Bluepoint Juniper

[HtxBonsai]

I have searched for some information regarding these when used for bonsai but haven't really come up with much.

A local nursery had everything marked 1/2 off and the only thing really worth getting were junipers. So, I picked up a 3 gallon Bluepoint Juniper for $10 with the purpose of using it for bonsai.

It was growing pretty much vertical, with two smaller branches. I made some major cuts to the tree and styled it like you would do with a pine (I guess).

I am still super new to all of this and don't really have any idea what to do other than what I think looks good, so I'm posting the tree on here and asking for some advice.

Do you think I should keep all the branches that I have kept?
The trunk is maybe an inch and a half to two inches at this point. Should I cut it back and focus on growing fewer branches?
Do you think that this tree will look nice with fewer branches if I develop the ones I leave on so that they grow leaf pads?


Pictures attached, any thoughts are appreciated. (I didn't have a pot suitable for the juniper so it goes in the planter for now. Also, on another less active forum I joined, there is a guy who pretty much responds to every post asking for help with "put it in the ground for five years and grow a trunk" sooooo.....yeah.)

 

[0soyoung]

I have searched for some information regarding these when used for bonsai but haven't really come up with much.

A friend gave me one a bit older than yours (as best I can tell it is the same cultivar). Posted this tread about it - hope it inspires/encourages you. I use standard Chinese juniper foliage pruning technique. Yours is so young that you might want to consider bending the trunk and branch bases into interesting curves, bends, and twists that really weren't possible with what I was given.
Be patient, but keep at it. This isn't an easy cultivar to work with,

 

[HtxBonsai]

A friend gave me one a bit older than yours (as best I can tell it is the same cultivar). Posted this tread about it - hope it inspires/encourages you. I use standard Chinese juniper foliage pruning technique. Yours is so young that you might want to consider bending the trunk and branch bases into interesting curves, bends, and twists that really weren't possible with what I was given.
Be patient, but keep at it. This isn't an easy cultivar to work with,

Thanks! That tutorial on the leaf pads was great.

I think I will attempt to put a bend into the trunk. It'll be the first time I've done that so I'll have to go get some much heavier gauge wire, but I think If I put a nice curve into the tree and work on the leaf pads I'll get what I'm looking for.

 

[HtxBonsai]

welp,

I made some pretty major cuts.

I am imagining how the tree might look in a few years and I think less is definitely more.

I'm having to wait to go buy some larger wire to attempt to put a curve in the trunk, but this is where I decided I was probably done trimming and pruning.

I read the tutorial for pruning to create leaf pads, and I am guessing it takes a year or more worth of growth before you really start to see the pads?

Anyway, here's my "I have no idea what I'm doing oh god i hope this doesn't suck oh well too late now it looks halfway decent I guess" Bluepoint Juniper.

 

[Cypress187]

I made some pretty major cuts.

I always try to use the 1/3 rule for conifers, only cut off 1/3 of foliage. I hope he makes it.

 

[HtxBonsai]

I always try to use the 1/3 rule for conifers, only cut off 1/3 of foliage. I hope he makes it.

Is there a master post with info like this somewhere?

I seem to find this stuff out after the fact.

 

[HtxBonsai]

Okay, get ready to cringe from my terrible wiring.

I'm done torturing this poor juniper. If my screw up on the foliage doesn't kill it, my wiring job probably will.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and see what happens.

 

[RickMartin]

Ok i have to ask. Is that electrical tape you wraped the trunk with. I will let someone else comment on the wiring. Mine was not any better the first time i did it.

Rick

 

[sorce]

Damn.

I got lost in the Arlene thread when I first come to this thread.
Sorry for that HTX!

Welcome to Crazy!

Far as....

Is there a master post with info like this somewhere?

I seem to find this stuff out after the fact.

You can always just post a question here...
And don't do anything till you get an answer.
If that answer ends up being....

put it in the ground for five years and grow a trunk

That is exactly what you should Probly do.

I get "wanting to do something".
But, "wanting to do something" kills trees!

9/10 Times....nothing is what should be done.

Also, 9/10 Times...killing a tree, if carefully observing, will learn you something.

Observe this tree....and..... Be prepared to learn something! It goin Die!

I guess I'm not going to keep this short.

I'm all for Newbs torturing Junipers.

Let me ask you a question....
Does the last image you posted live up to.

what I think looks good,

?

That's kind of a trick question where the answer is ...NO!

There is a Wiring tutorial by Colin Lewis on craftsy...
Somewhere around here...
http://www.craftsy.com/instructors/colin-lewis
That you should watch....

Then proceed to wire/kill that juniper until it truly represents something you think looks good.

Then watch it turn Brown.
And start over!

But.....
Start over with better stock!
I don't know where you are...
(location in profile helps)
But you can get better juniper trunks at Homey Depots for $10. Regularly priced.

Forgive me.....it's been a while since we seen one of these....so I'm excited.....

A nursery juniper that can be styled into something credible straight away is about 1 in 3or4 thousand.

If you don't find that one...
You pretty much oughtta stick it in the ground....
Or at least keep some interior foliage to cut back to later.

Well ok.

Sorce

 

[HtxBonsai]

Is that electrical tape you wraped the trunk with.

Rick

No, lol. It's a coated wire.

You can always just post a question here...
And don't do anything till you get an answer.

Yeah.

This was more of an experiment, I guess. I have a few other trees that are growing and doing well (for someone who doesn't know what they're doing) so when I bought this juniper I guess I was just a little too hasty to get started and work it into something.

