Cleaning up a procumbens

[october]

I just noticed we're talking about a different jinn, you said you'll extend the Shari, would you connect it to the lower jinn?

Yes, I connected the shari to that low jin today. However, I still need to refine and widen it a bit though.

Rob

 

[tmmason10]

Funny, I was going to suggest extending the Shri to that first Jin as well nice tree Rob, along with the spruce update things are looking good this year.

 

[october]

Funny, I was going to suggest extending the Shri to that first Jin as well nice tree Rob, along with the spruce update things are looking good this year.

Thanks Tom.. Yes, I think I finally have all the problems under control. The exception being my small shohin azalea that I have been training for 8 years. It took a turn for the worst. It lost almost the whole right side and part of the back. I am not sure the areas are dead though. I am waiting for it to produce some new buds. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Rob

 

[amkhalid]

Nice recovery on the loss of that bottom branch. Well done.

 

[october]

Update. The tree is doing ok. Not quite as healthy in some areas as I would like, but not too bad. Gave it a trim today.

Rob

 

[Thomas J.]

It looks like it's coming along pretty good. When it finally gets the mature foliage it will really be good looking.

 

[october]

Thanks Thomas. Thats a real compliment coming from someone who has some the nicest procumbens on any of the forums.

Rob

 

[MidMichBonsai]

I like that you connected the shari to the jin. It adds legitimacy to both and is very pleasing to the eye. Nice stuff!

I'm working some procumbens right now and will be pleased if they reach this level of maturity. I can't completely write them off and I'm glad to find someone else who appreciates them.

 

[Vance Wood]

You deserve a lot of credit for keeping this little Juniper looking so good for so long. In my experience Procumbens Junipers do not maintain their form well as a bonsai over a long measure of time. As you have found; branches die for no reason et al. and a host of other things. I have found in my experience, they need to be repotted more frequently than a lot of people wii do for them.

 

[october]

I like that you connected the shari to the jin. It adds legitimacy to both and is very pleasing to the eye. Nice stuff!

I'm working some procumbens right now and will be pleased if they reach this level of maturity. I can't completely write them off and I'm glad to find someone else who appreciates them.

Thank you. I am the same way. I don't want to completely give up on them either.

Rob

 

[october]

You deserve a lot of credit for keeping this little Juniper looking so good for so long. In my experience Procumbens Junipers do not maintain their form well as a bonsai over a long measure of time. As you have found; branches die for no reason et al. and a host of other things. I have found in my experience, they need to be repotted more frequently than a lot of people wii do for them.

Thank you Vance. Yes, these can be a little difficult to manage with sections dying. However, now a days, it seems to be happening even more to all junipers. One thing that seems to be a problem, although not exclusive to this species/variety is maintaining a proportionate silhouette. This tree is maintaining a pretty large silhouette compared to it's trunk. I believe we are right on the line of what would be considered aesthetically balanced. However, due to maintaining the tree's health and simply not having options, cutting back the silhouette further is not possible. I am applying an approach here that if I keep the tree looking good in other aspects such as pad formation, pad placement and overal flow, that the tree still presents a nice image. Years ago, I used to see beautiful procumbens bonsai that always seemed to have large silhouettes for their trunk. Now after dealing with them, I understand why.

Rob

 

[fore]

Is it too late to graft? Didn't know btw that procumbens had a tendency to have limb die off...

 

[october]

Is it too late to graft? Didn't know btw that procumbens had a tendency to have limb die off...

Many jupiers have branches that just die off. Especially the bottom ones. Which is not good because that is your anchoring branch. Also, I don't think grafting is a good option for this tree. The trunk is not very thick. Starting a graft might just be enough to interfere with a pathway that is keeping a branch a live. Also, I may continue a winding shari up the tree.

Rob

 

[fore]

Rob, Thanks for that. Seems then the development of lower branches is the tricky part w. procumbens? You've done a good job equalizing the growth.

 

[fore]

How fortuitous, unfortunately, but one of the weakest lower branches on my procumbens died off these last 2 wks. The rest of the tree is super healthy...so surprising given the health of the tree. This is the first time I've ever had a healthy, single branch, just die. I have some kishu and itoigawa cuttings I'm rooting now, I just wish they were ready so I could start some grafts on this one as 1. I'm not at all pleased about this branch loss, and 2. I don't like the proc.'s needle foliage anyway. Besides, I haven't grafted before, and I want to start learning this.

 

[Vance Wood]

How fortuitous, unfortunately, but one of the weakest lower branches on my procumbens died off these last 2 wks. The rest of the tree is super healthy...so surprising given the health of the tree. This is the first time I've ever had a healthy, single branch, just die. I have some kishu and itoigawa cuttings I'm rooting now, I just wish they were ready so I could start some grafts on this one as 1. I'm not at all pleased about this branch loss, and 2. I don't like the proc.'s needle foliage anyway. Besides, I haven't grafted before, and I want to start learning this.

It is very easy to brake a branch on a procumbens right where it joines the trunk. The break can be so clean you may never know it has happened until the branch dies. This is one reason I do not grow Procumbens any longer.

 

[Smoke]

Starting a graft might just be enough to interfere with a pathway that is keeping a branch a live. Also, I may continue a winding shari up the tree.

Rob

Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Just wondering how a spiral shari up the trunk is less risky then an 1/8 incision for a graft?

 

[october]

Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Just wondering how a spiral shari up the trunk is less risky then an 1/8 incision for a graft?

You answered your own question. I am probably going to continue the shari up most of the trunk. The trunk gets pretty thin. Take into account the future shari and the progressively thinner trunk, I need all the cambium that is there.

Rob

 

[Smoke]

You answered your own question. Rob

hmmm...m..that don't happen very often.