The wife dared me.

[jcrossett]

This is the first tree I bough after the wife said it I see a new tree I'm leaving. @sorce remember this guy .

Well I'm finally finding time to get to this little guy as is I do I'm really glad she dared me.

Shh don't tell lol.

I first trimmed the pot down to see the roots but they are in there deep and it's a bit late to be doing root work I think.

Second I pulled all the berries off.

Third I cut a few branches off and dead leave/ needles off.

That's about all for right now.

In spring this may be the first tree i put in a real bonsai pot I'm so happy with the way it is right now.

What yall think.

 

[jcrossett]

And here is the turn.

 

[wireme]

A couple guys are walking along chatting about bonsai.
First guy says: I just got a new bonsai for my wife.
Second guy replies: Good trade man!

 

[petegreg]

Bonsai gives us a great opportunity for merciful lies: ...darling, this tree is not new, just restyled recently.

 

[armetisius]

Bonsai gives us a great opportunity for merciful lies: ...darling, this tree is not new, just restyled recently.

Variation:
No! I just potted it up a size. You know I've had it a while;
I've heard you cuss after nearly falling over it.

 

[jcrossett]

Okay can I get some tree critiques ideas etc.

 

[Paradox]

Its a good start, now leave it alone and let it recover and grow. Dont do anything besides watering the rest of the year. Next spring you can repot and do some wiring and I would cut off the branch that you have your hand on in the last pics next year.

 

[jcrossett]

Its a good start, now leave it alone and let it recover and grow. Dont do anything besides watering the rest of the year. Next spring you can repot and do some wiring and I would cut off the branch that you have your hand on in the last pics next year.

I was debating removing or jinning

 

[Paradox]

I was debating removing or jinning

You can jin it if you want. You can always cut it off later if you dont like it. I would recommend wiring into whatever position you want for it to have before you jin it and let it stay wired for a while to dry into that position. In fact I would wire that branch now and then cut it next year.

 

[petegreg]

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/splitting-tree-and-severe-bending.18915/

...that straight trunk line coming out of the soil bothers me. What style are you going for?
The link I added solves the problem, if the trunk is not bendable, or Kimura's juniper upside down... Have you got The Juniper book or The Shohin Passion book by R. Schatzer?

 

[jcrossett]

http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/splitting-tree-and-severe-bending.18915/

...that straight trunk line coming out of the soil bothers me. What style are you going for?
The link I added solves the problem, if the trunk is not bendable, or Kimura's juniper upside down... Have you got The Juniper book or The Shohin Passion book by R. Schatzer?

I have the juniper master from bonsai today but that's only juniper special book I have. What thinking cascade with the way the truck is already.

 

[jcrossett]

O btw awesome thread @petegreg

Wonder what @sawgrass thinks

 

[petegreg]

Here's a variation of Sawgrass sawing... Instead of one line sawed, there are two lines connected on the top...it provided the author with additional wood for jin / dead trunk feature.

If you do this on the straight portion of the trunk you can bend it in more interesting way. Tilt it...

If you continue sawing higher behind the first curve you can make informal upright for example. Many variations.

 

[petegreg]

...Juniper masters' series from page 129, but it's quite difficult to see it clearly with that difficult material Mr. Kimura used for presentation.

 

[armetisius]

Okay can I get some tree critiques ideas etc.

Okay: cool tree.
That straight trunk leaving the ground is not the way a full cascade would be.
You can either tilt that lower trunk or take advantage of that bend further out
and bring it up and around to form up, which I think would be sweet, a really
nice informal upright. Make your decision soon though so that the wood is
still limber enough to take the twist/bend. Like the stock you found.

 

[armetisius]

Stepped away and just what was on my screen; taking another
look I only have one question, why did you cut all the lower out?
They could have been directed in a direction useful for the future
and let run while you "trained" the rest of the tree. During the time
they ran wild they would have been fattening that lower trunk and
giving you the opportunity to come up with some really gnarly dead
wood or just some simple spurs on a fat trunk.

 

[jcrossett]

Stepped away and just what was on my screen; taking another
look I only have one question, why did you cut all the lower out?
They could have been directed in a direction useful for the future
and let run while you "trained" the rest of the tree. During the time
they ran wild they would have been fattening that lower trunk and
giving you the opportunity to come up with some really gnarly dead
wood or just some simple spurs on a fat trunk.

Rookie mistake I guess I wanted to see the trunk better and they were in the way maybe I'll do a small approach graft for that idea. And all this splitting trunk idea is sounding interesting but I'll have to wait till next year correct only 2 months left till fall.

 

[jcrossett]

Tried some angles.

Was also thinking of just planing up to the first turn to eliminate the straight part.

 

[jcrossett]

Stepped away and just what was on my screen; taking another
look I only have one question, why did you cut all the lower out?
They could have been directed in a direction useful for the future
and let run while you "trained" the rest of the tree. During the time
they ran wild they would have been fattening that lower trunk and
giving you the opportunity to come up with some really gnarly dead
wood or just some simple spurs on a fat trunk.

I actually went out and looked the branch I saved was the first real branch that I was going to Jin so I could use that as a sacrifice branch the other branches I removed were tooth picks.

Also though of standing that branch up straight letting it grow then snapping it off for a broken look for the cascade.

Like this.

But I also brought out some inspirational reading.