How to thicken this styled junipers trunk
- Thread starter TGBentsze
- Start date
Bonsai Forest
Omono
A 1 or 2-gallon black growing container will help accomplish your goal. Black absorbs Spring and Summer heat extremely well, providing excellent warmth for rapid root system growth. Plenty of fertilizer, water and sunlight with organic soil and minimal pruning for a couple years will accumulate a ton of foliage, sugars, carbs, vascular tissue, and beef up the tree.
One of my Juniper Procumbens went from:
To:
in just a few months with the first application in March, using 10-10-10 granular fertilizer (4 even piles, evenly spaced and imbedded beneath soil surface).
You can repeat application 6 months later but in different places:
Routine watering when soil feels dry, lots of sunlight, and the tree should photosynthesize and feed itself nicely over the next couple years (or whenever you’re happy with its size and density).
You can likely use a liquid/fast-release fertilizer once or twice a month in addition to the 10-10-10 set in place, but I took the slower route since I wanted to be extra cautious learning horticulture and track the growth safely.
Lastly, you can ask 10 different people and receive 10 different pieced of advice, so do what works best for you and according to how your tree responds.
Happy growing!
One of my Juniper Procumbens went from:
To:
in just a few months with the first application in March, using 10-10-10 granular fertilizer (4 even piles, evenly spaced and imbedded beneath soil surface).
You can repeat application 6 months later but in different places:
Routine watering when soil feels dry, lots of sunlight, and the tree should photosynthesize and feed itself nicely over the next couple years (or whenever you’re happy with its size and density).
You can likely use a liquid/fast-release fertilizer once or twice a month in addition to the 10-10-10 set in place, but I took the slower route since I wanted to be extra cautious learning horticulture and track the growth safely.
Lastly, you can ask 10 different people and receive 10 different pieced of advice, so do what works best for you and according to how your tree responds.
Happy growing!
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ShadyStump
Imperial Masterpiece
Definitely need a bigger pot. Trees expand their trunks by expanding their vascular system. Fastest, safest way to a thicker trunk is more growth, which requires more roots. Everything else is just a stunt.
Not that they're necessarily fake, but those other techniques are stunts. They're not always particularly effective, and can fail spectacularly.
The safest I've heard of is slicing or perforating the bark, down to the wood, along the length of the trunk. The tree will heal the wounds by filling in the spaces with more vascular tissue. The thing to remember there is that proper and speedy healing requires unimpeded growth, so you're back to the bigger pot thing anyway. A technique like that is more suited to encouraging taper. Only do it near the base, or in a spot that you can thicken to rectify inverse taper.
Not that they're necessarily fake, but those other techniques are stunts. They're not always particularly effective, and can fail spectacularly.
The safest I've heard of is slicing or perforating the bark, down to the wood, along the length of the trunk. The tree will heal the wounds by filling in the spaces with more vascular tissue. The thing to remember there is that proper and speedy healing requires unimpeded growth, so you're back to the bigger pot thing anyway. A technique like that is more suited to encouraging taper. Only do it near the base, or in a spot that you can thicken to rectify inverse taper.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
I think it's also good to mention that most conifers are a bit slow to catch on, initially.
When planted in the ground for instance:
Year 1: slow growth.
Year 2: oof, that growth is hard to keep up with but manageable.
Year 3: why am I ground growing? Where did the wire go? Enveloped in the bark?! What?!
Year 4: Why didn't I dig it up last year?!
If you start trying to correct things in year 1, there will be a lot of consecutive year ones. Leave them be and prepare for the next.
When planted in the ground for instance:
Year 1: slow growth.
Year 2: oof, that growth is hard to keep up with but manageable.
Year 3: why am I ground growing? Where did the wire go? Enveloped in the bark?! What?!
Year 4: Why didn't I dig it up last year?!
If you start trying to correct things in year 1, there will be a lot of consecutive year ones. Leave them be and prepare for the next.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Grow out in a grow box for a few years with an approproate soil mix for your watering / climate and let some sacrifices run while keeping the rest of the foliage in check.
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
Bigger pot and let it grow.
Small pot and constant trimming won't let the trunk get bigger
Small pot and constant trimming won't let the trunk get bigger
Deep Sea Diver
Masterpiece
Junipers take quite a long time to trunk up, so be prepared for the long haul. Personally wouldn’t cut or trim a branch unless you wanted a longer haul.
We pit a 25 year old juniper bonsai in the ground for the past couple years now. Only perceptible changes to the trunk so far.
Lots of foliage though!
cheers
DSD sends
We pit a 25 year old juniper bonsai in the ground for the past couple years now. Only perceptible changes to the trunk so far.
Lots of foliage though!
cheers
DSD sends
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Unfortunately there's no quick fix for trunk thickening.
Letting the trunk grow over wire may thicken the trunk but there's a big risk of more problems than a good outcome. Occasionally it works well but more often it looks like s**t.
Splitting the trunk is possible with junipers but again, doesn't always produce the desired results. Healing the cuts can take years, especially if growth is slow in a smallish pot.
