New to bonsai

[BonsaiWyatt]

H, I'm looking for help with my new bonsai journey. I have a couple of Junipers I picked up from the nursery and I'm looking to style them but I wanted some help. If there are people in the yucca valley, CA area or close by that would be awesome to hear back from you.

 

[darzuo]

Welcome! Usually to get a better view of whats going on, a picture from the side of the tree that shows the trunk and branches is best.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Welcome!

I also got 2 of these recently, but I think the ideal time to work on them is late winter/early spring. We may be best served by working on keeping them alive until then.

People with experience with these, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!

In the mean time, we can plan what we want to do.

Mine are a bit smaller, so I plan to do something like this:

 

[Japonicus]

H, I'm looking for help with my new bonsai journey. I have a couple of Junipers I picked up from the nursery and I'm looking to style them but I wanted some help. If there are people in the yucca valley, CA area or close by that would be awesome to hear back from you.

Welcome to the nut house!
I'm not from California but do love a couple of good looking procumbens.
There's issue with the soil though. It is not for bonsai use.
No worries with the pics of trunk, as the trunk is no doubt obscured with foliage for now.
Pics taken at "eye level" with the pot are helpful once the trunk is exposed though.

When were these potted into this media, mostly sphagnum moss it looks?
This is an important question, and will help others in their replies of what steps to take next.
Also, was it you that potted these as they are now? Stated you picked these up at a nursery,
it's still possible that you potted them after you got them, but the when is crucial.
Rather than styling them now, it is recommended you keep it alive and learn watering, and general
growth habits of the plant the rest of the year, then style next year. Build energy through extra foliage.
Then know they bend easier the younger they are, so you might be repotting next year, keeping most of the foliage.

Do not remove foliage from the inside out. Rather from the outside in. to compact the profile
and reduce the chance of leggy branches with foliage at the ends of branches.

You will benefit from joining a local bonsai club, and editing your profile to include you general location
and USDA grow zone. There are folks on here who are in Winter as we speak, or completely different climates.

 

[doc spring _work]

H, I'm looking for help with my new bonsai journey. I have a couple of Junipers I picked up from the nursery and I'm looking to style them but I wanted some help. If there are people in the yucca valley, CA area or close by that would be awesome to hear back from you.

Thrilled to have you! Listen to the OG's on here! They are fantastic, otherwise your gonna kill several trees (which is normal when starting out... I'm still accidentally killing trees)

 

[Japonicus]

Welcome!

I also got 2 of these recently, but I think the ideal time to work on them is late winter/early spring. We may be best served by working on keeping them alive until then.

People with experience with these, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!

In the mean time, we can plan what we want to do.

Mine are a bit smaller, so I plan to do something like this:

Now is fine to work on them except root work here in my area, unless it was recently repotted. Light wiring is also ok
but not recommended for beginners to wire anything but expendable practice branches or local tree branches to learn.
I prefer July for work above soil except bending much. Your thoughts are accurate as far as holding off this year
but I won't touch my foliage until it is growing well, late Spring if not repotting, or July.
California has some acutely varying climates, and some can get away with certain work that's "out of season" for me.
Then there's the folks who repot after the Summer solstice. I typically am not one of those folks, but it works.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Welcome to the nut house!
I'm not from California but do love a couple of good looking procumbens.
There's issue with the soil though. It is not for bonsai use.
No worries with the pics of trunk, as the trunk is no doubt obscured with foliage for now.
Pics taken at "eye level" with the pot are helpful once the trunk is exposed though.

When were these potted into this media, mostly sphagnum moss it looks?
This is an important question, and will help others in their replies of what steps to take next.
Also, was it you that potted these as they are now? Stated you picked these up at a nursery,
it's still possible that you potted them after you got them, but the when is crucial.
Rather than styling them now, it is recommended you keep it alive and learn watering, and general
growth habits of the plant the rest of the year, then style next year. Build energy through extra foliage.
Then know they bend easier the younger they are, so you might be repotting next year, keeping most of the foliage.

Do not remove foliage from the inside out. Rather from the outside in. to compact the profile
and reduce the chance of leggy branches with foliage at the ends of branches.

You will benefit from joining a local bonsai club, and editing your profile to include you general location
and USDA grow zone. There are folks on here who are in Winter as we speak, or completely different climates.

Thank you for your reply.I planted them myself from some old bonsai pots I had I didn't want to do to much damage to the root system so
I just put them into there new pot and gave them water.

 

[Japonicus]

Thank you for your reply.I planted them myself from some old bonsai pots I had I didn't want to do to much damage to the root system so
I just put them into there new pot and gave them water.

When were these potted into this media, mostly sphagnum moss it looks?
This is an important question,

...actually that's 2 questions, when and in what.
Now your reply brings up more questions, and that's good, as your answers help direct proper responses.

some old bonsai pots I had

This being the New to Bonsai thread, I guess I'm confused now. It is late, and I've been rather
slow today to put it mildly, so bear with me please...
You've been a bonsai hobbyist before and/or continuing the journey??

Do these pots have drainage and wire holes in them?
I'm not asking a lot of questions, just important ones.
So please take the time to discern each one.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Thank you so much for the answers and the help. So to answer your questions Like some people you get a bonsai plant because you watched the karate kid many years ago and of course you think you can keep them inside and you know what happens to bonsai in doors. Found that out when I joined this forum. SO I had a few pots laying around and I though I would try it again, So yes they have drainage and wire to hold the roots. They are outside and seem to be doing well.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Welcome!

I also got 2 of these recently, but I think the ideal time to work on them is late winter/early spring. We may be best served by working on keeping them alive until then.

People with experience with these, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!

In the mean time, we can plan what we want to do.

Mine are a bit smaller, so I plan to do something like this:

Thank you for the link it was very helpful!!

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Welcome! Usually to get a better view of whats going on, a picture from the side of the tree that shows the trunk and branches is best.

Here is a better view of the trunk. Its going to have to grow a little more or should I start to remove some of the branches.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Welcome! Usually to get a better view of whats going on, a picture from the side of the tree that shows the trunk and branches is best.

Hope the pics help I thought going into the trunk area and removing more of the soil to see the trunk more.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Thrilled to have you! Listen to the OG's on here! They are fantastic, otherwise your gonna kill several trees (which is normal when starting out... I'm still accidentally killing trees)

I plan on listening to them for sure.

 

[BonsaiWyatt]

Welcome!

I also got 2 of these recently, but I think the ideal time to work on them is late winter/early spring. We may be best served by working on keeping them alive until then.

People with experience with these, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!

In the mean time, we can plan what we want to do.

Mine are a bit smaller, so I plan to do something like this:

Im going to take a few classes at the house of bonsai next week.