trunk got bent on juniper

My 4 half inch tall juniper has a wierd shaped trunk/main branch. The trunk goes up about 1 inch then it just bends off to the left and is kind of swirling around the tree. is there anyway for me to strain it out without bending the tree up were it bends  if it didn't bend it would be about 9 inches tall.  

Can we see pictures?

Nope

I notice you tried to post an image. Are you having difficulties posting?

the picture is only a little out of focus

Well, thanks. Now all you have to do is get the picture in focus. The angle of view on the first picture is fine. Pictures from the top like the second one aren't of much use for us to make suggestions from.

Also, something to give us an idea of size always helps.

i can't get any pics in focus i have a bad camera please just give me the advice

You CAN straighten the trunk in a tree this small, but it's a bit of work. You will need a length of rebar, and some heavy string. It would be better if the tree were planted in the ground. Then you would hammer the rebar into the ground until it was well anchored, then you would force the bent trunk up against the rebar and tie it in place. It will take some effort (maybe an extra person) to get it straightened out at the bottom, and it may not be entirely possible and require creating a new base with an air layer at a later date.

OR . . . you can work with what you have and make another tree shape. A cascade is possible, or a slanting style of some kind. For that, though, I (at least) would need a better picture.

Hope you aren't growing this tree indoors....

If I had the tree outside in it would be a block of ice I live in minnesota

it is an outdoor tree - it will go brown and die indoors quite soon - did you get it as a xmas present maybe ?

I think the way to go is to prove to yourself you can keep it alive for 6 months, use that time to perfect getting pictures in focus and learning how other bonsai hobbyists overwinter their trees in your area, and then plan how to style the tree into a shape that pleases you. planting at a different angle will give you the height you want if it lives until repotting season without needing drastic bends in the trunk.

good luck

Hi t tree,    

You're right about your tree freezing in Minnesota at this time of year but this juniper needs to be kept cool if in the house. I have a cold room in the basement for all of my bonsai that need winter protection but would decline in the dry heat of the rest of the house.

We have a very active Bonsai Society in Minnesota with free beginner classes for new members.  It meets in St. Paul and has a website at:
http://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=7

Please feel free to ask for advice from me.  You can also send a private message, just use the mail option below your name on the right.

kind regards,
Norma

I don't have any place in my house that is the right temp for my tree i have just been keeping it by a window. I will put the tree outside when it is warm anough. When is it warm anough to not freeze the roots?
I can't go to a bonsia class i don't have time and it is to far away.

Sounds like there's a lot working against you...

Unfortunately then there's just not much you can do for it. It may die without the cold it needs.

Ryan wrote:Unfortunately then there's just not much you can do for it. It may die without the cold it needs.

 
It doesn't "need" cold to be healthy, they do fine here and into Florida and other subtropical parts of the world.  If it were a larch it would be different.  What's working against this one is dry interior heat, lack of proper light and the coming spider mites.... among other things.

R

Last night i left a thermomitor on the window sill it said the temp was 42 degress F. Is that cold/warm anough for the tree? If not what is the right temp.

After having killed quite a few junipers I have learned that once the foliage gets that dark color to it the plant is dead.
I know the picture was fuzzy but the color tells the story.
Don't sweat it, do some research on care and try again.
I suggest hitting a local plant nursery and seek out a nice juniper there.
There is a lot of information on the web on selecting nursery stock so read up.

Good luck!

Sorry, I'm not seeing that at all from the pictures. The darkness of the foliage will depend on which species of juniper it is. Pretty much ALL of my junipers have darker foliage than t tree's plant. The only clear indication of likely demise is surely the presence of browned foliage. But to clarify that once and for all, it would be good if t tree could post a better picture. t tree, are you using a phone camera or do you have access to one with a macro function on it? It would also help if you could take a pic with the tree against a single colour backdrop - grey, white, something that shows the tree in full.

As to temperatures, everywhere is different. My larger junipers stay fully outdoors and my smaller ones (shohin) are in unheated storage (glasshouse or garage) over the winter in temperatures that range from about 23F to 45F with no damage. That is usually between November and late February. On colder nights (eg below -7C/19F) I may stick a little bubble-wrap around the pots and/or a sheet of horticultural fleece over the top of the trees, but this is as much to protect the pots as the trees.

