Nursery Juniper first styling?

[silversara]

Picture below, what would be the best way to go about styling this tree? (Looking into the future) Or would I need to do more cleaning/prep work on it before the potential can be seen?
I have a few videos and tutorials that I've been revisiting on cleaning up Junipers, but I don't want to accidentally chop off anything that might be important in the process. It's going to end up a lot shorter than it is now, but I also don't want to get it too short or take off something that might of fit in the later design, what's your recommendation for starting it off?

 

[Relknes]

Step 1: Remove any dead foliage.
Step 2: Remove downward facing foliage. You will be surprised at how much of the tree you can see once you have done these two things.
Step 3: Remove branches that you are positive or almost positive you won't want to use in the final image. Stop when you have removed about 1/3 of the green and let it recover for a month or two.
Step 4: While it recovers, make further plans. Then repeat the process.
If you post a picture after getting through steps 1 and 2, people will be able to give better guidance. As it is, it's hard to see much of the main trunks/options.

 

[Tieball]

What I think is that you need to look inside the tree and begin to view what you and the tree might like as a main trunk line...whether that is up, leaning, or wind blown for example. You can Google Juniper Bonsai.....and see what Junipers with similar trunk directions as you identify look like. I wouldn't settle on one trunk line either. I would probably identify several trunk lines....like at least 3 to 5 trunk lines. Evaluate from different angles or sides. You'll be rewarded with a decent starting direction once you see what's exactly inside the tree for a creative design that you can then work toward....then begin to eliminate branches unwanted. Get your gloves on and poke around inside the Juniper. Push some branches around just to get a look at a trunk direction....from several sides.

I would suggest that as you eliminate branches that you want to remove don't just cut them off....certainly if they are overly long cut back some....but always leave yourself new dead branch areas to work with in the future. You can always cut them off later. For the present development I'd be more inclined to strip the bark from unwanted branches. As you strip the branches you'll expose some interesting design choices.

You can also...just let this tree grow a bit bigger....unless your target tree is very small. It looks like a young bush right now. Right now it looks to have a trunk less than an inch in diameter. Yes, you might just measure the nabari and determine it's bigger....however, I'm looking at the trunk appearance of weight and thickness....the first impression thickness which to my viewing is above the soil. I'm thinking you just might want more trunk to work with. As it grows it will develop design characteristics to give you good choices and potential. As it grows you push and move branches to see what's developing....without cutting things off yet. You're styling in your head.

You'll see a direction in the first viewing...then come back in a month and you'll detect a new direction.

 

[sorce]

Remove downward facing foliage.

I don't mean to call you out....
But this is for finished trees.

What if you have a branch like the one at the top here?


If you cut that downward growing branch you just screwed yourself out of foliage close to the trunk.
That long end could get cut off and the close flipped up.

Trees grow stronger on top.
We want strong (heavier) growth on the bottom, therefore, turning a branch upside down entirely can give you a great beginning to structure, simply by flipping the strength.
But you can't do this after mindlessly cutting everything growing downward.

Don't go removing all the "crotch" branches either, you may need that finer growth to cut back to in the future, especially up top.

Ah, those other two drawings are of a branch you would typically get rid of, and one you would typically keep.

@silversara there is much to be considered...
And nothing but time to make it happen!

I just revisited a Juniper of mine and found a new design that works way better than I originally intended....

I think this is the video with a part on objective bonsai design...

Very very helpful.

Sorce

 

[Jaberwky17]

I don't mean to call you out....
But this is for finished trees.

What if you have a branch like the one at the top here?
View attachment 133478

If you cut that downward growing branch you just screwed yourself out of foliage close to the trunk.
That long end could get cut off and the close flipped up.

Sorce

Sorce - I believe the original comment was to remove downward "facing" foliage. To be fair, you can do a lot of that and not have to remove any branches. I agree with your overall philosophy though.

 

[sorce]

Sorce - I believe the original comment was to remove downward "facing" foliage. To be fair, you can do a lot of that and not have to remove any branches. I agree with your overall philosophy though.

We just can't see the tree well enough to know if the best new trunk line is something OP would consider downard facing foliage.

I get real sad when I see key branches removed and a Juniper that turns into something that resembles something you'd see while praying to a cross extremely intoxicated!

Sorce

 

[silversara]

Thanks for all the replies so far!
I was planning on having the tree end up at 8-10 inches, maybe a little taller, but not by much.
I'm also not planning on doing anything *too* drastic yet, but I did want to try and open up the foliage to let more light in, since it's quite thick, while avoiding removing anything important and I wanted the opinion of more experienced bonsai folks on doing that.
Thanks again for the advice!