Thinning juniper foliage

[Adair M]

You can and should go ahead and thin this time of year. Remove weak stems. It's a great time to wire juniper.

Wiring helps with backbudding by exposing the interior to wire the sun.

My comment that "I have already thinned for the year", doesn't mean that I wouldn't thin again if the tree needs it, it means that I've already done it.

I usually do it twice a year on my refined juniper. Once in spring, I thin more. The second thinning in fall is to keep it even everywhere.

 

[Dav4]

In my experience, you can thin and wire junipers throughout the fall and winter, but everything in moderation. You're more likely to lose a branch that's been heavily pruned or has had new, significant bends placed in them, particularly if they'll see subsequent sub freezing temps. I can't provide frost protection for my trees, so I don't place heavy bends in them during the winter.

 

[Vance Wood]

Hm.. In general, would you recommend to skip pruning if you have not gotten to it in late fall/early winter and wait till spring? I have not done so yet. (Winter here means, perpetual drizzle till march/april, and when it does stop to rain for a week, temps drop a few degrees below freezing)?

I have trouble getting rid of needle foliage, and have as such not trimmed the tree since.. March maybe? It is very dense.Plant is not growing, but still freshgreen

here again it depends. It depends on what species of Juniper you are talking aoubt. If the tree is healthy you can prune it almpst any time but you are complaining about juvenile foliage? Of ten this depends on what species of Juniper you have. My Kishus seem to be very difficult to get them to go juvenile, and then there are other varieties like the Sargent's Juniper species if you look at them the wrong way, fertilize too much, fertilize not enough, water too much water not enough, prune too much, or say crap around them they run home to ma ma.

 

[leatherback]

or say crap around them they run home to ma ma.

This MUST be it. I am reading the BNut threads out look to my trees, in the hope they listen. I tend to forget that I should not quote the TrumpThread around them.

Is is an ittoigawa I have most trouble with. I had a workshop with Teunis-Jan Klein yesterday, who indicated it might also be due to a too large container (Did not move it into a smaller container after initial styling 2-3 years ago).

 

[Cadillactaste]

I was wondering this myself. Thanks for the thread post topic...I had been sick and didn't get to it yet this year. No direction with this one yet...just letting it grow and offer me something at some point.

 

[Adair M]

This MUST be it. I am reading the BNut threads out look to my trees, in the hope they listen. I tend to forget that I should not quote the TrumpThread around them.

Is is an ittoigawa I have most trouble with. I had a workshop with Teunis-Jan Klein yesterday, who indicated it might also be due to a too large container (Did not move it into a smaller container after initial styling 2-3 years ago).

Itoigawa go juvenile very easily.

 

[Adair M]

I was wondering this myself. Thanks for the thread post topic...I had been sick and didn't get to it yet this year. No direction with this one yet...just letting it grow and offer me something at some point.
View attachment 122349

Both of those need cleaning up. Would do well by just removing the foliage growing beneath the branches.

Don't forget you're allergic!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Both of those need cleaning up. Would do well by just removing the foliage growing beneath the branches.

Don't forget you're allergic!

Thanks Adair! And...yes it's a hate/hate relationship I have with those two there that were given to me by my friend's late brother in laws passing.

 

[Adair M]

I don't think your friend's brother-in-law would have wanted his bonsai to be a burden on it's next care taker.

I think you should do what Judy has done recently:
Sell these two, and replace them with something you really like! That way you can experience joy each time you see them, rather than the negative feelings you have now. Your friend should be understanding of your situation if you explain that you are allergic.

 

[GrimLore]

Thanks Adair! And...yes it's a hate/hate relationship I have with those two there that were given to me by my friend's late brother in laws passing.

Nothing a decent pair of gloves does not resolve I agree with @Adair M though - "Would do well by just removing the foliage growing beneath the branches." I can see the inner underside growth is sun starved.

Grimmy

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nothing a decent pair of gloves does not resolve I agree with @Adair M though - "Would do well by just removing the foliage growing beneath the branches." I can see the inner underside growth is sun starved.

