Garden Juniper 6 year progression

EpicusMaximus, don't know where you live in Quebec, but in Montreal there is the Japanese Garden and Pavilion at the Montreal Botonical Gardens. David Easterbook is now retired, but lives in Montreal, and is quite knowledgeable about bonsai. He would be a great resource for you if you live in the area. There is probably a club there too. The Mohawk Hudson Bonsai Society traveled there in June. Pauline Muth (www.pfmbonsai.com) could probably give you contact information. Good luck.

I found this:

http://www.bonsaioutlet.com/bonsai-tree-soil-conifer-blend-two-quarts-p140.aspx

The best you can get here in QC is http://www.bonsaimontreal.com/index.htm and http://www.bonsaiduquebec.com/ I'm not to good in French so I'm collecting my bonsai knowledge most on internet. As member of SBPM can buy substrat Chabasai and Haydit and also composted pine bark conditioner. These I'm using for better level of my trees which are poted in ceramics pots. As training substrat I'm using diatomite [http://www.diatomitecanada.com/] which you can buy at any autopart store as "oil absorbent-! read the label before buy!" Than you can add crushed gravel which you can buy as unorganic component [ I buy in bags and screen 1/8] As dreniage on the bottom of training pot I use 3/8 sand. If need add some organic material I have good experience with fir compost bark [is $5 20kg bag at nursery] Diatomite has great absorbtion of water and if fertilized holds nutrients.

You have served yourself and this tree well by not falling into the Procumbens foliage pad trap where the foliage pads are made to look like little rounded mounds of vegetables at the ends of the branches. I think the work you have done is first rate and the results are finished looking without looking contrived, a real problem with this species of Juniper.

Thank you very much Vance.. A few years back I saw that the tree was heading down that poodle path as you described. Being a healthy tree that was never over worked. Cutting it down to a skeleton to achieve a great internal structure seemed the way to go. Next season, I am planning on creating more shari up the trunk.

I love a nice procumbens. You might have to work a little bit more than with shimpaku and the like. However, in my opinion, the result are worth it.

Here is a new pic from the the last season

Rob

More " bunjing style" with a smaller pot :
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nice work..
one possible way to increase the dancing trunk with shari and foliage positionning
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Thanks for the replu abcd. although your virt is nice, I feel it might not be right for this particular tree.

Hi cram. That is definrtely an impressive vision for this tree. Under different circumstances, I would style the tree as your drawing suggestions. However, there are a couple of things to consider. One, when you first look at this tree, it is very balanced. Pads flow and descend smoothly anfd there is a nice space above the main first branch. The only issue, if it could even be considered an issue, is that the trunk might be a bit thin to carry the silhouette. However, at first glance, it is really not that noticeable. I decided a while ago that I was going to keep everything the way it is because, in the years to come, I was going to let the trunk naturally thicken. Meanwhile, keeping the silhouette of the tree in check. Basically, by letting nature do it's thing, this tree will only improve in time.

Another thing is the actual size of this tree. This tree is not big at all. The tree is maybe 11 inches tall. For some reason, I see the tree in your drawing as a nice say, 20 inches tall bunjin.

Rob

This tree looks great! Lovely to see what can be achieved with nursery stock. The tree is well-balanced and healthy it looks, I'm overly jealous.

mikebonsai wrote:This tree looks great! Lovely to see what can be achieved with nursery stock. The tree is well-balanced and healthy it looks, I'm overly jealous.

Amen to that, this is a gorgeous tree.

mikebonsai wrote:This tree looks great! Lovely to see what can be achieved with nursery stock. The tree is well-balanced and healthy it looks, I'm overly jealous.

thank you very much Mike.

Rob

Vance Wood wrote:

mikebonsai wrote:This tree looks great! Lovely to see what can be achieved with nursery stock. The tree is well-balanced and healthy it looks, I'm overly jealous.

Amen to that, this is a gorgeous tree.

Thank you Vance.

Rob

I think I liked better at it's original height. The fewer bends in the trunk were more pleasing to me and the trunk had a thicker appearence. All in all though a very nice styling.

Twisted Trees wrote:I think I liked better at it's original height. The fewer bends in the trunk were more pleasing to me and the trunk had a thicker appearence. All in all though a very nice styling.

Hello Twisted Trees. The height was never reduced. The tree has always been roughly this height, minus an inch or so.

Rob