Tree Bending Questions

[Hump]

Okay Nuts,

So I have a juniper bonsai tree, the very first one I received and what intrigued me into bonsai, that I would like to bend. It was gifted to me from 1-800 flowers 2 months ago, and the shape is about 90 degrees (windswept I assume). The tree is about 6-8 inches in length and still pretty young from what I can tell. I always wanted to bend it back up, to somewhat of an informal upright, but now am questioning it it's possible since the tip of the tree is cut. To my understanding the tree will not grow any taller, and this makes me think it won't be as easy to bend as a growing tree would be still growing.

There is a branch coming off the tip where it was chopped that is growing thankfully. P.s- I know it needs trimmed, I've just been letting it grow until I gain some more knowledge and best practices.

So my question(s) :

1) Can this be bent? Best way? (I have aluminum wire in a couple different sizes)
2) Branch Bender (Amazon) or Visa wire

 

[sorce]

Aluminum should work but closer to fall is a bit better..safer, unless it's kept indoors, than nothing is safe! Actually if it's kept indoors it probably isn't having the growth it would that makes the cambium easy to tear slip etc if worked in summer so you'd be safer in that regard....buuuuuuut....

It will die Anyway!

Where you keeping it?

Sorce

 

[Hump]

Aluminum should work but closer to fall is a bit better..safer, unless it's kept indoors, than nothing is safe! Actually if it's kept indoors it probably isn't having the growth it would that makes the cambium easy to tear slip etc if worked in summer so you'd be safer in that regard....buuuuuuut....

It will die Anyway!

Where you keeping it?

Sorce

Great info.. No all are outside plants. Pics just don't take that well out there so I put it on my cheese plant humid tray for picture taking. I'm going to give it a go this weekend. A good trim and wire. First time though so I'm sure to be nervous

 

[sorce]

be

Don't waste senses on nervousness!

Just feel with your hands, it should hurt a bit with them needles, but feel as much as you can. Better to brace the tree well with a good grip, you won't smash anything.

Looking forward to seeing the...aftermath!

Cheese tray lol!

Sorce

 

[leatherback]

Just use wire. Forget about these branch benders. They are horrible

 

[Hump]

OK ok lol so I finally sucked it up and wired the tree. I also did some amateur pruning, and we'll it looks more like a kindergarter did it. (my first one so don't hate me too much, but give me honest feedback and tips) I felt like there were only branches on the left and right side of the tree, which sucked. So I tried to twist while bending to try and distribute some branches in the back and front, but was scared to go too far. Hoping to get some more branches in time with pruning.

 

[Shibui]

Looks good for a first attempt. I can see a couple of small branches that have been crushed by the wire and may need to be cut off at some stage.
These young junipers are very resilient and can be bent and twisted much more than this but you have achieved what is needed for now.
Leave it alone for a few months now. Bending one way then changing the bends can damage the cambium under the bark and kill parts of the tree.

 

[sorce]

So I tried to twist while bending to try and distribute some branches in the back and front,

Nice!

It doesn't matter what this one looks like.

It matters that you understand the purpose of what you are doing.

Seems you do.

Sorce

 

[Hump]

Looks good for a first attempt. I can see a couple of small branches that have been crushed by the wire and may need to be cut off at some stage.
These young junipers are very resilient and can be bent and twisted much more than this but you have achieved what is needed for now.
Leave it alone for a few months now. Bending one way then changing the bends can damage the cambium under the bark and kill parts of the tree.

Thanks.. Yeah I had a couple thoughts about those tiny branches while wiring. They were soo thin and limp I was just going to cut them, but decided to leave them on and try to wire them in a different direction after I let it sit for a couple months. I was going to skip that area and just wire above the next branch, but decided to keep it even the whole way up. It was a great learning experience though.