my latest juniper in rock pot

so i found this amazing rock and hollowed it out a bit and put a juniper in it



its a big rock so is going to need a big tree so i'm not pruning much, just wiring and let it grow.

That's a big project. It looks like youve planted it at an angle which is not ideal for the style you're obviously going for. I'd have the strong branch pointing down and the smaller branches used for the small canopy.

the rock does,nt look stable to me, i think it would look better if that large flat area was the base and the pointy bit at the top , then do a major wireing job and bring the right hand branch around so it sits under that point on the rock and the left branch forming the crown . i can,t do virtuals but maybe someone can ?? . regards john

john5555leonard wrote:the rock does,nt look stable to me, i think it would look better if that large flat area was the base and the pointy bit at the top , then do a major wireing job and bring the right hand branch around so it sits under that point on the rock and the left branch forming the crown . i can,t do virtuals but maybe someone can ?? . regards john

thanks for the input

i think the camera angle on that shot doesn't help. i've cable tied the too left side trunks together to form a fatter one and done a bit more shaping but for now i want to leave it alone and let it get over the transplant for a few months before i do too much more wiring.

what's your experience with junipers John? so far i've bare rooted 4 of them and jammed them into tight spaces and they seem to be doing ok. i guess they are quite resilient over here, at least this type. i'm potting them in a mixture of 50% small crushed stone, the kind used for sand wash cement finishes (sai lang in Thai) and 50% normal composted coconut potting soil. that mix is very cheap and seems to drain well. i still haven't got my head about planting in mixes with very little organics content.

hi steve, sai lang is ok i use it myself but not as good as volcanic sand, the volcanic sand is black and comes from robert steven but i get mine via bangkok, there is a bonsai dealer in phuket somewhere who will have it , i could get his phone no. for you if you want , you may enjoy to visit him anyway . i do not have much experience with juniper here, i bought some 6 yrs back and lost interest because the trunks never fattened up , but whatever tree if you cut the roots and wedge them in a tight space they are not going to develop fast

steve-thailand wrote:so i found this amazing rock and hollowed it out a bit and put a juniper in it
its a big rock so is going to need a big tree so i'm not pruning much, just wiring and let it grow.

Hello Steve   ,

you have root cutting or not?, cuting juniper root in this season is not good, at here chiangmai I done full repot on Dec - Feb.
but if you only repot it is OK. keep it in shade area - spray foliages serveral time a day - watering when soil rather dry , 4-6 days/ time of root hormone are very good help.

coconut peat or coconut soil are not good for junuper. it could OK on first year but in year 2-3 there are become muddy and root rot will happen. traylang (river sand) are OK but make sure all dust are remove. my own soil mix for connifer are Pumice + Chacoal + Humus in even and add again Pumice in same volume of mixture above [(1+1+1+3) 4 pumice 1 chacoal 1 humus] this mixture need good fertilizer program but very good for juniper roots health.

Best Regards,
Pongsatorn.K  

thanks John and Pongsatorn

i think its a lot colder in Jan/Feb in Chiang Mai than here, this is about the coldest time of year for us.

K. Pongsatorn, when you say humus, do you mean normal potting soil or something else? and about the charcoal, i guess you crush that into small (about 4-6mm) pieces?

also, on the fertilizer, do you put slow release fertilizer on the soil or liquid fertilizer when you water?

on the junipers I have done already, i don't want to move them again so i'm just hoping for the best. there is about 50% sai lang (the medium size one, about 5mm mixed in with the soil) so i hope that provides enough drainage for the root rot problems. when i buy them, they are growing in mostly chopped coconut husk (maphraow sap) and some clay so that really holds on to the water

thx steve

steve-thailand wrote:thanks John and Pongsatorn

i think its a lot colder in Jan/Feb in Chiang Mai than here, this is about the coldest time of year for us.

K. Pongsatorn, when you say humus, do you mean normal potting soil or something else? and about the charcoal, i guess you crush that into small (about 4-6mm) pieces?

also, on the fertilizer, do you put slow release fertilizer on the soil or liquid fertilizer when you water?

on the junipers I have done already, i don't want to move them again so i'm just hoping for the best. there is about 50% sai lang (the medium size one, about 5mm mixed in with the soil) so i hope that provides enough drainage for the root rot problems. when i buy them, they are growing in mostly chopped coconut husk (maphraow sap) and some clay so that really holds on to the water

thx steve

Hello สตีฟ  ,

not matter how cold in your area, Juniper in tropical must done full repot in coldest month. would be safe.
humus for me - easy way... are soil under the raintree, it's can buy in some garden shop also. it's call in Thai as "Din Bia kamm poo" -
there are rich of humus with great drainaion. for chacoal, yes I'm brake the cooking chacoal for potted.
about fertilizer, I used all... slow release as osmocoth 13-13-13 and also liquid like fish fertilizer and Urea(46-0-0 little bit).
cray and coco chop are alway not good, gerdenner not care when die back but bonsai not. 50% sailang (river sand) and 50% of soil also not alway good. you will not see problem now... but after 3 years ... they do!. compare on weather of thailand are wet, your poted medeim must dry enough it's can receive wet every time.... as this season as rain everyday.

your friend,
Pongsatorn.K

thanks again for the info about the soil. i've already planted a few and i don't think i can move them now but for my next lot, i'll do it the right way. at least these junipers are cheap and since i only like to plant them in rocks and the rocks are very cheap, its not a big expense if they don't work out.

anyhow, here's what i have so far


this one is very happy since i didn't need to mess with the roots too much. i will repot it using the correct soil next year maybe


this is one of the first ones i did in a rock and it been in there about 3 weeks already. its definitely dieing back at the tip but the rest of it seems healthy enough. there is no chance i can repot this one, the roots were jammed into the rock pretty tight


this one i did a couple of days ago. i'm hoping the roots will develop outside the rock and grow into the holes. i have all the roots covered with soil and plastic wrap at the moment but it is survives, i'll slowly start removing the external soil and let it live on the soil inside the rock and in the base part.


this one is inspired by a place near me called Koh Tapu (Nail Island)

those are cuttings, i'm not sure if they will take, we'll see