For what it's worth, I'm leaving the tree in the bigger planter for now, and not cutting back the roots so it has some chance of surviving.

But.....
Start over with better stock!
I don't know where you are...
(location in profile helps)
But you can get better juniper trunks at Homey Depots for $10. Regularly priced.

I'm in Houston. (Reckon I need to fill out the profile)
There's a nursery actually pretty close to me that has a bonsai guy, and one of the local clubs meets there once a month or so. I'm going to start going, but the next meeting isn't until like Sept 10.

I got the Juniper from Houston Garden Centers, because they were having a 1/2 off sale like I said. I guess it's not a very good deal if I can grab them at home depot all day for $10 though.


Live and learn. (hopefully the tree does this as well)

 

[sorce]

We got Cats or rather....primates and New England fisherman from Houston.

Good Guys.

@thumblessprimate1 @markyscott

They oughtta know of that club.

You gotta good level of enthusiasm!
Cheers!

Sorce

 

[markyscott]

No, lol. It's a coated wire.


Yeah.

This was more of an experiment, I guess. I have a few other trees that are growing and doing well (for someone who doesn't know what they're doing) so when I bought this juniper I guess I was just a little too hasty to get started and work it into something.

For what it's worth, I'm leaving the tree in the bigger planter for now, and not cutting back the roots so it has some chance of surviving.



I'm in Houston. (Reckon I need to fill out the profile)
There's a nursery actually pretty close to me that has a bonsai guy, and one of the local clubs meets there once a month or so. I'm going to start going, but the next meeting isn't until like Sept 10.

I got the Juniper from Houston Garden Centers, because they were having a 1/2 off sale like I said. I guess it's not a very good deal if I can grab them at home depot all day for $10 though.


Live and learn. (hopefully the tree does this as well)

Another H-town bonsai person! Next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society is in one week - we'd love to have you join us. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at Hermann Park. There's a board meeting at 6:30pm and the regular meeting starts at 7pm. Here's a link to the website and Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Houston-Bonsai-Society-192942147403083/?ref=bookmarks
http://houstonbonsaisociety.com

We have some great meetings coming up - in October, David Nguy will visit and do a demonstration on a beautiful California juniper. The CJ will be raffled off to some lucky attendee at the end of the demo. It's really a great tree. And in November, Michael Ryan Bell will visit to do a show and tell and give a lecture on antique Japanese and Chinese Pottery. Next year we have visiting artists Suthin Sukosolvisit, Bjorn Bjorholm, and Jonas Dupuich as well as the club dig, a spring and fall show, and many other club events. There is something going on nearly every weekend - not too bad for $25 per year.

There is one dedicated bonsai nursery in town, 0pen Fridays and Saturdays (they have a sale this weekend - along with some good juniper starter plants that have been grown for bonsai).

http://timeless-trees.com

While you're there, ask them about their beginner classes. They have one starting on September 17th - they have some kind of workshop almost every Saturday. There are a couple of additional places which carry bonsai:

JRN Nursery and JRN Nursery II, and Quality Feed (http://qualityfeedco.com)

The club also sponsors a Saturday study group that meets the Saturday after the regular meeting. The location rotates, so check the Facebook page for details.

Scott

 

[HtxBonsai]

Another H-town bonsai person! Next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society is in one week - we'd love to have you join us. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at Hermann Park. There's a board meeting at 6:30pm and the regular meeting starts at 7pm. Here's a link to the website and Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Houston-Bonsai-Society-192942147403083/?ref=bookmarks
http://houstonbonsaisociety.com

We have some great meetings coming up - in October, David Nguy will visit and do a demonstration on a beautiful California juniper. The CJ will be raffled off to some lucky attendee at the end of the demo. It's really a great tree. And in November, Michael Ryan Bell will visit to do a show and tell and give a lecture on antique Japanese and Chinese Pottery. Next year we have visiting artists Suthin Sukosolvisit, Bjorn Bjorholm, and Jonas Dupuich as well as the club dig, a spring and fall show, and many other club events. There is something going on nearly every weekend - not too bad for $25 per year.

There is one dedicated bonsai nursery in town, 0pen Fridays and Saturdays (they have a sale this weekend - along with some good juniper starter plants that have been grown for bonsai).

http://timeless-trees.com

While you're there, ask them about their beginner classes. They have one starting on September 17th - they have some kind of workshop almost every Saturday. There are a couple of additional places which carry bonsai:

JRN Nursery and JRN Nursery II, and Quality Feed (http://qualityfeedco.com)

The club also sponsors a Saturday study group that meets the Saturday after the regular meeting. The location rotates, so check the Facebook page for details.

Scott

Thanks for all the info, I've already been following the Facebook page. Excited to hear Bjorn will be coming by. I listened to an interview with him on the bonsai garden podcast and really enjoyed it; it will be cool to see what he has to say.

I will definitely be making it out to Maas on the 10th, not sure if I'll be out for bonsai jeapordy and the club meeting on the 7th, we just had our first kiddo and I don't know how I feel about bailing on my wife after I've been at work all day.

 

[sorce]

first kiddo

Congrats!

interview

Sorce

 

[Cypress187]

Is there a master post with info like this somewhere? I seem to find this stuff out after the fact.

I think it's the bonsai way, much/most times the learning part comes from mistakes, always put the tree's health first before doing anything will help a lot.

 

[Vanginault87]

Blue point juniper from my experience is a great bonsai specimen. They can take excessive wiring and pruning very easily and recover quickly. I've had one for about 4 years I initially cut off half its height and branches. Over the years it's done well with no issues at all.