Ex-cascade procumbens nana juniper.

[edprocoat]

This is the last of my P. nana junipers of the ones I started eight years ago. It has always been a problem for me as it tends to grow many bar branches and branches in places that return leaving lumps on the trunk. I had it styled as a cascade for many years but it wanted to grow up despite constantly wiring it down so about a year or so ago I decided to stand it up, the foliage has started to turn up nicely. I also decided to remove the place where the whorl of branches made a lump and make it some shari on the trunk coming down to a point where two more trouble branches grew. I tried to make it look like it was hit by lightning. This view is what will be thr front when I repot it sometime in late July or August.


P.NanaJuni3 by edsnapshot, on Flickr

I will post more pics after the repot if anyone is interested.

ed

 

[Thomas J.]

I'm curious as to why you would repot in July or August rather than the usual early spring? I did a repot on one of mine last year probably in early May which is late for me since I usually do mine in early spring to late winter, and it got stressed out really bad, thought I was gonna lose her. I've never had much luck doing a repot on any juniper that late in the year. The only thing I repot that late will be a tropical. Good luck with her on that.

 

[edprocoat]

Thomas, I repot junipers in mid summer all the time without a hitch. The reason I am waiting until late July or August is right now its putting out a bunch of fine growth that I want to allow to mature, I find they tend to get stressed at these times, and I find once done they don't miss a beat. I always hear people stating that junipers go dormant in winter due to the cold and I do not doubt that, I feel during the hottest months they slow down, maybe a mild dormancy, to compensate for the heat so thats when I repot them. It works for me, I am not the type who advocates my way as either the best or the only way its just the way I do it.

ed

 

[Thomas J.]

Glad it works for you Ed. I see you live in Ohio and that's a lot different than here in Texas with our blistering hot summers that seem to have no end. Keep doing what your doing and have fun doing it.

 

[edprocoat]

This is a closeup of the shari work I did on this tree.

Procumshari by edsnapshot, on Flickr

This will be the angle I replant it, I plan on leaning it up too, hopefull the roots will have developed so I can pull it off. I want the top part to be over the base which will leave the angled trunk coming towards the front and then go straight up which should look nice.

Profront by edsnapshot, on Flickr

This is the back, this was in a 22 inch high pot, 10 inch wide at the top and six inch at the bottom. It cascaded about four inches below the legs of the pot so I kept it on a cement block. It was really pretty and got loads of compliments, but every time the wind blew hard or my dog or kids got near it it would tumble and I got tired of setting it back up and removing broken parts.

Pback by edsnapshot, on Flickr

ed

 

[xray360]

Hi. The second picture above looks really good. You seem to have experience with junipers. I live in NY so we are similar with weather. Do you think it would be safe to go from a 3 gallon nursery pot to an oversized bonsai pot? I just read it's ok to repot in Late July or August for junipers. You said you had success repotting in these months.

 

[edprocoat]

Hi. The second picture above looks really good. You seem to have experience with junipers. I live in NY so we are similar with weather. Do you think it would be safe to go from a 3 gallon nursery pot to an oversized bonsai pot? I just read it's ok to repot in Late July or August for junipers. You said you had success repotting in these months.

I have never had a problem during the summer months repotting a Juniper, or a tropical. I have killed several pines this way and a barberry and cotoneaster. I just noticed years ago that junipers seem to shut down during late july-aug period, I liken it too a mini-dormancy. I think you would have no problem with a healthy juniper and it would have september and october to settle in before the winter hits. Just be aware that any type of Bonsai pot will limit growth, they only grow as much as the roots allow. You said you read this, I must ask where you read this at ? I would love to be able to reference this to others for back up of my experience.

ed

 

[xray360]

"Repotting

Repot in April, do not repot or root-prune too early in the year. Can also be very successfully repotted during the warmth and humidity of August, however avoid repotting during very hot days.

Once established in a good quality soil, repot infrequently every 3-5 years. Never bare-root a Juniper or change more than a third of the soil (or at very most half) in any one repotting.

An inorganic-clay based soil is essential for Junipers as they are prone to very poor-health in old, compacted, organic soils. Because Junipers cannot be bare-rooted or have more than one third of the soil mass changed in one year, it is essential that a soil with good particle structure is used. Avoid Akadama and similar low-fired clays that break down after one to two years."

[source: http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Juniperus.html]


This is a virtual of the tree I have in a 3 gallon pot right now.



I'm going to put it in a pot twice the size. The juniper is only 6 inches off the ground. I guess it will be a Shohin style.

 

[edprocoat]

Well I went ahead and repotted it today as it was a nice day temperature wise. I trimmed a bunch of roots and leaned it forward some, not as much as I would have liked to, buit enough until next repot job. I eliminated a branch and shortened another one which I may yet remove.

