drew33998
Masterpiece
Don't prune anything this year at all. Just watch it grow. You don't have to rotate the plant daily either. If outdoors rotating it once a year is sufficient. Get it outdoors this spring.
Finally!!
- Thread starter MattE
- Start date
MattE
Shohin
Thank you Drew, in perfect conditions proper fertilizer ect, do you know approx how much growth i should get out of it in a years time ? sufficient enough to possibly wire next year ?
Sorry for all the questions everyone i have done alot of research some things are just hard to find that actual answer for
f1pt4
Chumono
I don't have much experience with shimpakus, but I'd say let it grow for a few seasons. Maybe throw some wire onto the main trunk just to add some movement. And get some more trees as to not get too antsy on one. Usually having just one.. means they get overworked and die.
drew33998
Masterpiece
This.
drew33998
Masterpiece
Maybe a couple inches a year for the first several years. I have a batch of 5 year old cuttings . The largest may be 15 inches tall. 1/4 trunk. The smallest which I have worked and wired are prob 10" tall. Essentially what you will do is let it take off and grow. Then you will cut back to a single branch and that will be your tree. I would be willing to put 5_10 years into just growing this tree out before I thought about chopping back.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
I am all in with Drew and his methods. His experience has been very much the same as mine. As he stated do not work it at all at least for a year - they don't usually live trough a repot and work at the same time. They will train you to be patient. I might add a full substrate change out such as bare root and new substrate must also be done in small 1/3rd portions over a three year period while not working them. I also found that it the same applies to not only Itoigawa, Kishu, and Shimpaku junipers but all others that I have managed to work with.
But
But
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
Plus, Jack's a wizard...
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Let's look at the truth here. I have looked at this tree several times and all of the photos of it. Am I correct in assuming the tree to be about six inches tall, and the trunk about 1/4 accros? Unless you desire to make a Mame out of this tree if you start throwing wire on it at this stage you are going to waiting at least five years to get a tree that starts to look like something. Junipers are a peculiar plant that need to have large trunks and well ramified branches to become believable as a bonsai. You can get a tree to that stage in about five years if you over-pot the tree and let it grow wild for a number of years. If you start fooling around with it at this stage you are not going to be happy with the results.
You appear to be a young man. Put the tree in an environment where it can develop and you can have an opportunity to watch how one of these guys grow. In about five years you will have a tree you can take a lot of cuttings off of and have a tree you can cut down into the small sized bonsai you may be thinking about. The application of wire and pruning at this stage will do nothing but slow down the tree.
You appear to be a young man. Put the tree in an environment where it can develop and you can have an opportunity to watch how one of these guys grow. In about five years you will have a tree you can take a lot of cuttings off of and have a tree you can cut down into the small sized bonsai you may be thinking about. The application of wire and pruning at this stage will do nothing but slow down the tree.
f1pt4
Chumono
^^^^^^^ Listen to Vance.
MattE
Shohin
Yeah im 28 and im sort of patient, i jumped on it when i seen it because i have been following this and wanting a bonsai for so long. Realistically in my Zone maples are the way i should be going as they are great for bonsai here. i just love the classic shari / jin shimpaku informal upright ..its my dream lol i guess ill just have to keep my eyes open for some new stock at my local nursery's and try and work a scotts pine or maple for now .
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS LEFT ME VALUABLE INFORMATION, THE AMMOUNT OF WISDOM AND SHARING IS NOT ONLY WHY I LOVE THIS SITE BUT WHY I LOVE BONSAI. SO MUCH PRIDE AND PATIENTS IN THIS ART FORM
f1pt4
Chumono
Also, you can get some mugo pines for dirt cheap (comparatively) at various big box stores. Check your garden sections at the homedepot, lowes, rona, and even grocery stores. They sell em for next to nothing end of season, and pretty affordable during the season as well.
Then read and re-read and memorize everything Vance has to say about Mugos. Watch his YouTube Videos. With time, patience, and a little bit of practice, you can get some really beautiful bonsai's out of them.
f1pt4
Chumono
FYI.... this is all you need to know:
http://www.bonsainut.com/resources/compiled-vance-wood-on-mugo-pines.23/
MattE
Shohin
Thanks, its nice to see another canadian on here, i was really worried about not being able to do half the stuff i wanted since im zone 3. but that gives me alittle bit of faith now lol
f1pt4
Chumono
There's a few of us around.
Yes you are limited in what you can do outdoors year round, but you can always pick up some HO-T5 florescents and grow some tropicals indoors over the winter.. bring em outside once temps hold steady over 12-15C
Another wonderful species for you would be larches. When I go up north, you can even find them growing in ditches along the road. They make for some pretty stellar bonsais as well. Lots of info about those on this site.
MattE
Shohin
JUst another question, my little shimpaku is doing great the new foliage coming in is scales not spiky ( im sure thats a good sign ) i mist it twice a day and go through it as there is alot of little foliage that is dry and falls off mainly tiny suff that would never live ect. should i go through and take off 10% just to help the light get in .. maybe take off some juvenile foliage and stunted growth ? i know some of you said not to but from what i read its better to open it up and take out some of the stunted growth for air circulation and sunlight to get it ?
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
It was said for several reasons. First if you intend to keep it small and start working it this soon you will land up with a Juniper that has almost all juvenile growth... Let it grow a year or even two as is - you and the plant will be happier! This is precisely why I preach to people started and something I still do - If you find a species you like buy 3 -5 small ones to start. Grow them all for 2 years, play with a couple, leave one untouched, and note all work and when done. Juniper in particular can be very fussy with pruning, potting, and growing. Learn them on cheaper small nursery stock - potted plants is an art and not learned 100 percent from books
Grimmy
MattE
Shohin
i definitely do not want to keep it small , i want it to grow to a nice 10 to 16 inches and go from there, i just thought maybe cutting some of its useless foliage would put power to more of the tree, so i transplanted it to a slightly bigger pot should i transplant it in the fall again into something even bigger ? or do i want to keep a tight root ball ?
thank you for your knowledge Grimmy it is much appreciated
thank you for your knowledge Grimmy it is much appreciated
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
If it is responding without producing juvenile growth you are probably doing it right and probably have a Kishu Shimpaku, that's good.
MattE
Shohin
it seems to be i will post some update pictures tonight, all the juvenile growth is from before, i was bringing it in at night but its staying well above freezing i will be keeping it outside from now on,
Thank you Vance for your response
Thank you Vance for your response
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Junipers, especially Shimpakus, are very cold tolerant. I realize in your part of the Continent gets pretty cold but this time of year the tree should be outside most of the time.
