Bonsaiboy
Mame
My new juniper bonsai I just got from the local nursery.
New juniper.
- Thread starter Bonsaiboy
- Start date
Eric Group
Masterpiece
Oh man... I don't want to trash you or your tree, but that doesn't look real healthy! Are you going for the formal upright style with this juniper? If so, you need to get it straighter, if you are going for informal upright, you need a more dramatic curve in the trunk.
Did it look like this when you bought it, or did you style it when you got home?
My concern if that you may have removed too much foliage. Junipers tend to get a little sideways when they get completely fleeced like this. What type of juniper is it?
Again, I am not slamming you, just trying to help...
Did it look like this when you bought it, or did you style it when you got home?
My concern if that you may have removed too much foliage. Junipers tend to get a little sideways when they get completely fleeced like this. What type of juniper is it?
Again, I am not slamming you, just trying to help...
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. That's what I got such a good deal on it... Think it has a chance of surviving? It's a common juniper, exactly like that when I got it.
Redwood Ryan
Masterpiece
Out of curiosity, is the wire actually doing anything? It kinda looks like it's just on the branches and not giving any shape to them.
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Yeah, I took one off to see. The branches literally fall down without them.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Looks like a hollywood juniper. Don't touch it except for water for the next six months.
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Should it be in direct sunlight? But ok, sounds good. I'm not in any rush with it, and the place by my house has some nice stuff, so I'll just go get something to work on while it heals.
Eric Group
Masterpiece
Yeah, it certainly has a chance of surviving, can you post a picture of the pot/ soil? I think your question about keeping it in full sun is hard to answer without knowing when it was repotted and styled. Regardless though I would probably start in part shade and progressively move it into more sun over a period of weeks to be safe. Even wiring a tree can stress it out a bit, and changing environments can too so you might as well play it safe.
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Ok sweet. I will gradually move it to shade. They said it was recently repotted, and the pots really bad but I fear putting it into a new one because it will cause to much stress. The pot doesn't even have holes in it... Now for the soil, it doesn't seem to bad, but could definitely be better. I was thinking of waiting until fall to repot but even that seems to soon. I can get photos up tomorrow.
october
Masterpiece
Hi Bonsaiboy. I am surprised, well not really, that anyone would sell this to someone. It is not your fault. However, they should have not sold this tree. Even if you got it for free, it really isn't a good deal. The tree was stripped far beyond what it needs to be healthy. The tree is not healthy to begin with. The wiring is not good and not appropriate. Also, there are no drainage holds. Essentially, they sold you some thing that is going to die. Even if by some chance, it does survive the work, the no drainage issue would eventually kill it anyway. Seeing as how it was just repotted, it might be difficult to get the tree out of the pot and into a pot with good drainage without stressing it any further. Also, conifers take a while to die. There is a chance that the tree is already dead.
What bothers me is someone sold this to you. Even if it was cheap. Does this nursery need a few extra bucks that bad to have to sell something like this. If this was their attempt at bonsai, they should not sell them.
Rob
What bothers me is someone sold this to you. Even if it was cheap. Does this nursery need a few extra bucks that bad to have to sell something like this. If this was their attempt at bonsai, they should not sell them.
Rob
Beng
Omono
It's wired like a tree in a orchard for fruit production, very odd. I'd take it back if you can.
Dirty Nails
Shohin
The people who sold you this as bonsai should be smacked upside the head. I understand you are brand new and god knows I made a couple of ladders from nursury material in the beginning. If you had done this then at least you would have the experience of the incorrect pruning, wiring and potting. But to SELL this as bonsai should be a crime.
Go buy some regular cheap stock from HD or Lowes and practice pruning and wiring on them just for the experience. Then try to keep them alive in the pot they came in. You can get a couple 18" Alberta spruce for $9 each just as an example. Not good bonsai material but lots of branches to play with and when they die "who cares?". Get a couple of years under your belt playing and studying before you think about "good material".
