Juniper Deadwood - first try

[ForThemWhatCare]

So with this discount nursey stock material ($15) I wanted to play with deadwood. I figured it was okay to leave more than you need for the end design and you can always take some off later (hope that is right).

Due to the leave mass removed I've been feeding, watering, and leaving it alone. Have plenty of healthy new growth but the left, right, and top all REALLY need to be reduced. Looking for advice on where to pull back to. Please let me know if additional photos from other angles are needed.

Looking at it after the initial styling I don't think this will be the best front. But with the work done I didn't want to repot it to change the angle this year

Original, Oct 2023


Cleaned, Oct 2023


Initial Styling, Mar 2024

 

[ForThemWhatCare]

Couple new angles

 

[rockm]

The mistake most beginners make is creating long thin jins out of entire branches on young stock. They tend to look odd--long, thin and weak looking.

The goal is to convey age and struggle in a younger piece of material--short, smaller diameter trunks...Jins should speak of powerful wind, weather, etc. Long thin branches with monotonous diameter don't convey that. Breaking the branches off an inch or three away from the main trunk, then making the broken ends look "believable" that they've been snapped off by forceful winds tend to be more effective and less distracting. In short--make them shorter and more forceful in appearance.

 

[ForThemWhatCare]

Yeah, I knew I’d be cutting a lot off but should I make that call now or wait till the next stage of design starts to emerge?

 

[AshleyMammal]

Yeah, I knew I’d be cutting a lot off but should I make that call now or wait till the next stage of design starts to emerge?

I’d personally leave them for now, it makes no difference to the plant as they’re dead anyway.