My own opinion is that we get a bit too cautious about junipers and in my experience it's more likely to be those who live in hotter climates who are likely to have problems than those of us in cold wildernesses.

We haven't addressed the issue of the plant's soil. From what I know and can see in the photo there probably is too much organic substance in the soil mix. These potted plants sold as "bonsai" usually are potted like regular house plants and are apt to hold too much water. t tree check the soil with a chop stick before you water and get rid of the decorative rocks on top. If the juniper is still living in the spring order some bonsai soil mix and repot. Several venders at the MN Bonsai Club also sell soil mix and could give you recommendations.

I would also recommend a basic book on beginning bonsai; most book stores carry several and I have gotten many from second hand books stores such as Half Price Books.

Good luck,
Norma

I removed the rocks and in the spring i will get better soil  

Wow, 2 pages on juniper 'mallsai"...I am impressed.  Some simple things about what is probably a Japanese garden juniper, procumbens nana.  They are not that difficult to obtain, style or grow.  Obtainig them can be in the form of "mallsai" which is not recommended for a variety of reasons; the first is that they are almost dead before you buy them; second, similar material is much too easy to obtain from a nursery in the spring.  While nursery stock is quite bushy when obtained after pruning and styling they reduce to about 25% of the original.  Dig in and inspect the trunks and you will wind up with a nice starter tree for about ten dolla.
 
As for overwintering.  It's -4F right now here.  My junipers are in a room that freezes quite a few times in winter and is pitch black.  Freezing is only a problem if the tree gets wind. The more pressing issue is the pots tend to crack when they freeze because "mallsai" are in very cheap pots.  Chances are they will start to disintegrate in a few years anyway.  Next is the winter coloring. Procumbens nana will turn brown during the winter naturally.  They are not dead or suffering.  Some people freak out and bring them inside which is more harmful.  

Finally, because they are evergreen they can dry out in storage.  I put snow on them which waters them when they warm up.  No snow?  Water them with the liquid H20.

Now as to your specimen.  Wire it up straight if you desire.  Re-bar is too hard to bend so use copper wire,  the tree is so small that the trunk will bend with no problem.  Stick the wire into the soil and then hold the base while wiring the rest of the trunk so as not to wiggle the roots to much.
 
Personally I'd cut off half the tree on the right hand side and make a small shohin out of it and find a better upright specimen in the spring at the garden store.  I'd also wait until spring to wire until I know it's still alive...why waste the wire...but that's just me.
 
Good luck dude.  And by the way, get some more trees so that if one dies you get over it faster.   

A few suggestions that could be considered - sorry if they're obvious or daft but you never know:

1] Put it in the loft or a garage with a fish tank daylight bulb shining on it. My loft and garage is always colder than the rest of the house.

2] Ask the local garden centre to look after it if they have a suitable section to keep it in.

3] Plant the pot in a big tub of gravel or clay cat litter and cover the foliage with straw or fleece and put it outside in a sheltered position.

4] Find someone not too far away who can look after it for the winter and UPS it to them securely contained in a couple of protective cardboard boxes, suitably cushioned and held firm by string or tywraps to keep it all in one piece.

5] Keep it outside on the back seat of your car.

MKBonsai wrote:5] Keep it outside on the back seat of your car.

I've pondered this solution myself. Once again it's proven that I'm not an original thinker. I would suggest the trunk (the boot for you English chaps) due to temperature fluctuations when driving and when the sun shines. Also someone might consider it pet abuse if they see your tree on the seat in sub-zero temps.

I think Twisted Trees is right, it's probably a Procumbens 'nana'. If so, it should be able to survive one winter indoors; I had one which stayed in a south-facing window for its first winter. But after that I learned better so it stayed outside, and it gets as cold here as it does in Minnesota. Just set it on the ground in the fall, pile some mulch or dead leaves around the pot, and wait for the snow to bury it.

My shimpaku, on the other hand, spends its winters in the fridge because I don't think it's hardy enough to survive winters below -20°F. I leave it outside in the fall until temperatures dip near freezing, then move it into the fridge which is set at about 35-40°F. By that point the tree is dormant and doesn't need any light, just watered now and then so the soil doesn't dry out.