Maintaining junipers formal style?

[Conrad6]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to bonsai and I recently purchased an upright styled juniper. How should I maintain the height? Should I cut or break the top by a foot? Any other tips would be great.

Thank you!

 

[River's Edge]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to bonsai and I recently purchased an upright styled juniper. How should I maintain the height? Should I cut or break the top by a foot? Any other tips would be great.

Thank you!

You have a young tree in training! The top will only be reduced when the base has reached the thickness you need for the final design. What is the current diameter? How thick would you like it to be for your formal upright? How tall would you like the design to be?
I would consider a medium to large Bonsai as suitable for a formal upright design. Ball park 18 to 30 inches as a suggestion! You should also consider wether you prefer a stocky look or slimmer style. This will influence the ratio of trunk diameter to overall height! So a stockier look would be a ratio of 1 to 8 for example! thus a 30 inch design would have a four inch base! if 30 inches tall. A slimmer look might have a 1-11 ratio , this would have a less than 3 inch base for example. Both examples are based on a 30 inch tree overall.
For development purposes you will plan to get the base close to the final diameter and also create some taper in the trunk before removing the top entirely.
This will involve using a new apical leader to create taper and continue to complete the trunk diameter at some point.
This should give you enough to think about at this point.

Short answer, I would not suggest reducing the top at this time. However the picture does not clearly show the trunk and the size is difficult to gauge with the stick in the way. I do understand the support is aiding the proper growth pattern for a formal upright design. Continue to use it as a support for the new apical leader to ensure the formal upright style. It will be important to train a new apical leader from a young shoot in order to get the proper transition.

PS: this is an outdoor tree in case you were wondering.

 

[Conrad6]

You have a young tree in training! The top will only be reduced when the base has reached the thickness you need for the final design. What is the current diameter? How thick would you like it to be for your formal upright? How tall would you like the design to be?
I would consider a medium to large Bonsai as suitable for a formal upright design. Ball park 18 to 30 inches as a suggestion! You should also consider wether you prefer a stocky look or slimmer style. This will influence the ratio of trunk diameter to overall height! So a stockier look would be a ratio of 1 to 8 for example! thus a 30 inch design would have a four inch base! if 30 inches tall. A slimmer look might have a 1-11 ratio , this would have a less than 3 inch base for example. Both examples are based on a 30 inch tree overall.
For development purposes you will plan to get the base close to the final diameter and also create some taper in the trunk before removing the top entirely.
This will involve using a new apical leader to create taper and continue to complete the trunk diameter at some point.
This should give you enough to think about at this point.

Short answer, I would not suggest reducing the top at this time. However the picture does not clearly show the trunk and the size is difficult to gauge with the stick in the way. I do understand the support is aiding the proper growth pattern for a formal upright design. Continue to use it as a support for the new apical leader to ensure the formal upright style. It will be important to train a new apical leader from a young shoot in order to get the proper transition.

PS: this is an outdoor tree in case you were wondering.

Great info! Thank you River's Edge! Right now it's only .5" thick and 29" tall. I'm only 1/8th the way there! Should I wait until the trunk is 4" thick to cut and find a new apex?

Also, it's inside for the photoshoot only

 

[River's Edge]

Great info! Thank you River's Edge! Right now it's only .5" thick and 29" tall. I'm only 1/8th the way there! Should I wait until the trunk is 4" thick to cut and find a new apex?

Also, it's inside for the photoshoot only

Picking the time and location for new apex is all part of your decision making. Personal preference for the amount of taper. Some are happy with a blunt top style. Changing apex is more difficult to do well but much more believable in design! I would begin taper development around 3 inches and select a position about 2/3 of the desired final height as a starting point!
By the time you have developed twenty of these you will get the hang of it and the results will improve!
Caveat: if six other people reply you will likely get six different opinions based on their experience and stylistic preferences so just be open and go in the direction that you prefer. Best wishes.

 

[Conrad6]

Picking the time and location for new apex is all part of your decision making. Personal preference for the amount of taper. Some are happy with a blunt top style. Changing apex is more difficult to do well but much more believable in design! I would begin taper development around 3 inches and select a position about 2/3 of the desired final height as a starting point!
By the time you have developed twenty of these you will get the hang of it and the results will improve!
Caveat: if six other people reply you will likely get six different opinions based on their experience and stylistic preferences so just be open and go in the direction that you prefer. Best wishes.

Awesome! Thanks again!

 

[Conrad6]

Picking the time and location for new apex is all part of your decision making. Personal preference for the amount of taper. Some are happy with a blunt top style. Changing apex is more difficult to do well but much more believable in design! I would begin taper development around 3 inches and select a position about 2/3 of the desired final height as a starting point!
By the time you have developed twenty of these you will get the hang of it and the results will improve!
Caveat: if six other people reply you will likely get six different opinions based on their experience and stylistic preferences so just be open and go in the direction that you prefer. Best wishes.

Hi River's Edge. Forgot to ask, do you recommend a 4" diameter or 4" circumference trunk?

 

[leatherback]

Hi River's Edge. Forgot to ask, do you recommend a 4" diameter or 4" circumference trunk?

WHen talking size in bonsai it is diameter, so the "visible" size.

It sounds like a lot (And it is) but this is what it is in bonsai. Everything is oversized and extremely tapered to give the impression of an old big tree, and reduce the "shrub-look"

 

[River's Edge]

Hi River's Edge. Forgot to ask, do you recommend a 4" diameter or 4" circumference trunk?

Diameter is the normal dimension used and that is what I was referring to. Caveat: what suits your sense of design and size? I was using example for purposes of comprehension, not for defining rules! I must admit though that I tend to want to work on older trees with three to five inch trunks as a starting point.