Shimpaku first styling from nursery

[AnutterBonsai]

Was strolling around my local nursery 5 mins down the road when I found they had a few 1 gallon shimpaku junipers! For $30 I thought quite a steal. Here’s what I came up with. Any feedback helps. Any suggestions on the aftercare from this styling? Also how should I approach repotting next year?

 

[Hartinez]

Was strolling around my local nursery 5 mins down the road when I found they had a few 1 gallon shimpaku junipers! For $30 I thought quite a steal. Here’s what I came up with. Any feedback helps. Any suggestions on the aftercare from this styling? Also how should I approach repotting next year?

Not a bad first attempt, but I think you could go a bit further. Do you have larger scale wire? Raffia? If so, wrap that thing up a bit more and really compress and just let it grow for a full year. Not so much the fine branch but the primary trunks. Get movement now before it gets away from you in thickness.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

Not a bad first attempt, but I think you could go a bit further. Do you have larger scale wire? Raffia? If so, wrap that thing up a bit more and really compress and just let it grow for a full year. Not so much the fine branch but the primary trunks. Get movement now before it gets away from you in thickness.

Much appreciated! Unfortunately I have neither, but do you think the second branch needs to come down lower? I could attempt to put in a second wire and be more gentle to attempt getting it lower, the tension was close to rip the wood, but perhaps with a second wire it can help

 

[Scorpius]

Let's hope and pray it makes if first there. You did two major offenses in one year. You only want one offense per year.
Repot a tree? Wire next year.
Wire a tree? Repot or foliage reduction next year.

 

[Hartinez]

Doesn’t look like he repotted actually. This tree should recover just fine from the work.

I think your trying to get a finished silhouette now, but you should really just work on getting movement on those trunks and growing them out.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

I didn’t repot, that’s why I mentioned repotting next year. Just leaving it do its thing now and grow with silhouette

 

[Hartinez]

Bjorn has a great video on compacting young shimpaku.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

Bjorn has a great video on compacting young shimpaku.

Much appreciated!

 

[Hartinez]

Much appreciated!

No doubt! You wont regret the purchase if you just give it time to develop. Shimpaku are the best.

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

With a tighter coil of wire it is easier to bend a branch and be sure to have the wire on the outside of a bend.
But also be carefull with wiring and bending during the growing season because the bark can slip of easiely when you bend a branch.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

With a tighter coil of wire it is easier to bend a branch and be sure to have the wire on the outside of a bend.
But also be carefull with wiring and bending during the growing season because the bark can slip of easiely when you bend a branch.

thanks, yes, i took note of the season we're in and tried not to push the envelope too much in regards to bark slipping, could've definitely done my wiring better hah.

 

[penumbra]

Happy for your purchase and your patience and hope you are rewarded with a lovely bonsai some day. But quite bluntly, do you have a plan or you just waiting to see what develops? No criticism intended as I certainly don't have plans for all my pre-bonsai ......... not by a long shot.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

Happy for your purchase and your patience and hope you are rewarded with a lovely bonsai some day. But quite bluntly, do you have a plan or you just waiting to see what develops? No criticism intended as I certainly don't have plans for all my pre-bonsai ......... not by a long shot.

sure, great question. this is "the tree within the tree" i found from the nursery stock. this is more of a creative and technical exercise tree more than anything. i want to use refining techniques on it and grow it out. for design wise, i guess for now, i have the primary branches/trunk laid out.
Before I purchase a $200+ juniper I want to have some practice with something in order to feel more comfortable with the more expensive material. Hope that makes some sense.

 

[penumbra]

Hope that makes some sense.

Completely.
And they say common sense is dead.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

So I was taking a look at this guy after work today, and I’m starting to think the back has a good option as well… and now I’m not sure which can be front/back. What do you guys think? Not gonna lie, the tree is nice to look at in 3D, hard to show it in pictures.

 

[AnutterBonsai]

So I was taking a look at this guy after work today, and I’m starting to think the back has a good option as well… and now I’m not sure which can be front/back. What do you guys think? Not gonna lie, the tree is nice to look at in 3D, hard to show it in pictures.

Also has a nice root at the bottom that can add some flair.