Green mound juniper

[Vance Wood]

Interesting, the ones we have here are very soft. Hmmm
I'll try to get photos of these trees.

You may be talking about Shore Juniper, not Japanese Garden Juniper. Shore Juniper Junipers Conferta,---- it too is native to Japan but it is not Procumbens or Chininses. It is very soft to the touch, and I know little of how they respond to bonsai culture other that they are not bonsai friendly.

 

[MrBeto]

Looks like a Nana to me, not a green mound looking at mine although they are still in snow the foliage is quite different. Either one does ok although not all junipers require the same care. Shimpaku for instance is a lot less tolerant of repot.

Grimmy

I'll post a couple pics.

 

[Vance Wood]

That's procumbens. You call this tree's foliage soft?

 

[MrBeto]

That's procumbens. You call this tree's foliage soft?

It feels pretty soft.

 

[MrBeto]

This is another tree I have. Somehow this one foliage it does feel hard.

 

[GrimLore]

You may be talking about Shore Juniper, not Japanese Garden Juniper. Shore Juniper Junipers Conferta,---- it too is native to Japan but it is not Procumbens or Chininses. It is very soft to the touch, and I know little of how they respond to bonsai culture other that they are not bonsai friendly.

You nailed it and thank you. My notes indicate you are correct. I have several species and sometimes mix them up. The Green Shore I do have is responding good to a lot of trimming and seems to me will make an average but still an ok cascade.

I'll post a couple pics.

Vance hit it - and yes the nana will have some rather sharp foliage over time which is not unusual for a few Junipers. Bright side it that one can be worked and provide a very good learning experience.

Grimmy

 

[MrBeto]

You nailed it and thank you. My notes indicate you are correct. I have several species and sometimes mix them up. The Green Shore I do have is responding good to a lot of trimming and seems to me will make an average but still an ok cascade.



Vance hit it - and yes the nana will have some rather sharp foliage over time which is not unusual for a few Junipers. Bright side it that one can be worked and provide a very good learning experience.

Grimmy

Then, the one in the plastic pot is a green mound ?

 

[MrBeto]

Pot size for starters ?

 

[Vance Wood]

They all look so much alike unless you can give them the touchy/feely test it is difficult to tell the difference. Junipers are among the most variable of trees, it is difficult to tell them all apart accurately.

 

[MrBeto]

They all look so much alike unless you can give them the touchy/feely test it is difficult to tell the difference. Junipers are among the most variable of trees, it is difficult to tell them all apart accurately.

Pot ?

 

[Vance Wood]

Pot ?

I'm sorry we seemed to have misconnected on this one, I don't understand you comment above.

 

[MrBeto]

I'm sorry we seemed to have misconnected on this one, I don't understand you comment above.

Oh, my bad. I meant if you would recommend a specific pot size

 

[Vance Wood]

I would recommend keeping the tree in a controlled environment until you have the tree in your control. You know what it is going to do and you know when to do thing with it. If you put the tree in an appropriate bonsai pot at this point you will never be happy with the size of the trunk or the relationship between the base and the branches. That in my opinion is the major problem with this speceis of tree. Because the tree is a recumbent Juniper it does not necessarily produce a solid and fat trunk. It find most of its support in a multitude of smaller branches and a trunk the grasps the ground. It is up to you to come to grips with the way this tree grows and make your styling decisions with these limitations in mind and look for opportunities to let the tree grow out a lot then cut it back to take advantage of the widening trunk induced by rampant growth. If you put this tree in a bonsai pot now the trunk will almost never be what you would want it to be. I will be hitting this issue in a video later this season.

The real bottom line in this issue is when the tree gets to a point where you know the tree is ready and worthy of a good pot. Putting a tree in a bonsai pot almost without contradiction causes the tree to stop developing. Be patient grass hopper.

 

[MrBeto]

I would recommend keeping the tree in a controlled environment until you have the tree in your control. You know what it is going to do and you know when to do thing with it. If you put the tree in an appropriate bonsai pot at this point you will never be happy with the size of the trunk or the relationship between the base and the branches. That in my opinion is the major problem with this speceis of tree. Because the tree is a recumbent Juniper it does not necessarily produce a solid and fat trunk. It find most of its support in a multitude of smaller branches and a trunk the grasps the ground. It is up to you to come to grips with the way this tree grows and make your styling decisions with these limitations in mind and look for opportunities to let the tree grow out a lot then cut it back to take advantage of the widening trunk induced by rampant growth. If you put this tree in a bonsai pot now the trunk will almost never be what you would want it to be. I will be hitting this issue in a video later this season.

The real bottom line in this issue is when the tree gets to a point where you know the tree is ready and worthy of a good pot. Putting a tree in a bonsai pot almost without contradiction causes the tree to stop developing. Be patient grass hopper.

I got it. Thing is, being the plastic pot size, I can't really tell how the branches are, or the trunk. I guess, it will keep growing around, and won't get taller. If you think it's better to leave it like this for a certain time, I'll do it. Thanks for sharing such valuable knowledge. I love this forum !!

 

[Vance Wood]

If you are going to move it I would suggest a colander or Pond Basket. I guess I did not relize it was still in the nursery container. My bad. The colander would be better.

 

[chicago1980]

Here is the one at the nursery near me. Assume it's similar.

 

[Vance Wood]

Japapanese Garden Juniper, Procumbens Juniper, Green Mound Juniper, Sonare Juniper and probably a couple of other names are all the same tree.

 

[MrBeto]

Here is the one at the nursery near me. Assume it's similar.

Yep. I forgot to take it to the workshop last saturday to work with. My bad.

 

[drew33998]

V

Procumbens Junipers are tricky. Most people make the mistake thinking they are real east to grow, I say nay nay, they are difficult in any number of ways, little ways you might not think about till you're asking why the tree died. Don't rush them and don't man-handle them in the begining. Many times I hear the question as to the loss of branches for no appearant reason. However if you lifted the branch or moved the branch in the wrong way it can be broken at a joint that will not be noticed until the branch starts turning brown and crispy. I have found that they do not like to go as long without repotting as many conifers. I have found that four years between repottings is about the most time one of them can tolerate before they start looking like something's wrong. This is probably due top a break down of the soil structure and the slowing of the drainage.

Vance I cut off 90 percent of the foliage off one in the winter several years back. Didn't skip a beat. I only have one other that is in the ground (supposed to be thickening but I found out after two years I get better growth in pots where I can control water and fert).

 

[Vance Wood]

Additional information is always helpful. It is also very interesting but not particularly surprising that they do not seem to thicken that much in the ground. I have a theory about that I will share if anyone is interested.