My $5 Lowes juniper after 1 year

[M. Frary]

Good point about that jin'd branch. I didn't even notice that it does look like it goes over to the left truck way too far from the front view. I'm going to play around with this one again after the show tomorrow so I think I'll shorten that up at the same time I get rid of the low left branch and see what it looks like then.

The best option is to bring it with you tomorrow.
Get a couple opinions from guys that are actually looking at the tree. In person.
Serious.
Bring it Steve.

 

[Steve C]

I think sometimes my biggest problem in bonsai is I have been in it now long enough to know what I want to do and how I want my trees to look, but I'm still too inexperienced to go ahead and do anything too major. In other words I'm always worried I am gonna cut off the wrong branch or remove too much foliage and kill the tree or something of that nature. Well after going to the show today and spending some time talking with Mike and picking his brain, and then watching Vance cut and twist some trees like I have never had the guts to do I decided to go at this one again. I figure what's the worst that can happen it's just a plant I paid $5 for after all.

Mike gave a lot of info today (appreciate it Mike) and I think two of the main things I took away from what he said were "openness" to let sun into the inner part of the tree and "movement" to add interest to the branches. So after getting home from the show I spent about 5 hours working on it again. Cut off some of the lower branches, pulled down some other branches, and wired as many branches that to me looked too straight or boring looking. I also reduce the thickness and length of the foliage quite a bit as well. Still have a little more to do because I see some long ends that I missed and I still have to do some work on the deadwood. Dunno why but for some reason it looks much flatter in the pics than in person. Hopefully it back buds like I want it too. I hope this is a step in the right direction?

 

[sorce]

Gotta do it.


Nice!

and wired as many branches that to me looked too straight or boring looking.

That is key to me.
Cut off or bend straight stuff.
Put foliage where there isn't foliage.
Done!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

I think sometimes my biggest problem in bonsai is I have been in it now long enough to know what I want to do and how I want my trees to look, but I'm still too inexperienced to go ahead and do anything too major. In other words I'm always worried I am gonna cut off the wrong branch or remove too much foliage and kill the tree or something of that nature. Well after going to the show today and spending some time talking with Mike and picking his brain, and then watching Vance cut and twist some trees like I have never had the guts to do I decided to go at this one again. I figure what's the worst that can happen it's just a plant I paid $5 for after all.

Mike gave a lot of info today (appreciate it Mike) and I think two of the main things I took away from what he said were "openness" to let sun into the inner part of the tree and "movement" to add interest to the branches. So after getting home from the show I spent about 5 hours working on it again. Cut off some of the lower branches, pulled down some other branches, and wired as many branches that to me looked too straight or boring looking. I also reduce the thickness and length of the foliage quite a bit as well. Still have a little more to do because I see some long ends that I missed and I still have to do some work on the deadwood. Dunno why but for some reason it looks much flatter in the pics than in person. Hopefully it back buds like I want it too. I hope this is a step in the right direction?

Awesome Steve!
Looks a ton better now.
Glad you guys got something out of your visit.
I can ramble on for quite a long time.

 

[petegreg]

Looks much better, now you need to wait till it's filled in. To make 2D picture more 3D in this case you need some branches and foliage pads in the back side of the tree (bent down or from back budding, not only at the top, but some lower at 2/3 of the tree hight?). And three branches directing up at the left portion of the three seem to be in one front-rear line at least to me...
You must have had a great weekend.

 

[Steve C]

Yep I had a great weekend visiting the show. It's amazing how just speaking with and watching knowledgeable people work on things can change the way you look at your own tress so much. Now that I took the leap on this one I'm starting to look at some of my other trees and thinking about doing some changes on them as well.

 

[sorce]

If a guy can tie a fly...A guy can wire a tree...

Sorce

 

[VAFisher]

If a guy can tie a fly...A guy can wire a tree...

Sorce

We need a wire dispensing bobbin. Now then I could wire a tree!

Tree looks a lot better Steve. Think you can get some movement into that left trunk?