Grimmy

It was thinned once this year, then went crazy. It's a hate/hate tree. I need to attempt to like it more. Yes, I have gloves...bought for this very reason.

 

[GrimLore]

It was thinned once this year, then went crazy. It's a hate/hate tree. I need to attempt to like it more. Yes, I have gloves...bought for this very reason.

Some Junipers need it more then others. I have had and have three right now that have been cleaned up 3 times and are actively throwing out new growth - looks like a trimming mid Winter will be needed as well The Serissa is going to need at least three trimmings this Winter - some plants just need a lot of attention.

Grimmy

 

[Vance Wood]

It is possible that Junipers are not your forte. However once you see one fully developed you will change your mind especially when you find they are fundamentally easy to grow into reasonably nice bonsai.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It is possible that Junipers are not your forte. However once you see one fully developed you will change your mind especially when you find they are fundamentally easy to grow into reasonably nice bonsai.

I'm sure you are right...It's been easy to tend on my bench. I just hate that the first juniper I handled had me dealing with an infected finger for months. But...wiser now. Gloves purchased...It won't hopefully happen again. This is a young tree...and to see how much it's grown under just basic horticultural needs offered is shocking. I only hate I'm allergic... I feel one day it will speak to me...and when that day comes...It will be interesting to see what it whispers into my ear. That...the man's mature bonsai were stolen. I feel the need to tend these. They honestly aren't of much value to sell. I can't see dealing with the shipping for what they are....But...one day...When it matures and whispers...is the day I'm sort of looking forward to. So...maybe not as much hate of it...than the allergy itself.

When I look back at how it once looked. It's grown crazy on my bench.

 

[Vance Wood]

Your problem is that you are dealing with mostly Procumbens Junipers and from what I have seen other Junipers my wife calls pickery Junipers. Those trees actually puncture the skin and create little wounds that indeed can become infected. Try to get hold of some Shimpaku Juniper, Kishus will not go juvenile like some of the others and they will not bite back. Included is one of my Shimpakus grown from a nursery tree.

 

[Cadillactaste]

View attachment 122438 Your problem is that you are dealing with mostly Procumbens Junipers and from what I have seen other Junipers my wife calls pickery Junipers. Those trees actually puncture the skin and create little wounds that indeed can become infected. Try to get hold of some Shimpaku Juniper, Kishus will not go juvenile like some of the others and they will not bite back. Included is one of my Shimpakus grown from a nursery tree.

Lovely tree Vance! Ahhh yes, I've a Shumpaku...doesn't bother me one bit. The gifted trees are indeed the procumben you mention. But their value not more than the thought of keeping the, alive for this one who had a love of bonsai...I do ponder if the stolen ones made it...or died.

 

[Vance Wood]

You cannot worry about things you cannot control. It is a sad thing that people steal things like this, I have had it happen. Thanks for the cudos on the tree. Procumbens' are beautiful but they can be difficult to deal with. I recent.y received a really nice one from a good friend as a gift. I hope to get is started down the road in bonsai land.

 

[Cadillactaste]

You cannot worry about things you cannot control. It is a sad thing that people steal things like this, I have had it happen. Thanks for the cudos on the tree. Procumbens' are beautiful but they can be difficult to deal with. I recent.y received a really nice one from a good friend as a gift. I hope to get is started down the road in bonsai land.

I hope you share with us later...progression photos!

Very true...sorry to hear you've had ones stollen as well. The longer with bonsai...the more frequent it appears sadly.

 

[Vance Wood]

You have to learn to keep a low profile and not make a big deal about what's growing in your back yard. Mine disappeared when the neighbor of mine moved in and one of the people assisting with the move managed a reach over the fence discount.
I will be documenting the Procxumbens as things happen.

 

[M. Frary]

will be documenting the Procxumbens as things happen

Two procumbens.
I'm hoping to do them together.
They're nice!