Gifted Foemina Juniper

[jedge76]

Hello everyone,

I received this Foemina on Saturday from the owner of a local bonsai nursery as a gift for volunteering for him over the past months on weekends. It's a tree that he knows I have been in love with for some time. I like the style of the survivor tree and this suits my tastes well. Well, it was almost gifted...I paid $100 for it.

The original front as it is potted presently is the 3rd photo (sorry that the pictures uploaded backwards in order). After we took the tree off the bench and looked at it a little closer, both the owner and I saw new possible fronts from the present sides of the tree. I am of mixed feelings as to which side, though I am leaning toward picture 2 where the jin on the right side on the 1st branch comes out at the viewer. I used a sawed off piece of wood to prop the pot in the picture to also show the planting angle that I am looking for--a more upright trunk from the sloping base. Seems to give it a little more strength imo.

This thing is in need of a repot this year and I am awaiting a shipment of pots from this nursery to choose from. Maybe an oval one is what I am thinking right now.

Anyhow, I am really excited about acquiring this tree even with it's flaws and all. Foliage pads need to be defined and developed, but I think I may wait till the new growth turns into shoots and starts hardening off a little bit so I can cut it with scissors. Don't think I want to pinch.

Thanks for looking and any comments are more than welcome.

--Joe

 

[jedge76]

Oh yea, one more thing...I have been searching the forums and other outlets for Foemina information and have found very little for some reason. So if anyone has any additional knowledge or experience with this species, no matter complex or rudimentary, I would be very thankful.

--Joe

 

[A Random User]

My experience with needle junipers has been, that you don't
treat them like other junipers, always pinching and cutting
to help promote back budding. With needles, you will zap the energy
out of them by doing so... They need to be allowed to grow out,before
cutting back to shape.

As far as your tree...
I am all for dealing with difficult material, but I think you got your
work cut out for you...


Let's start with the bad first...
The right hand branch is to thick to bend. You can either "V" notch
the bottom and bring it down that way, cut it back down to the first
bit of foliage, and grow out from there, or remove it all together,
perhaps jinning, leaving you with even less to work with.

The good...
The shari running up the tree is nice. The tree besides being a telephone
pole does have a little movement, which is nice... If one looks at the very
bottom and very top you will see a little bend to the left, pointing in which
direction your tree should be designed.

 

[bonsaibp]

I trim my foeminas at least 3-4 times a year with scissors never pinching except to pull bottom growth off the branches. That branch is not to thick to bend it'll just take some work. The two things to watch for are -spider mites-our biggest problem with junipers and overwatering-they do not like wet feet. They like a good free draining mix and to be fertilized regularly throughout the growing season. I've already fertilized my twice this year.

 

[A Random User]

I trim my foeminas at least 3-4 times a year with scissors never pinching except to pull bottom growth off the branches. That branch is not to thick to bend it'll just take some work. The two things to watch for are -spider mites-our biggest problem with junipers and overwatering-they do not like wet feet. They like a good free draining mix and to be fertilized regularly throughout the growing season. I've already fertilized my twice this year.

I have done my fair share of bending heavy branches and would have to disagree...
Yes, you are going to be able to move it... but, not put it where you want,
without a tear, break, notch, or channeling out...

 

[bonsaibp]

None of the above- a piece of rebar, raffia, heavy wire and a couple of guy wires and some elbow grease. Unless there is substantial deadwood on the branch- then it may be a bit harder.

 

[jedge76]

I agree with you guys. We think the original owner and creator of this tree gave up on it because of that branch and sold it to the nursery. I will have to take a better day-lit photo tomorrow. I may ask around the local area to see if anyone has a good idea on bending that branch downward where it belongs. Either way, I still love this tree in all my bonsai inexperienced being!

What do you think about the front? Saw...good observation that i hadn't seen yet regarding the slight movement in the trunk...right near that 1st small jin is the area you're talking about right?

 

[edprocoat]

Looking at you first picture, I wonder if you could wrap that trunk from above the soil line up to that branch and then with a piece of rebar bend the trunk so that branch would point down and use the right foilage for your new leader? It would seem the shari would crack but that would give it more character.

ed

 

[Si Nguyen]

Cool tree. I like it. One option is to use it in a forest. I think this tree might look really cool with another smaller similar bunjin styled tree next to it. It is not too difficult to find Foemina junipers.
Good luck!

 

[jedge76]

Looking at you first picture, I wonder if you could wrap that trunk from above the soil line up to that branch and then with a piece of rebar bend the trunk so that branch would point down and use the right foilage for your new leader? It would seem the shari would crack but that would give it more character.

ed

This may be an option, Ed. I'm not too sure about applying that much force to a tree with as much shari as this, but it is definitely worth further thought. I may just shorten the thick sttraight branch and start training the foliage that is left downward.

