What To Do With This Juniper?

[Isilwen]

So I took the advice of someone somewhat and instead of buying the one from the bonsai place, I got one from Lowe's. It's not a bad-looking juniper from what I can tell. Just not sure what to do with it. I like upright styles the most.

What can I do or should I do?

Here is what it looks like currently:

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I would have a look at the bonsaify channel on youtube.
Good ideas on juniper work on that channel.

Whatever you do, keep the insides and work from the outside inwards. That way you avoid the rookie mistake of making empty branches with pompoms on the ends.

Needle junipers are difficult because padding works way differently than scale junipers, but it's always a good start to wire a trunk, and then clip from the outside inwards to find good branch patterns.

 

[Isilwen]

I would have a look at the bonsaify channel on youtube.
Good ideas on juniper work on that channel.

Whatever you do, keep the insides and work from the outside inwards. That way you avoid the rookie mistake of making empty branches with pompoms on the ends.

Needle junipers are difficult because padding works way differently than scale junipers, but it's always a good start to wire a trunk, and then clip from the outside inwards to find good branch patterns.

Thank you! I just realized that I grabbed the wrong kind of juniper. I grabbed a parsoni instead of a procumbens.

Is there much difference between the two?

 

[coltranem]

What kind of juniper is it? Sort of looks like a parsons juniper.

 

[coltranem]

Thank you! I just realized that I grabbed the wrong kind of juniper. I grabbed a parsoni instead of a procumbens.

Is there much difference between the two?

Procumbens has a finer foliage. Parsons usually trunk up faster.

 

[Isilwen]

Procumbens has a finer foliage. Parsons usually trunk up faster.

That may work better for me then.

 

[JackHammer]

I wouldn't sweat the variety. You can still make a nice tree, especially as a first.

Juniper bonsai are known for having turns and curves. Look for inspiration online or on videos and keep that in mind. Most conifers bend best in the winter months so you probably want to let yours grow out for the season and start looking for a trunk.

 

[Shibui]

What can I do or should I do?

Bonsai basics is: Remove all the bits that are not bonsai and you'll be left with a bonsai.

Seriously though, It is almost impossible to work out what to do with a tree from photos, especially when we can't see the basic trunk shape, roots or where branches start and the direction they head in.
So much easier to style a tree when you can look at it from all sides in 3D. You would be much better looking for someone local you can go to for advice. Clubs? Bonsai business?

 

[Isilwen]

Bonsai basics is: Remove all the bits that are not bonsai and you'll be left with a bonsai.

Seriously though, It is almost impossible to work out what to do with a tree from photos, especially when we can't see the basic trunk shape, roots or where branches start and the direction they head in.
So much easier to style a tree when you can look at it from all sides in 3D. You would be much better looking for someone local you can go to for advice. Clubs? Bonsai business?

I would love to go to a club, but classes are from what I seen of my local bonsai shops are $160 a pop for beginner classes. The nearest club is too far away for it to be practical.

This is something I have to do on my own somehow.

 

[bdmatt]

The first thing I do to raw stock is repot. Then after the tree recovers, I'd style it. Some people style the tree first, then repot but its up to you.

If you're looking to style the tree now, I think a general clean up would help see the structure of the tree better. Removing weak growth, crotch growth, newer growth coming from the main trunk would be a good start. Keep as many lignified branches as you can because those will either be your primary branches or trunk line.

 

[The Surfing Tree]

I would love to go to a club, but classes are from what I seen of my local bonsai shops are $160 a pop for beginner classes. The nearest club is too far away for it to be practical.

This is something I have to do on my own somehow.

I’ve been on this site for years without posting but as a fellow FloridaMan I just wanted to say definitely join a club! Don’t worry about an expensive class, just start showing up to meetings. I’m a member of the Brevard club, we meet every third Saturday at the Melbourne library. Membership costs me 25 dollars a YEAR! Absolutely worth all the knowledge of fellow club members.
I’d assume the central Florida club is similarly priced and I know for a fact they have some very experienced members.

 

[coltranem]

You might want to check out the Mirai beginner series on YouTube. In there they talk about what you look for to "clean out" an Evergreen. Ie removing crotch growth and weak parts. The trick with most trees is to do this while still keeping foliage close to the trunk. Once you do this design decisions get easier.

 

[Isilwen]

I’d assume the central Florida club is similarly priced and I know for a fact they have some very experienced members.

It is similarly priced, but the time to get to it and through the traffic is what makes it not practical.

I will figure something out.

 

[bwaynef]

1. Find a trunkline.
2. Identify branches that are in bad places and remove them.
   1. Inside curves
   2. Near where other branches are
   3. Opposite branches
3. Remove foliage hanging below the branches that remain.
4. Remove foliage in the crotches of branches.
5. Trim branches for alternating branches. (This will make wiring/styling SO much easier.)
6. Wire everything into position
   1. Start with wire on the trunk (if necessary)
   2. Starting at the bottom, wire the primary branches, always wiring two branches with each wire.
7. Don't be afraid to remove branches that are unnecessary as you're styling.

 

[Nelis]

This is my Juniper bible at the moment.

 

[jradics]

So I took the advice of someone somewhat and instead of buying the one from the bonsai place, I got one from Lowe's. It's not a bad-looking juniper from what I can tell. Just not sure what to do with it. I like upright styles the most.

What can I do or should I do?

Here is what it looks like currently:

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congratulations. you probably have less than $15 in that plant. watch some videos, reduce the roots and start cutting on the top. you cant really mess it up (if you do, you're only out $15) so have fun. just don't rush. spend lots of time looking at, then look some more, then cut.