Raynn’s Juniper Projects - Procumbens Nana & Pfitzeriana Aurea

[ForeverRaynning]

Had a look at the procumbens and took some pictures to see whats happening.

Heres some of the base, some nice thick roots but at an awkward height, not really on one level? Then can see where the trunk still goes into the soil, or is that a giant taproot? Do junipers have taproots?



Hard to get good pictures, didn’t want to start taking it out the pot again so had to shove my phone up past the foliage as close to the pot as I could and hope for the best.

Now the branch structure, which is… terrible.



That bar branch situation at the top is horrible, looks like theres a third branch in there as well making it worse? Didn’t look at the other side as there was no easy way in to get a look.

Those two nubs above that thick branch on the right were small branches that I took off last year on the basis that they were ‘crossing’ the two ‘trunks’. Now wish I’d kept them as don’t know if a twin trunk is feasable/realistically a good option on this.

Heres the wound from last year

Seems to be healing nicely? So thats good at least.

I did have a lot of keen to work on it but seeing that branch structure has thrown me, I’m rather disheartened at the minute. I have no idea what to do with it. Sure wasn’t planning ok having a show worthy bonsai out of it but I at least want something I’m happy with. Something that looks more than just a common cheap mallsai you see being sold online.

I’m probably overreacting, its nursery material, its probably completely normal. I was just excited to work on it and have something start looking a little more like bonsai and less like a shrub

So may need some guidance/recomendations on this one.

 

[Japonicus]

Looking back through this thread there's several different plants
which makes it difficult to comment on what to do without a picture
of the entire plant. Still, can comment on the small above soil roots coming
off of the trunk, and the large branch on the inside of a curve near the soil.

The little roots above soil should be cut off, and sealed.
Juniper tend to have a fine root ball rather than single complex large tap roots.
Still, sometimes we need to cut the base of the trunk for potting purposes.
This base would possibly look like a tap root at 1st. Especially with such young material.
Just have to leave enough roots to sustain plant vigour.
Also you may want to remove the above soil roots over a period of time rather than all at once.
The roots at soil level, keep all for now, and reassess at each repotting.
Looks like it could use a repotting now.

The large branch coming from the inside of the 1st curve, I would not use as a twin trunk.
It is too large to use as a branch compared to the rest of the trunk.
So you could either keep it as the main trunk, and remove the remainder/opposite "trunk"
in Summer, or jin that branch/trunk. This is the main reason a full picture would help, but
regardless, it's up to you what you like, but I would not remove any foliage until it has recovered
from potting up into bonsai soil.

 

[Japonicus]

Can you provide a picture with this view as the front but from distance enough to see the whole plant?
On level with pot rather than areal too.

 

[ForeverRaynning]

I can see how that would be confusing. There was a common juniper at the start of the thead, that was no use to me anyway and died, theres the Aurea and theres this Procumbens.

Procumbens first appears in post 29, on page 2. Latest full view of this procumbens is on page 4, post 75. Aurea came in a small grey pot and was repoted sometime last year into the orange pot also seen on post 75. Those are the easiest references without looking through the whole thread.

Here are pictures taken at eye level, the soil level is about an inch below the top of the pot.

Here it is at that ‘front’ or as close to as I could get, it may be a bit out but not by much, trunk being in that gap on the left, this may be a slightly more clockwise turned view



Then 90 degrees clockwise -



90 degrees clockwise again, so this is the ‘back’



And finally 90 degrees again



Would have taken it out the pot so its easier to see but I know last year I was told to stop doing that. It does slip out the pot very easily though.

Pot is 3L so likely around 19cm/7.5inch top diameter

 

[Japonicus]

Ready to be worked on, the roots, and begin soil transition now.
Then assess what foliage is supported by this branch. It doesn't work for the bonsai to be I don't think.

 

[ForeverRaynning]

Ready to be worked on, the roots, and begin soil transition now.
Then assess what foliage is supported by this branch. It doesn't work for the bonsai to be I don't think.
View attachment 596508

Agree that branch doesn’t suit plus have been thinking about styles and realised I’m really overly keen on cascades which is what that branch would likely want to be. So it may be destined for Jin at some point.

Its just working out where all the foliage is coming from.

One of my reasons for wanting to do pruning this year is I don’t have any tree’s that are in development, its two deciduous seedlings or my two juniper shrubs. Admittedly the Aurea might be ok for wiring towards the end of the year as it was repot last year into the orange container which was a lot bigger than the P9 it came in, so that won’t be due a repot yet.

The procumbens is also so dense I worry about it getting enough water and sun? I haven’t really hand watered it the past 6-8 months, so repotting into bonsai soil would suddenly require more maintenance. But, its a skill I have to learn and can’t keep getting away with just letting the weather keep my plants alive. Was reading replies to other peoples procumbens posts and read that if you prune now it becomes a lot harder to get enough foliage to then safely repot later, especially if you want to have something that looks more like a bonsai as you’ll be less willing to let it grow out enough. Which makes a lot of sense and wasn’t something I had considered.

With that in mind I’m becoming more open to the idea of repotting it this year. I have a substrate in mind that I know is popular here in the UK. Its just getting a pot. We don’t have anderson flats here in the UK, we do have pond baskets (but those plus a well-draining substrate will probably be much much harder for me to keep on top of?) I assume the goal is a wider but shallower pot, so taking off some of the rootmass (I believe 1/3rd is the recommended max at a time?) and then try and gently untangle and spread out the rest as flat as I can? Unsure how easy finding a shallow but wide container will be.

 

[ForeverRaynning]

Took it out the pot to assess the roots, took more soil off the top so I could see what I was dealing with, some off the bottom to loosen it just a little (mostly seeing how easy it was to do, the soil is quite dry so came away easier than I thought). Put said soil in the bottom of the pot, took some pics, put the tree back in and covered the roots again with topsoil (making sure ti get the sides as best I could) and watered it well (just hope the rootball isn’t still dry underneath the fresh soil, perhaps should have watered that before filing it back in). Yes this was probably a bad idea but if repotting is the plan, it just needs to manage a bit longer till I get the supplies and at least I know what to expect root wise when I do repot. I could have done a lot worse to it. I didn’t.

So heres some pics of the roots



Given last year I took soil off the top and put it in the bottom of the pot, the roots have colonised that well too. Also not sure what the white chunks are in it (not the old fert), mineral deposits from past waterings perhaps?


And heres a top down view, this foliage doesn’t look fully healthy to me?



Could this just be lack of watering? It was pretty neglected this past year. But don’t want to rush a repot if its not ready to take the hit, unless its the old soil that is the issue.

 

[ForeverRaynning]

Repotted. That was stressful. Hopefully it pulls through. Didn’t remove too many roots as was worried about overdoing it, so the root mass folds under on itself. Also had to bareroot it due to how different the substrate is, I know thats a pretty big risk. Hopefully the new mix is settled into the root mass properly.



Shade for three weeks and daily misting for this one. Plus crossing my fingers! Then can slowly re-acclimatise to full sun if all goes well.

Its very one-sided foliage wise not sure how thats happened.

Wiring it in was probably the hardest bit! Was quite stressed by the end. Wish I’d taken a pic before filling it in but it slipped my mind.

If it dies, I can always get a new one and learn from my mistakes.