I've read that piercing the trunk will enlarge nebari

[Mudroot]

but I've never tried it.
Is it true? I'd like to get a wider nebari on this procumbens but other than poking it with needles I have no idea what would do it.

Anyone ever tried it?

 

[Adair M]

Poke with needles, and apply spaghnum moss. You might get some new roots.

 

[bonsaibp]

Forget the poking just pack spaghnum moss around the area you want roots. procumbens issues roots easily.

 

[JoeR]

That's definitely one of the nicer procumbens I've seen.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It's really not bad at all. Junipers aren't typically prized for their nebari, but twisty, turning trunks with deadwood.

Sure you can poke it with needles, slap it, hit it with a hammer, cut vertical lines in the trunks, but they're all gimmicks, and anyone who tells you otherwise, really needs to show you otherwise. The only shortcuts in bonsai are money or time.

I think your best bet is to Jin the first left branch, and start shaping the primary branches by pulling them sharply downward (as opposed to arcing them downward); there's a good tree in there.

 

[benw3790]

I agree with bryan.

 

[Mudroot]

I'd need to see an example of sharply pulled down
Those bigger branches are pretty thick and I had to pull them down to where they are and it was .......very....close to snapping as it was.
One even did let out some pretty serious crack sounds when I did that last fall.
It went pretty wiggly at the same time.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I'd need to see an example of sharply pulled down
Those bigger branches are pretty thick and I had to pull them down to where they are and it was .......very....close to snapping as it was.
One even did let out some pretty serious crack sounds when I did that last fall.
It went pretty wiggly at the same time.

Examples: notice the branches on this juniper are pulled straight down, rather than bowed down like your first left branch. This makes the tree look stronger and older, several of the other branches on your tree have that movement started too, but just need to be pulled down more; which will add foliage in areas where you remove unsuitable branches. Look at Bjorn Bjorvala's work for more examples.

Cracking? Yes, junipers will creak and crack. Procumbens are somewhat brittle (which is the ther reason I don't like them). There are techniques to use to get those bends made safely. Look at Ryan Neil's tutorials on raffia and guy wiring for examples; though those techniques are best learned hands-on. Find someone locally who has nice trees and ask them for a hand.

 

[jk_lewis]

but I've never tried it.
Is it true? I'd like to get a wider nebari on this procumbens but other than poking it with needles I have no idea what would do it.

NO.

 

[Paradox]

Seems far fetched to me.

 

[Mudroot]

It seemed "far fetched" to me also so that's why I inquired if anyone ELSE had heard that.
I can't even remember the source but kept it in mind.

I think my best action is almost no action.
While I appreciate and agree with the styling suggestions, there may be more risk than reward.
I've experienced the brittleness and ...almost.... lost one what I consider to be a critical limb but it made it.

I find it visually appealing to me even if not mistakable for a 400 yr old tree.

When I think of what it looked like when I got it 20 or so years ago and put it on the deck railing as sort of a haystack looking staked juniper, I'm not willing to risk what I've done since.

So, thanking all, if there's no way to reliably make a world class nebari, I'll just continue tending and playing for whatever I can do with it.

Thanks again and here's some pix of what it ....was...

The left pic is just a placement group shot so I could remember where the drippers were. LOL