just something to ponder while observing this tree and this.....
I'm banking on the fact that I didn't mess with the roots so it should be poised for strong growth this spring
Mirai teaches of energy reserves and this of Juniperus storing energy in the foliage is not only true, but once you understand it...you can observe on any tree how and why this is so...this is a mega key for understanding why something happens after you did it.
Anyway....
In that the roots of a juniper have no energy stores, they are merely a water source that is almost exactly mirrored top and bottom, so any "extra" roots downstairs that had connection to what you cut off will likely die, or are on a futile mission to redirect water piping structure in an effort to somehow keep them alive and feeding whats left.....
However...Resorce....this is why this becomes futile....
Some of what little stored energy that's left in the minimal foliage is going to what the tree naturally wants to do....change that piping and keep living....
They survive this on the mountain, hence the character! In a pot, they die!
Even on the mountain, one snow won't remove a branch, it merely snaps it and allows the tree to begin x years of piping reconfiguration. The tree recovers before all the foilage is removed in the next avalanche.
This is why v-notching branches on junipers works....and why slow removal of pine foliage can safely fully remove sacrifice branches.
So it seems this is where the...."balanced top and bottom" comes from...
Why...at this point, you MAY be better off repotting it now....
But thats futile because until the old roots that were connected to the removed foliage die....you have really no idea which roots you can safely remove. (This is a DIFFICULT visual cue situation)
From nursery stock then...
It seems the safest/fastest schedule is no more than 20% removal of only the most offending branches..(remember juniper IS jin and deadwood, so allowing knuckles to form only gives us future interest, leave it on!)
This 80% of foliage left will power you through a spring, summer dormancy, or if you must and can provide warm bottom, fall repot, in the same year....Bonsai Pot if ready to style.
Training pot/ground if not.
This leaves us in the Easiest state to get visual cues the tree is ready to style...
Runners. (All the energy.) Don't touch it till you have them. Keep em attached till they set wired branches ...so on so on waiting for this easy visual clue as we move the foliage pads back, and into divided shape.
Second Fastest...Style first
The other Possible way for the impatient to style....um....me! Lol!
This one is easier to understand since we understand the above.
In order to get this tree into a pot, you must wait for it to Regrow back into what would have been that 20% removal.
X years....you removed about 80% so you must regrow 60% before potting.
Where a tree styled with removal down to 70% of the foliage, only needs to Regrow 10% back..
In this, we must find a balance...
There is no wrong way....if your tree survives....it will have character only this provided.
The most important thing to remember is FOLIAGE IS WHAT IS GOING TO DETERMINE THE SPEED AT WHICH THIS BECOMES BONSAI.
......
It is extremely hard to not want to style a tree in the first year.
But if we can wait...we are near garaunteed to come up with a better idea by the next year, our trees won't die...and we can have excellent trees much faster.
The problem is newbs go out and get 600 j's and do this to them all which only exponentially increases their waiting time...
If done the fastest, smartest, safest, most conducive to he who wants to have dope trees way...
Simply having enough wire will become a challenge!
Love that you made a video.
I'd love a bit more engaging soundtrack next time ..
And to not be able too see inside at what you did to know what changed!
So there can be a Part 2 with an even doper soundtrack! And a pimp ass living tree!
Sorce