This is the new pot and position of the tree.


repot by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

This is the Backside.


Bakjuni by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

It has a nice radial spread of the nebari which is the main reason I did not stand it up as much as I was going to do, it would have buried the nebari on the front side completely! I buried most of it right now as it was just repotted and I want to get it acclimated to the new pot before I start to expose the nebari, especially as its been so hot, except for today.

ed

 

[HotAction]

Ed, I'm gonna be honest, this needs a lot of work to never become a very good Bonsai. Your best bet is to start with this virtual. Then leave it alone for about 3 years. Revisit this thread when that time arrives.

Dave

 

[edprocoat]

Ed, I'm gonna be honest, this needs a lot of work to never become a very good Bonsai. Your best bet is to start with this virtual. Then leave it alone for about 3 years. Revisit this thread when that time arrives.

Dave

LOL, why would I want to put a lot of work into it to never become a very good Bonsai?

Thanks for the virtual, I see you like the stumps as Bonsai. I am happy with this as is though.

ed

 

[HotAction]

LOL, why would I want to put a lot of work into it to never become a very good Bonsai?


ed

That's a great question. Unfortunately, I cannot answer that for you. Your salvation lies within. Have fun.

Dave

 

[edprocoat]

HotAction, you been toking the wacky while posting? Just asking dude due to the salvation remark. If thats the case lemme 'splain, you wrote "this needs a lot of work to never become a very good Bonsai." I highlighted the obvious typo and jokingly chided back at you with my answer, jokes are never no good when you have to explain them...

I certainly hope you follow your sage advice proffered here and "leave it alone for about 3 years. Revisit this thread when that time arrives. "


ed

 

[edprocoat]

This is after I cleaned it up and decided on what I was going to jin and what was going to be cut.


trimpro by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

This is what the back looks like now. Basically I jinned the branch on the lower right front, and cut off the branch and jinned the end of the lower left branch. I them jinned half the upper left branch and removed half of what I jinned as I felt it was just too big and wired some foliage up and thinned out a ton of foliage up top, a yearly occurence with these procumbens.


junitrimback by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

Conversely I must say I appreciate the virtual, but in reality I never asked for any advice with this plant, I was just sharing what I done with it. This Bonsai already exhibits the two aspects that for me define a "Very Good Bonsai" #1 I did it my way. #2 I like it.

ed

 

[HotAction]

HotAction, you been toking the wacky while posting? Just asking dude due to the salvation remark. If thats the case lemme 'splain, you wrote "this needs a lot of work to never become a very good Bonsai." I highlighted the obvious typo and jokingly chided back at you with my answer, jokes are never no good when you have to explain them...

I certainly hope you follow your sage advice proffered here and "leave it alone for about 3 years. Revisit this thread when that time arrives. "


ed

Ed, sorry for the confusion, but there was no typo. Good luck, and I will be checking back in 3 years.

Dave

 

[edprocoat]

Ed, sorry for the confusion, but there was no typo. Good luck, and I will be checking back in 3 years.

Dave

Ok, so you actually meant to write "this needs a lot of work to never become a very good Bonsai" sorry I do not get it. With a lot of work it could be changed many ways, I am sure those that frequent here such as Valvannis, rob/October, smoke or Ang3flr3 among others who could "with a lot of work" transform this into something that would please you. I guess the ganga does something to the perception...

d

 

[rock]

ed,
you make me laugh...you do march to your own drummer don't you


as a bonsai artist you are a very good painter

 

[xray360]

I think this bonsai shows a lot of character. It looks like a tree that's been through very severe weather and stuck by lightning multiple times. It's refreshing to see something different. Bonsai is an art and as an artist you should do it your way and should like it As it grows, naturally it will define itself. The only thing that I think needs to be addressed is that one branch sticking straight up on the bottom left main branch. The tree has flow to it, but that branch sticking straight up is a little conflicting with this composition.

 

[edprocoat]

I think this bonsai shows a lot of character. It looks like a tree that's been through very severe weather and stuck by lightning multiple times. It's refreshing to see something different. Bonsai is an art and as an artist you should do it your way and should like it As it grows, naturally it will define itself. The only thing that I think needs to be addressed is that one branch sticking straight up on the bottom left main branch. The tree has flow to it, but that branch sticking straight up is a little conflicting with this composition.

I know that branch is out of place, I really did not want to lose the whole branch its on though and I was hoping to allow it to grow out some and I was not sure with jinning the end and then cutting that little branch off if the whole thing would just die.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

ed,
you make me laugh...you do march to your own drummer don't you


as a bonsai artist you are a very good painter

I am happy that I could entertain you!

You gotta work on your insults though, either learn to be more subtle or go all out like Don Rickles, or you could just limit your insult comedian stuff to forums like these.

ed