: images I am uploading aren't showing so I'll add links.

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[Wires_Guy_wires]

My juniper repotting window has passed. And the wiring window too.

Heavy bends like trunk bends are best done in a dormant season. Repotting is best done before spring growth pops up, I think when it comes to repotting you might have some time, but I do see new growth, so at your own risk!

 

[Shibui]

The tree and plan appear to be good.
I repot juniper last of the spring repotting here. Not sure what that would translate to in Wales but the shoots don't appear too advanced and I'd still do that one however @Wires_Guy_wires is much closer to your season than I am down here.
Junipers do not grow new roots easy after pruning so it is generally advised to do only one at a time - ether repot or prune but not both in the same season.

The other advice from @Wires_Guy_wires about wiring and bending is also valid. I got away with it for a few years without any problem. Wondered what all the fuss was until I did have some drastic die back after spring bending. Juniper bark is very loose in the growing season so it is easy to damage the developing cambium and kill parts of the tree by bending in spring.

Entirely up to you whether you take note of the advice but I'd probably do preliminary pruning now. Wire and bend late summer then repot next spring. You may be disappointed in the longer than anticipated timeline but bonsai is a long term pursuit. A year or 2 here or there is nothing.

 

[notapom]

Thanks to both of you for the information. I don't mind things taking years, I have many other plants/cuttings that have taken years to flower or produce new growth. My teddy bear cactus cutting has finally shot out a dozen or so new pads this spring after 2 years of waiting.

Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go as the plant wasn't expensive and if it is unsuccessful, then hey ho, I will chalk it up as practice at wiring and try again next spring. If it is successful then great, I'm a year ahead than what I would be.

I will not repot though as I don't want to incur the stress of a repot on top of a heavy prune and wire.

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