Is this a good nana to start with? Any shape ideas?

[senor8]

Hi all, just picked up a bonsai from a nice shop and had it trimmed/styled:

first Juniper bonsai

This is "first Juniper bonsai" by Mudra on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

vimeo.com

I thought this one already had quite dramatic branches but maybe I should have selected one with a more curved trunk structure already?
Any ideas on how I can achieve a more traditional style and perhaps which shape I should go after?
Is it ok to wire the tree to try and shape the trunk still or would this be considered too mature for that?
Is the pot size ok?

Its still quite striking to me and I'll try my best to do help it achieve a nice shape.

Thanks for the help

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Adding your location is a good start, if you're anywhere in the world where it's winter now, you can wire.
If you are where summer is starting, now is a bad time to wire.
It's a bad idea to keep it inside, like the worst idea for longer than a day.

So best thing to do now is put it outside and make sure it lives until the dormant season (fall, winter, spring) and then decide on how to continue.
The pot is fine for now, and hacking back to lower branches to compact the design is also something I'd wait out on.

So congrats on your new plant! Keep it happy, keep us updated if something happens, and if you want you can sketch out a future plan for it.
If those rocks are glued on, remove them. They serve no function if they are, other than making it difficult for you to work with.
It also helps if you post pictures directly on the website, or embed videos by using the embedding URL from vimeo. This way we don't have to open external links and it'll help providing you with feedback by reaching a wider audience.

 

[bwaynef]

A little forum housekeeping: you'll get more responses by posting a picture here to the forum. Also, helps to know where you are. Put your location in your profile.

Next, what's your goal? You mention "a more traditional style" but that could mean almost anything. Let us know what you're aiming for. Post a picture or a link.
As for wiring, you've got a couple months before its recommended you'd do much shaping of junipers, (mid-to-late summer at the earliest, assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) so maybe spend some time learning HOW to wire. You won't be good at it the first (few) time(s), but a good understanding will make things go more smoothly. Check this out for a good wiring intro: https://www.craftsy.com/class/bonsai-wiring-essentials/

 

[senor8]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm zone 6 I believe, Toronto Canada. Here's a picture as well

@Wires_Guy_wires I was told the rocks on top are there to help retain moisture, they're not glued on. I was also told these junipers come from Florida and can handle an indoor climate, but if this isn't the case I'll move it outside. I'm on the 12th floor and it can get quite windy, would a glass enclosure do well for it?

@bwaynef honestly I'd like to try and create a shape that is traditional but also suits the current shape. Seems like I might have to remove some of the height to achieve anything traditional though, Hen-kengai or Moyogi seem like valid options but I'm not quite sure yet. Thanks for the tips on wiring, I will wait for that and perhaps look into a class.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

@Wires_Guy_wires I was told the rocks on top are there to help retain moisture, they're not glued on. I was also told these junipers come from Florida and can handle an indoor climate, but if this isn't the case I'll move it outside. I'm on the 12th floor and it can get quite windy, would a glass enclosure do well for it

You've been led on, Florida is outside. I've never been there but I've heard about it.
But keep the rocks if it's windy, they add extra weight.
Windy or not, outdoors the plant experiences the drop in temperature and change in humidity that junipers need for their foliage to keep functioning. Inside that doesn't happen and your juniper will turn dull grey and peter out.
We all killed our first plants, no harm in that. And replacing it with a big box store procumbens nana juniper is about 15 dollars. But if we can avoid it, why not?

 

[Japonicus]

@senor8 are there drainage holes in the bottom of your pot?

What side of building is your balcony on?
Curious if it's going to get full Sun or not.
North through East are worst for Sun exposure with North being worst.

Tethering to a cinder block would be helpful for a windy location.

No on a glass enclosure. Too hot and foliage would succumb to transpiration. Droplets of moisture will magnify the Suns intensity.

If you work or are gone for most of the day you'll have issues keeping up with the water requirements. If no holes in the pot for drainage, the pot is not viable.

 

[TrueSandwich]

I was also told these junipers come from Florida and can handle an indoor climate, but if this isn't the case I'll move it outside

Juniperus procumbens is native to Japan not Florida. They are hardy down to zone 4 so it will absolutely be fine outside. They might have meant that that plant was grown in Florida, but that doesn't change the species, and it's needs. This species, and ALL bonsai, except for a very few exceptions, need to be outside. Some plants need protection from harsh winters in unheated garages or the like, but never inside your home where it is heated. This is because plants need seasons of dormancy and will wither and die over time without it. For now, focus on maintaining the health of the plant before you start learning how to style it.