Help with juniper

[GailC]

I did what I said I never would do, I brought home a juniper. Not any juniper but the ugliest, flattest, moss encrusted, twisted monstrosity I could find. I was only $5 so not much lost if I kill the poor thing.

Its been in the pot for at least 5 years so I removed the weeds and most of the moss. Tried to pull some of the dirt away from the limbs and removed dead/thin branches. Now I have no idea what to do as far as re-potting.

It desperately needs to be re-potted, its in a 2 gal pot that is deformed from the roots pushing out of it. How much root can I expose and how much can I remove? Keep in mind this plant has no vertical height, its flat like its had weight on top for a number of years. It looks like it might have potential as a cascade or partial cascade.

I'm off to trim some of the pot away so I can expose more branches, I'll take pics when I'm done.

 

[GailC]

Besides the weird shape, does it look healthy enough? Growing season is just starting here, not sure what good growth should look like on a juniper. Species ID would be great too if possible.

The center was completely covered with dirt and moss, at least it can get some air now. I've managed to kill every juniper I've tried in the past, hopefully with help this one will survive.

 

[GailC]

more

 

[october]

Hello Gail. As one progresses in bonsai, it is learned that one needs to already have a rough design in mind for a tree. The material should somewhat resemble one of the 5 styles. Material is usually chosen because it subscribes to a certain style or characteristics. When you do it the other way around, as in bringing it home and then trying to figure something out what to do. It might not be a successful project. However, if you are just using this as a practice tree, then that is different. Also, it will be very difficult to give advice about this material over the net. If you have access to a bonsai class, that would be your best bet.

Rob

 

[Adair M]

This appears to be one of the types sold as ground covers. It lends itself naturally to cascade styles of bonsai.

Sometimes, you can take one of these when they're young and stake it up to get a more vertical trunk. After growing a couple years that way, you can style it as an uptight tree.

 

[GailC]

Yes, this is more for practice than anything. I don't need advice on how to shape it, I'm more concerned with getting it re-potted since I seem to remember reading they don't like their roots messed with. I do actually have a design in mind, might not be a typical bonsai shape but it should be interesting.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Junipers can take a lot of root abuse if they're healthy. I would comb out half the rootball without cutting any roots and stick it in pond basket or pot with bonsai soil in the freshly combed roots. Next year do the other half. That's a safe route. I've had success switching out the entire rootball's soil with nursery junipers, but people usually advise against it.

Looks like the plant could make an interesting raft style with some work.

 

[M. Frary]

Looks like blue rug juniper.

 

[GailC]

Hmm, raft style might be interesting, I'll have read up on it.

What about just chopping off the bottom of the root ball and leaving the top untouched? I can feel a huge root on the very bottom through the pot. I think if I left it and just raked out the roots around it, it would have to go into a huge pot. Its so root bound when I was raking out some of the top soil, there were a lot of fine roots coming out.

 

[Adair M]

Gail, search this forum for Half Bare Root.

There are several threads on it.

Junipers naturally build fibrous root systems. Colanders are of little benefit.

 

[sorce]

I wouldn't pot it yet....

I'd cut these two branches off this year and let it grow.


I don't think you'll be able to pot it , easily, or pleasingly, as is.
Which may lead to making rash decisions while it's out of the pot, like cutting off those 2 branches.....but then its got no foliage to grow roots !

Much to ponder.

Nice!

Sorce

 

[LanceMac10]

Woulda' saved the $5 for a pack of smokes.....

 

[Jarath]

When in doubt, let it grow out. I would let the tree tell you what it wants to do. Don't cut all the branches off. They can be used for jin. If I am correct, those berries are used in the process of making gin.

 

[sorce]

Woulda' saved the $5 for a pack of smokes.....

Half a pack.

Sorce

 

[Jarath]

Favorite part of the day, reading posts with coffee and cigar.