 

[Steve C]

I tried to get some movement on it with some really heavy wire, but I just couldn't get it to move at all for me. I think I might need to use something like one of those branch benders I have see to get it to move. I might pick one of those up this fall, I'm sure I could get use out of on some of my other trees as well most likely so it might be worth buying one.

 

[Steve C]

@M. Frary Figured I'd update this post since it's been exactly 1 year this week. It's been such a busy summer I have not had much time at all for bonsai but finally getting caught up enough now that I have been playing around with my trees again for the past couple weeks. I was looking at my juniper here and had not realized till today just how well it ended up back budding and growing over the past year since I hacked the heck out of it last summer.

This was August 2017........

And this is today August 2018.... I think it's time to do some more thinning again

 

[M. Frary]

The things really thriving!
Excellent!

 

[TN_Jim]

Wow .....that got meaty!

The right trunk -it looks like 4 branches coming from from same point, potentially causing escalating reverse taper

If you were going to remove one of these, or more, I am wondering how you and others would approach this. This is the kind of crossroads that perplexes me with several of my trees.

To take a stab at this, I’m wondering if (on right trunk) the lower left could be bent over (blue) to that third (straight) ...and eventually remove/jin that third (red)...

My thought is, this would remove the very distracting third (that also draws attention to left trunk)...and make the right trunk taller than the left and add movement......or...just remove the left (yellow)
Thanks

 

[Steve C]

This is the kind of crossroads that perplexes me with several of my trees.

Jim with this still only being my 5/6th yr in bonsai I will tell you I am perplexed every time I sit down with one of my trees LOL. At this point I know just enough to be dangerous it seems. I guess the good thing is I learn a tad more each year because looking at this tree this year I see things that need fixed that I didn't really see last year. The four branches you mentioned is one. And the other is the straightness of the left trunk. Multiple people mentioned that last year but I ended up leaving it because it didn't bother me all that much last year, but now this year it does bother me. So I plan to do a few things with it soon. One thing is like you mentioned to do something about those four branches. I'm thinking I will most likely cut that left inward facing deadwood completely off for starters. At the time it was my attempt at adding interest but now this year looking at it I don't think it adds anything positive at all so I'm probably going to cut it at the yellow line you marked. Then I plan to do something about the remaining three branches on the right, what I don't know yet. I'm going today to the local shop to see if they have a heavy branch bender so I can do something about that left straight trunk. So once I get the left trunk fixed and the inner left dead wood removed I'll probably post a pic and see what you guys think would be the next wise move after those are done.

 

[TN_Jim]

Jim with this still only being my 5/6th yr in bonsai I will tell you I am perplexed every time I sit down with one of my trees LOL. At this point I know just enough to be dangerous it seems. I guess the good thing is I learn a tad more each year because looking at this tree this year I see things that need fixed that I didn't really see last year. The four branches you mentioned is one. And the other is the straightness of the left trunk. Multiple people mentioned that last year but I ended up leaving it because it didn't bother me all that much last year, but now this year it does bother me. So I plan to do a few things with it soon. One thing is like you mentioned to do something about those four branches. I'm thinking I will most likely cut that left inward facing deadwood completely off for starters. At the time it was my attempt at adding interest but now this year looking at it I don't think it adds anything positive at all so I'm probably going to cut it at the yellow line you marked. Then I plan to do something about the remaining three branches on the right, what I don't know yet. I'm going today to the local shop to see if they have a heavy branch bender so I can do something about that left straight trunk. So once I get the left trunk fixed and the inner left dead wood removed I'll probably post a pic and see what you guys think would be the next wise move after those are done.

Good things...i'm very curious to see what you come up with, and the application of the bender

 

[defra]

Its always realy hard to see in pics but this tought crossed my mind viewing the August 2017 pic

Let grow left trunk free to thicken up the base of the tree and jin it later on
Change planting angle leaning more to the right pull down the right trunk some and look at the semi cascade options

Once again based on just one pic so just a tought

At least youve grown so much that you admit theres still much to learn
And realy some people will never get to that point