Icee Blue Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Monber') Styling Advice?

[Horsefeathers]

Picked up this Juniper and had a few styling / health questions for the tree. Given that it's a low growing Juniper it's about as tall as it'll get (4")

Picture 1 is where I see the front of the tree. As you can see in pictures 1 and 2 there is a second branch growing behind the main trunk / branch that is almost equal in size. I left a bit attached as I thought that I might try to Jin that branch (I haven't tried to Jin anything yet), but was also considering just removing it.

Also, the trunk has two fairly large roots growing from the side of the trunk. I wanted to remove these, but I didn't want to hurt the health of the tree. Would it be okay to go ahead and prune those off or should that wait until some time in the future? Does anyone think I should keep them long term?

Picture 6 shows a branch that has a fair amount of growth on it coming from the top of the trunk line. I assume I would keep this, but long term is this something I should be looking to get rid of?

Just looking for some advice / opinions. Thanks!

 

[pandacular]

I have not done so myself, but I believe you should be able to train a brushy juniper into a more upright tree with wire. At the museum nearby, we have a tall J. horizontalis as evidence of this (attached). A cascade may be easier, but its not the only option.

I agree about removing those two roots, but I would not do so until repot time. When you are working out the soil, you should be able to get an idea of the volume of feeder roots those provide. If it’s little, you can remove them. Personally, repotting is the first major procedure on do on any of my trees where possible.

(I haven't tried to Jin anything yet), but was also considering just removing it

you should get after it! making jin and shari is half the fun of working with junipers. It’s fairly straightforward, and there is no time like the present, as it gets much more challenging to do when it dries. You can always cut it off after if you don’t like it.

None of these pictures show the whole tree, so I can’t really give any specific style advice. If it were mine, I would repot it in the spring and think about styling it next fall, most likely. I have trouble keeping much of anything healthy and happy in nursery soil.

 

[Horsefeathers]

I appreciate the feedback. I had already started cutting on it, so I'll definitely wait until spring for the repot.

Here's a better picture of the tree. This species apparently only gets about 4" tall, but up to 8' wide so it's largely full grown from a height standpoint. Also, I found a rock that I had from an old aquarium (it's a seiryu stone) that seems to fit almost perfectly under the "dead" branch and contour the trunk. I think I really like the placement of it. However, it's just sitting next to the tree in the photo. Is there any wait to get these to join at this point. Since the rock is above the soil I don't think I can really get it to a place where roots would wind up holding it.

Edit: I'll also try try the Jin today I suppose!

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Rotate 90 degrees to the right so the roots are at the left side and tree is laying on the side facing the right and turn slightly away towards the backside so the jin comes out towards the viewer and to the left, replant on a slab in this position having built up the soil to cover the roots and use two stones to support the tree. Doing so will create a small scale nature composition with appearance of age:



The majority of the soil can be at left and behind then finishing to the right on the slab adding depth and background.

 

[Horsefeathers]

I went ahead with the Jin and here are some photos...

The Jin wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be after doing it; and I could still probably touch up the back side of it a bit... Fun was had though!

Rotate 90 degrees to the right so the roots are at the left side and tree is laying on the side facing the right and turn slightly away towards the backside so the jin comes out towards the viewer and to the left, replant on a slab in this position having built up the soil to cover the roots and use two stones to support the tree. Doing so will create a small scale nature composition with appearance of age:

View attachment 564177

The majority of the soil can be at left and behind then finishing to the right on the slab adding depth and background.

I'd played with the angle of the tree a bit, but I hadn't thought of rotating it that far. Interesting idea for sure, and I greatly appreciate the drawing! I'm a visual learner so that helped immensely. Coincidentally enough, I've been watching a bunch of DIY concrete slab videos on youtube (particularly Fangorn Bonsai), so this would give me an actual reason to give that a go. Also, to be 100% clear, you're suggesting that I keep the roots that flow into the trunk, but just bury them?

I haven't done any shaping on the foliage itself, but you've got two pads in your drawing. Do you have any tips for shaping this? I wont do any work on it for another season or two, but given that it's all juvenile I would assume I want that to lignify / transisition first, correct?

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Good start in the jin. Eventually you could thin it some or carve deeper into and paint it with line sulfur to turn it white.

I see the large dense roots you’re speaking of. Typically, those kinds of roots are not kept or useful in the long term, so they are removed. Eventually removing them is likely a good idea, although rotating the tree away (brining the Jin towards the front/left could hide the thick roots that would then be in the back).

The main idea is to compact the tree by pulling that main trunk line back towards and overtop the base of the tree, likely using wire (doubled/side-by-side, if needed) to bend the extended trunk line and primary structure branching so it is over the twisting and layered trunk. It is difficult to tell, at this point, what is the real structure as the trunk extends, how pliable or how stiff it might be, and if it can pulled back over the trunk and on top of it self.

Nevertheless, the bifurcation of trunk into L/R primary structural branching can then be wired out once it sits on top of the main trunk/base: one going directionally up/left and terminating into an upper left apex, and the other going directionally up/right and terminating to an apex on the right. The secondaries and tertiaries of each left and right structural branching would create the main left and right apexes over time.

In terms of lignification of foliage into branching, the Fall is the optimal time for wiring and bending. You can set the direction and future of that structure (the main primary/structural branching) ahead of further lignification before branching gets too mature or hard to bend.

There are many, many directions you could take this tree into. Since it already has a curvy and thick little trunk, there is opportunity to bend and wrap it further back towards and on top of itself to add even more character and depth and then placing the canopy/apexes above it.


Option 1: solid line

or

Option 2: dotted line

In either case, the canopy of foliage as a whole will rotate to the left as you set the primary structure on top of the folding trunk line. From there, continue building and growing the tree into that structure and future form.

 

[Horsefeathers]

I appreciate the info!

The main trunk line is sort of hard to tell, but basically just turns left and back towards the front a bit There is a hard chop right at the end of the main trunk / branch which was done I would assume at the nursery at the time of potting since I bought it at a big box store. It's pretty ugly, but its hidden by the foliage at the moment. I may jin the tip a bit in the future depending on how the tree takes shape.

The existing jin definitely needs thinned a bit. You can see it in photo 3 of the initial post, but there were to cuts on the back side. Both of those cuts are still showing and should probably be carved down, but I took the less is more approach of just getting all the bark off and slightly thinning the tips to a point.

I don't think I'll probably make any wiring / styling decisions until after a repot so I can decide the potting angle / direction of the tree.