Last juniper purchases this year I "promise" (fingers crossed)

[Japonicus]

Sarcastically, my wife said I needed another juniper, so I got 3

All 3 are in 3g cans. Left to right Sargent, Robusta (tall like a Hollywood juniper) and Gold Lace.
There's a nursery not far from here in the Green Bottom Lesage area that sells wholesale from Columbus, Cincinnati - Louisiville
to Cleveland on over to New England. They have 2 days this May that they're open to the public. They were out of mugo pine,
which was what I went looking for. They had some nice azaleas but I'm pretty much out of room already.

Both the Sargent and Gold Lace have foreseeable trunks, just have to remove the coco fibre mats
and a ton of "osmocote" like feed.

The Robusta, which I really thought was a Hollywood, will be an ongoing project for layering then growing out after a hard prune.
I have a Blue Atlas cedar who's place I plan for it to take at the front of the house.

 

[sorce]

Nice.

I like the rest of your work so I reckon these will go well too!

Sorce

 

[Japonicus]

Nice.

I like the rest of your work so I reckon these will go well too!

Sorce

Thanks sorce!
This is the most fun part for me...seek and find, then reduce.
I typically reduce such materials foliage partially, roots partially maybe next year, then repeat.
I have a feeling one of these is going to be getting a full reduction after starting on them yesterday though.
5 new junipers this year, and one older shimpaku waiting on one of your pots

 

[Wilson]

I really like the foliage on the Robusta.

 

[Japonicus]

I really like the foliage on the Robusta.

I do too Wilson. It’s like a tight shimpaku. I hope I can layer it, but I will be attempting a top layer
furthest from roots, and full of berries. Guess I’m going berry picking next year.
Not bad for $35

 

[Wilson]

We don't see many Hollywood junipers in our garden centres up here, but we get Blaauw which are great.

 

[Japonicus]

We don't see many Hollywood junipers in our garden centres up here, but we get Blaauw which are great.

G&G Nursery had probably 200 of these Sargent junipers. All that I looked through had multiple trunks, like many mugo, but none had single trunks.
They had a bunch of Gray Owls none of which I cared for. I guess they display better bonsai characteristics once they get worked on

You can't tell from the pics well but there is a bit of a twist and good natural movement to the selected trunk.
The silly jin will be worked back further as I select and develop the top. The foliage where my hand is is dead wood.
It's actually dividable as a second shrub but that would flatten out any nebari there.
I've never done a Sargents juniper as a cascade, but it is here on the right to be done with or...twin trunk.
I hate overwintering my cascade, but it's worth it. A semi cascade would be easier on the branch, but still have the pot depth to deal with
plus I'm more of a full cascade fan myself.


This Sargent juniper was from 1 or 2g nursery can. They are quite rambunctious. I have one in the ground that I simply cannot keep up with.

 

[Ali Raza]

This is what happens when you are addicted to bonsai.

 

[Japonicus]

1st pics May,11th this year. Did an initial reduction in May, and pic 2 is what I started with today
after recovery on the Sargent. Yeh, recovery in 2 months. Sargents grow like weeds, and that for me
presents a different challenge. I'm slow, and I have more projects going than I can keep up with in a given year.
3rd and 4th pics are as far as I could get today.

I so struggle with styling Sargent juniper as a cultivar, even though it back buds profusely.
I try to work with the existing branches, cut back and have a very difficult time today,
to the point of giving up trying to select the right leader for an apex.
The right bud or branch just isn't there in my mind yet.
In fact, I'm not sure I will be keeping the sister trees, but working them as though I will since they
do not share the same trunk. The right one looks promising, but as difficult to style as the other two.



Gold Lace juniper was a bit more of a pleasure to work on.
The Robusta...well I plan to put it in the ground soon.
It's very top heavy

 

[Japonicus]

The foliage of these 2 junipers are at extreme opposite ends from each other.
The Sargent is very coarse, branches likewise, and grows like a weed often times
sending long shoots out with a head of foliage at the tip.

