My J. communis 'Berkshire Sparkler' Trees

[Brain Treez]

I have a real soft spot for five Common Junipers that I bought for $15 each when the bonsai brain worm first got me in January '24. I know communis has a bad reputation as bonsai (sensitive roots and brittle branches), but I can't get over their beautiful winter foliage and the ease at which they form dense pads. I've been taking it slow with them, but a couple seem ready for next steps, so might as well start a thread.

First up is Sparkler 4.







That first picture seems to be the best front, and with an angle tweak and minimal bending I think I can achieve something like this:



Or go even more minimalist with:



As ever, I appreciate any comments or suggestions this community provides, especially from anyone with J. communis experience.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Design 1 speaks the most to me.
Design 2 is what I've seen them do on cliffs in France, and looks most awesome in terms of emotion.

How did you go about the roots? Did you repot already into a bonsai soil?

 

[Wulfskaar]

Nice! Maybe go with the first one, and if you don't like it later, you can take more off and go for the second option.

 

[Brain Treez]

Design 1 speaks the most to me.
Design 2 is what I've seen them do on cliffs in France, and looks most awesome in terms of emotion.

How did you go about the roots? Did you repot already into a bonsai soil?

This tree was potted down from a 3 gallon nursery can in Feb '24. My timid inexperience may have actually done me a favor, as my notes say that barely any root work was done. Whatever space was left in the cut-down pot was filled with some mix of pumice/perlite/lava/bark. This tree was the most vigorous of all of them last year. Potting down further is going to be a very gradual process. Hell, it may never make it all the way down into a bonsai pot.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I managed to pot mine down into bonsai pots, but once they were at that stage and thriving I started managing the foliage for a couple years.
In year 3 after that, they passed.

Which leads me to think that they require different management. Maybe one year of styling, two years of recovery. Once that growth weakens, they're done for. This might help you overcome the hurdle that mine didn't.

 

[Brain Treez]

Here we have Sparkler 5 which was potted down the same as #4 in Feb '24. Since then it's seen sporadic experimental wiring to see how this species handles it, as well as some cut backs. Is a "windswept literati raft" a thing? This is likely the last spring that some of those primary branches can get any sort of movement put into them, but I've got wirer's block.

 

[Brain Treez]

Some slight tweaks to the apex and lower branch plan for Sparkler 4 present a couple more attractive, to me at least, options. A challenge here is that first primary branch off the left side is headed very much away from the viewer at this angle, and while I do think it's bendable enough to present the silhouette shown, the branch will still be somewhat distant compared to the next branch coming off the left. The difference below is trying to use that branch or eliminating it in the favor of bringing down the other.



I'll likely shoot for the option on the right come spring, which always leaves the possibility of transitioning to the other(s).