Juniperus Chinensis 'Shimpaku' #86

I also want to try air layering the back branch which makes the tree feel lopsided.
Waaaitttt!!

Do air layers do well on Shimpaku?
Yes they do but.. Wait..

The back branch is nice and low. I would leave it on for a few years. Maybe wire it already into an interesting shape, and in a few years, when the lower trunk has doubles, layer it off to start with a fatter tree, but also have more taper in the trunk.

As always, think about leaving a small part of the branch to create a small deadwood feature which most of the time is a better option on juniper than a flush cut which will not heal over.
 
ooooh looks a bit brown to me - is it still alive? I'm only asking to understand exactly how brown some junipers can go in winter and still be completely fine.

I have a couple of junipers that go a bit dull over winter but never anything like this - if i did i probably would have chucked it if it looked this colour without even checking for signs of life!
 
ooooh looks a bit brown to me - is it still alive? I'm only asking to understand exactly how brown some junipers can go in winter and still be completely fine.

I have a couple of junipers that go a bit dull over winter but never anything like this - if i did i probably would have chucked it if it looked this colour without even checking for signs of life!
Very much alive and well
 
Waaaitttt!!


Yes they do but.. Wait..

The back branch is nice and low. I would leave it on for a few years. Maybe wire it already into an interesting shape, and in a few years, when the lower trunk has doubles, layer it off to start with a fatter tree, but also have more taper in the trunk.

As always, think about leaving a small part of the branch to create a small deadwood feature which most of the time is a better option on juniper than a flush cut which will not heal over.

That makes sense to me, so maybe ill put this in the ground or a grow box after a year or so to thicken it. I felt taking it off would help me visualize the future styling of this tree, but i see the drawback of taking it off when it could help the tree thicken. The tree grew almost 1/4" in thickness last year so ill leave it on until the trunk is 1" or 1-1/2" or so across. Its currently just under 3/4" thick.
 
Pruned the other side of the tree a bit more. Felt it could use some more thinning. Will need wiring in fall.

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Hm.. Now I am however concerned about the foliage colour. So much yellow would be too much for me and I would be scratching my head why I have so many yellowing branches in the mid-summer time when the whole tree should be a dark green.
 
Yeah, not sure myself. I thought it was lack of sun so I moved it on my bench. Maybe a watering thing? Too much water? Too little? Maybe needs more fertilizer?
 
Yeah, not sure myself. I thought it was lack of sun so I moved it on my bench. Maybe a watering thing? Too much water? Too little? Maybe needs more
This is the 1st year I've been dealing with increased interior yellowing.
I should run a soil test, but have began a liquid chelated iron supplement assuming chlorosis.
Several things can factor into chlorosis, including disease, and use of pesticides.
Root issues from overly wet, to being compacted, and or lack of certain nutrients
also are causes of chlorosis.

This is also the 1st year I've had an infestation of spider mites, so targeted pesticides have been used.
The prophylactic use of pesticides is nothing new for me, but I did introduce a miticide I'd never used before
given the infestation and discoloration of the foliage due to the pest.
As well, this is the 1st year I've omitted rotating in Espoma Holly Tone, worked into the top soil.
Between the other 4 or more fertilizers I'm using, I kind of doubt the lack of Holly Tone is culprit on my bench.
Only problem with the liquid iron is that it's a once/month application, then reassess if you need more or not.
I only have 2 more good months of growing opportunity to decide if I need more or not. Then another year begins.
When I remove dead or near dead foliage that is ripe to brush off, if it requires a tug to remove, resist the urge to tug.
Often there are new buds at work already, and latent ones could be dismissed if you tugged instead of cut.
 
So you say chlorosis may be a factor and I should add some iron / check ph levels etc? I have Holly Tone, maybe I'll mix a little in and see if there's any change. The tree has done great in this pot over the past few years generally, I did do a mid-summer repot last year. Maybe that is having an effect? I doubt it though since it flushed out nicely. I think I may be over-watering so I'm going to be a bit more cautious with my watering on it for a few weeks.
 
So you say chlorosis may be a factor and I should add some iron / check ph levels etc? I have Holly Tone, maybe I'll mix a little in and see if there's any change. The tree has done great in this pot over the past few years generally, I did do a mid-summer repot last year. Maybe that is having an effect? I doubt it though since it flushed out nicely. I think I may be over-watering so I'm going to be a bit more cautious with my watering on it for a few weeks.
It is possible, just be sure to read up on it.
Funny thing though, shimpaku being from more alkaline soil region in Japan
I withhold MirAcid, yet I read that limestone is a cause for chlorosis.
My water runs neutral and I always water from the spigot which has a hardness of ~150 ppm.
Anyway, after Thomas J suggested chelated iron to correct an iron deficiency, I started using it
1st of this month. Will see if it makes a difference...
 
Not sure. It looks like roots issues. The pot seems large for the small amount of foliage, so I would think too wet. But I do not know your weather nor watering regime.
Letting the pot overheat & dry out once can also be enough to loose part of the feeder roots.

I doubt it has anything to do with fertilizer status.
 
Some foliage closeups on the main tree:
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Roots about 1" down seem ok:
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The air layer is a bit brown. Hope it pulls through. Some of the branches still look ok.
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Separated the air layer. It had good roots showing so I wanted to get it in its own pot to stabalize before the winter. Ill keep it protected and well watered for the next few weeks as it settles. I planted in a mix of pea gravel, compost, and perlite. I think the design becomes a lot crisper and focused with the back branch off. Thinking I can create a short jinn or something.

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Protected under bench with others.
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Parent:
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I wanted to note here that this thread by @Brian Van Fleet on his itoigawa has been the most helpful thread in understanding how to treat and progress junipers which I have seen on Bnut and it is an absolute must read for anyone working with Junipers.


Contained within is an excellent tale of nursery stock turned into a masterpiece within 6 short years, and the never ending search for the perfect pot.

On a technical level, aesthetics, pruning, wiring, time tables for work, deadwood creation and treatment, links to fertilization, and repotting are all covered.

It is giving me a completely new way to understand how to move my own junipers forward and ill be carrying things I learned in this thread into this tree.

Another important resource has been this progression from Corin Tomlinson on his chinese juniper:



Im posting for easy reference for myself, and others.
 
So I gave a trim and then wired closer to what I think will be the final composition. A key decision was turning the lower right branch into deadwood. I need to strip still and get some lime sulfur on it. Some decisions still to make in the apex but I think the current branch wired will be the long term leader. I have the back secondary leader to do something with. Will just fertilize heavily and let grow next year. Work done for this year on it. I think took some good leaps forward.

The front is actually a little off in the final photo. If I rotate the tree just ever so slightly clockwise, the apical branch shows more movement.

Before:
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After:
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