The Gold Lace and other similar junipers I have, are very wimpy or whispy like foliage that droops without pruning.
I'm hoping that by hard pruning and subsequential maintenance pruning, the new golden foliage will both be
closer in, as well as supported by the older more green growth and shorter branches. Learning curve underway.

 

[Japonicus]

Yesterday I potted up the Gold Lace from the 3 gallon nursery can it was in.

Pretty easy going on the roots really, so it hadn't been in that can too many years, 3 maybe.





We have a really rainy week on tap. Should get a lot of Sun energy today.

 

[Japonicus]

May 2019 full of runners and vigour

July 8 2019 drastic reduction

8 months later after reduction May 2020 splendid vigour 75% root reduction

The purpose of this post is to demonstrate desired health prior to an insult and the rewards the juniper can bring
if allowed to do so.

 

[Japonicus]

Sargent - 2nd cutback today 85% reduction or more.






The central V will remain until it recoups then the left fork will probably be removed




The left trunk is actually a separate tree I do not wish to separate. I would jin it before I separated it, but for now it will get its own development.
3 trunks?

I know to remove the left trunk would be more appealing, but do not want to screw up any unseen nebari
which will die off there anyway if I simply cut it off at the base or jin it. To sever it would mess up the nebari I think.

I went hard at this one today leaving only a few flaws to work on next time compared to what I started with today.
These Sargent junipers take a lot of cut back, and are difficult for me to keep cut back properly. The branches tend to
be many from a given point, and the ones that extend, thicken out of proportion to the foliage I feel.
The branches are hit and miss as to which ones keep foliage close in enough to work, making selection all the more important early on.
Like 1 really good placed branch with 3 bare inches of wood, versus 4 or 5 more close by that have foliage where say a procumbens would.

I have 2 other Sargent junipers, and they all act this way. The one in the ground needs an experts help to control. Out of control it is.
+ poison ivy has kept me out of it this year. Great trunk, crazy foliage.

 

[thatguy]

Really enjoy seeing your juniper work! I have a large and small shimpaku that I've done initial foliage reduction and repotting on. Now letting them get healthy for the remainder of this year and possibly next, depending on how they look in Spring. The pics and your thought process are immensely helpful!

 

[Japonicus]

Quick update
2 three gallon nursery junipers worked on here.

1. Sargent, 2 drastic reductions set back being able to repot it, but it is putting on good Spring growth.
On the fence whether there's enough foliage to handle repotting, I think I will defer to next year.
I did wire it some last Fall...


today 4/09/2021


2. Gold Lace, 1 drastic reduction in July 2019,
8 months later vigour determines potted up with 75% root reduction from nursery to bonsai soil.


Today 4/09/2021
Like a bucking horse ready to rodeo, the vigour is ready for another insult unlike the Sargent where I did 2 foliage reductions.

 

[Japonicus]

Removed about 1-1/2 gallons of foliage today.
The foliage of this Gold Lace is certainly proving to be a challenge.
Not sure where to go from here with this one, so setting it to the side till wiring.

 

[Japonicus]

I have another similar juniper, a Gold Tip, slight variance in the foliage, otherwise the same.







Hopefully I didn't overdo the shari. In caution I'm leaving the remaining foliage for now
and will reevaluate it in July/August. The bit of wood at the base of the shari is actually
another trunk that needs dealt with next repot.

Between these 2 golden junipers, I removed approx 2.5 gallons of foliage this week.

 

[Brain Treez]

Stumbled across this thread and I appreciate the documentation of vigor allowing a hard cut back in July and a re-pot the following spring. Are these trees still thriving, @Japonicus?

 

[Japonicus]

Stumbled across this thread and I appreciate the documentation of vigor allowing a hard cut back in July and a re-pot the following spring. Are these trees still thriving, @Japonicus?

Thanx, they are yes.

 

[Japonicus]

Are these trees still thriving, @Japonicus?

This was 2 weeks ago


Then this one was just watered

These 2 have been resistant to mites, tip blight and CAR.
They seem to need more styling though.