Scoring the bark with vertical cuts is less invasive, and in my experience not much downside. The callus where the cuts are healing is reputed to thicken the trunk quicker than no treatment but the trees I have tried this on thickening was imperceptible so maybe not worth doing?
Best and fastest juniper thickening for junipers I have had is with low sacrifice branches combined with a good grow pot. Unfortunately you don't have any redundant low branches to use for sacrifice. Allowing that first branch to grow free for a few years will thicken the trunk below it but may make that branch unusable at the end. Even sacrifice branches take 5-10 years to achieve a good result.
Letting the trunk grow over wire may thicken the trunk but there's a big risk of more problems than a good outcome. Occasionally it works well but more often it looks like s**t.
Splitting the trunk is possible with junipers but again, doesn't always produce the desired results. Healing the cuts can take years, especially if growth is slow in a smallish pot.
Scoring the bark with vertical cuts is less invasive, and in my experience not much downside. The callus where the cuts are healing is reputed to thicken the trunk quicker than no treatment but the trees I have tried this on thickening was imperceptible so maybe not worth doing?
Best and fastest juniper thickening for junipers I have had is with low sacrifice branches combined with a good grow pot. Unfortunately you don't have any redundant low branches to use for sacrifice. Allowing that first branch to grow free for a few years will thicken the trunk below it but may make that branch unusable at the end. Even sacrifice branches take 5-10 years to achieve a good result.
I've had similar results over 15 years of ground growing junipers. First year very little growth or thickening. Second year some growth, again little thickening. Year 3 the junipers start to grow and to thicken. Seems to take 5-7 years to get good results. I can get similar thickening if they are well grown in pots but after around 6 years ground grown trees outgrow any in pots. Ground growing does not seem to be a quick fix for junipers.
TGBentsze
Sapling
So guys.
First of all, thanks for the amazing responses, it made my day, that so many people came and helped me!
On the other hand, I read your comments, and I dont really have the soil/place to ground plant this tree, but in late winter/early spring I will put in in a large black pot, like some of you recomended.
For this juniper, and for this purpose, what soil mix % should I use?
First of all, thanks for the amazing responses, it made my day, that so many people came and helped me!
On the other hand, I read your comments, and I dont really have the soil/place to ground plant this tree, but in late winter/early spring I will put in in a large black pot, like some of you recomended.
For this juniper, and for this purpose, what soil mix % should I use?
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
The other option I forgot about is to keep this juniper as a tall, graceful tree. Thick trunk is currently in fashion but tall and graceful also has a place on the bonsai bench. It already has some charm so it would be a shame to see that spoiled by chasing after the current fad for thicker trunks. All the thickening techniques mentioned carry some risk of problems. I would seriously consider working with the tree as it is and just concentrate on improving foliage density and branching.
The larger the container the less critical the soil becomes. You can use the standard bonsai mix or a good commercial potting soil in a grow pot and then change it out for bonsai mix when it goes back into a smaller bonsai mix.
Be aware that moving a smaller tree into a very large pot also carries some risk. Commercial growers know this and usually move plants up 1 or 2 pot sizes at a time rather than going straight to a very large pot.
Also make sure the roots are teased out when potting on so they can take advantage of the new soil. Many beginners have found that 'slip potting' without any root disturbance causes more problems, especially where the soil types are different.
The larger the container the less critical the soil becomes. You can use the standard bonsai mix or a good commercial potting soil in a grow pot and then change it out for bonsai mix when it goes back into a smaller bonsai mix.
Be aware that moving a smaller tree into a very large pot also carries some risk. Commercial growers know this and usually move plants up 1 or 2 pot sizes at a time rather than going straight to a very large pot.
Also make sure the roots are teased out when potting on so they can take advantage of the new soil. Many beginners have found that 'slip potting' without any root disturbance causes more problems, especially where the soil types are different.
ShadyStump
Imperial Masterpiece
Another option for potting up is to build yourself a grow box, or find some other wider and shallower container to use. Anderson flats are very popular for this, but any appropriately sized, wider than it is deep, container will work as long as you make it so it can drain excess water.
Like @Shibui said, for growing out soil is a little less important, but I recommend adding more perlite or similar to any standard potting mix, just to make sure it's not holding too much water. That can become an issue when the container is on the shallow side.
I also agree, now that's it been mentioned, that aiming for a big fat trunk isn't necessary either. You have some nice movement in there already, so I would think adding just enough girth to help it look more mature is that's needed.
Like @Shibui said, for growing out soil is a little less important, but I recommend adding more perlite or similar to any standard potting mix, just to make sure it's not holding too much water. That can become an issue when the container is on the shallow side.
I also agree, now that's it been mentioned, that aiming for a big fat trunk isn't necessary either. You have some nice movement in there already, so I would think adding just enough girth to help it look more mature is that's needed.
Bonsai Forest
Omono
Something organic from Lowe’s or Home Depot, 10-10-10 fertilizer
, lots of sunlight, water as needed. Good feeding and abundant foliage will beef up the health and vascular tissue and do the job over time. Lots of foliage is key 
good luck, enjoy!
TGBentsze
Sapling
Thank you guys!
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