Cool tree. I like it. One option is to use it in a forest. I think this tree might look really cool with another smaller similar bunjin styled tree next to it. It is not too difficult to find Foemina junipers.
Good luck!

Thanks for the nice compliment Si. I really appreciate it. I may just try to keep this tree solo for the time being, but it would serve as a wonderfully as a central tree in a group planting
you mention. Another good idea to think on.

 

[jedge76]

Here's 4 more photos with a little more detail and some daylight. I think it would be tough to bend this branch much. I may live with it or try to shorten it some and use the existing and new foliage remaining to style downward.

 

[jedge76]

I did some work this week to try and remedy what will become the side branch on my foemina. I first jined the branch and then, today, I placed a guy wire on the secondary branch to pull it down. I still need to wire and move into place the front and right branch...I plan on moving them down into their own pads. I think I may end up reducing the far left jin in time, but I need to study it more and see what happens. I hope I am doing some good things here, I am trying to get the most out of this tree. Curious about your opinions

P.S. I have no idea why I decide to take pics at night, I know some detail is lost. Guess that's when I get around to it...apologies.

A before and after pic...

 

[jedge76]

Just wanted to post this for my own documentation as much as anything, and of course any fellow b-nutter opinions. I pulled the left branch down considerably and am in the process of forming a pad out of it. Also toying with the idea of using the thickest branch at the top of the tree as an apex and wiring it straight up for that purpose. The jin I made on the left side of the tree may need to be reduced at some point, just waiting to see how it all comes together--that takes me a while to form in my head sometimes!

--Joe

 

[october]

I see some nice potential here. A different front, a few cuts and some growing and you will have a showable tree. If it were my tree and without seeing it, I would say to make the back the front. Notice how that second branch from the top crosses the trunk. By making the back, the front. The branch will look like it comes from the back or side. Also, the jin will be the focal point, which it should be. I would then jin the first short thick branch. From there, I would wire the branch that formerly crossed the trunk, downward. Now, you just have to let it grow. As time goes on, break up the foliage into cascading pads. I believe that if you go with this plan and get the tree into a nice bujin pot, this tree will be showable in 2-3 years.

Something like this virt.

Rob

 

[jedge76]

I see some nice potential here. A different front, a few cuts and some growing and you will have a showable tree. If it were my tree and without seeing it, I would say to make the back the front. Notice how that second branch from the top crosses the trunk. By making the back, the front. The branch will look like it comes from the back or side. Also, the jin will be the focal point, which it should be. I would then jin the first short thick branch. From there, I would wire the branch that formerly crossed the trunk, downward. Now, you just have to let it grow. As time goes on, break up the foliage into cascading pads. I believe that if you go with this plan and get the tree into a nice bujin pot, this tree will be showable in 2-3 years.

Something like this virt.

Rob

That is a really interesting idea, Rob. Also, thank you very much for taking the time to create the virtual. This would require quite a bit of courage on my part, but the idea is starting to grow on me. There is a somewhat fat, stubby jin on the present back that may prove distracting, I'll try to post a pic of the other side tomorrow. Thanks again for such a valuable opinion.

 

[jedge76]

I took some more photos of the tree in it's present incarnation...the 1st is the original front when I bought it and how it is presently potted...the 2nd, 3rd and 4th photos are my proposed back of the tree at the moment, as well as some close ups of the top of the tree (thinking my hand has good taper and a strong 1st, opposable thumb, so I'm happy with that development ). And the last photo is the present back of the tree which I think has some interesting options as well as a potential front...problem there is that I lose all of shari that runs from the base of the tree--all the more reason to place it in a round, bunjin style pot though. I definitely think the long jin that protrudes from the side of the tree will have to be reduced at some point. I just recently removed the foliage off of that section and wanted to do that process in stages. The tree has been growing really well, which wasn't the case at the nursery. Sorry for the novel-esque post!


--Joe

 

[larlamonde]

Joe great piece of material. As you discussed many options. Go with what looks good to you. Don't be too concerned about rules. The tree looks old. If you can get those branches a little more down I think your there. Keep us posted.

 

[jedge76]

Joe great piece of material. As you discussed many options. Go with what looks good to you. Don't be too concerned about rules. The tree looks old. If you can get those branches a little more down I think your there. Keep us posted.

Thanks a lot I appreciate the comments. I will definitely see about keep those branches down a bit and post on it. Thanks!