When I started 4 years ago I planted a bunch of trident maples, elm and Acer palmatum 1 year old saplings for about $5 apiece. Now that I am starting to gain an understanding of what to do I have the beginnings of some good stock with some trident trunks over 2.5" thick.
Just some friendly, unsolicited free advice.
Go buy some regular cheap stock from HD or Lowes and practice pruning and wiring on them just for the experience. Then try to keep them alive in the pot they came in. You can get a couple 18" Alberta spruce for $9 each just as an example. Not good bonsai material but lots of branches to play with and when they die "who cares?". Get a couple of years under your belt playing and studying before you think about "good material".
When I started 4 years ago I planted a bunch of trident maples, elm and Acer palmatum 1 year old saplings for about $5 apiece. Now that I am starting to gain an understanding of what to do I have the beginnings of some good stock with some trident trunks over 2.5" thick.
Just some friendly, unsolicited free advice.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
I agree with the last few posters. I would either take it back for a refund or (if it was less than $5) get it into a pot with drain holes. And even if I kept it, I'd have a chat with the nursery owner about their "bonsai" trees.
Chris
Chris
Redwood Ryan
Masterpiece
You say you plan on going back to get another tree to work on. I would give no more money to this place.
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Ok, thank you all. Instead of putting it in a new pot, I just drilled a hole in the bottom...
Well I will be having a talk with the owner, and am going to Home Depot today. Thank you all again, and I'm wishing for the best for the tree!
Well I will be having a talk with the owner, and am going to Home Depot today. Thank you all again, and I'm wishing for the best for the tree!
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
This tree might do even better in the long run if you removed the wire, trimmed the branches a bit, then planted it in the ground AND FORGOT IT WAS THERE FOR 4-5 YEARS.
Bonsaiboy
Mame
Should I remove all the shaggy bark?
Eric Group
Masterpiece
Yikes! No holes?? I wonder what kind of nursery would do this...
Take that thing back man.
If you keep it, The more you can do to alleviate stress the better here. Drilling holes might help, but I think the recommendation to take off the wire and GENTLY plant it in the ground might be best... See if it starts popping growth, in a couple years you can start working on it.
Home depot isn't a bad place to check out, I think most offer a one year guarantee on their plants. They tend to carry some junipers and stuff, but it can be hard to find the best types there. Maybe you could get a nice azalea from there or even a maple... Junipers can be tough because they don't show stress until it is pretty much too late generally.
I bought two Japanese Black Pines from Lowes a couple years back but I dot see them carrying those in my area any more... One died on me after a year or so, but the other survived and finally is starting to come together for me. I plan to post a few pics of it in a thread here once the summer growth comes in a little more.
Take that thing back man.
If you keep it, The more you can do to alleviate stress the better here. Drilling holes might help, but I think the recommendation to take off the wire and GENTLY plant it in the ground might be best... See if it starts popping growth, in a couple years you can start working on it.
Home depot isn't a bad place to check out, I think most offer a one year guarantee on their plants. They tend to carry some junipers and stuff, but it can be hard to find the best types there. Maybe you could get a nice azalea from there or even a maple... Junipers can be tough because they don't show stress until it is pretty much too late generally.
I bought two Japanese Black Pines from Lowes a couple years back but I dot see them carrying those in my area any more... One died on me after a year or so, but the other survived and finally is starting to come together for me. I plan to post a few pics of it in a thread here once the summer growth comes in a little more.
How big of a hole did you drill? 1/4 inch? Not big enough to work. One inch? That's probably big enough but now the soil will fall out if you don't cover it with screening. And to do that, you have to take the tree out of the pot.
And if you're going to do that, you should learn you need to wire the screen in place over the hole, and you need to wire the rootball of the tree into the pot. And THEN you add the soil.
And if you're going to do that, you should learn you need to wire the screen in place over the hole, and you need to wire the rootball of the tree into the pot. And THEN you add the soil.
