AusBonsai

Hey everyone,

This is a question as well as showing of my tree. I picked this Juni up on Saturday and worked it yesterday to end up with a twin trunk design. I know it needs a heap of filling out and a couple of longer branches, but I was wondering if I missed something?





Front

Back.

If anyone could help me with this one, that would be great.

Regards jason

This looks like two trees to me. The left branch is way too straight but would be good to take an air layer and start a new tree. The right looks like a semi-cascade.

Good material though. It always takes me a long time to figure out the best way to go. Good luck.

Cheers lackhand,

How do you think it would look if the main trunk had a bit of a bend to it? I am wanting to try and keep the twin trunk to see if it will work for me first, and air layer if that fails.

In you 3rd picture that shari looks awfully close to the soil. Please be careful as the trunk will rot very quickly if it remains wet.

Pup cheers oi oi oi

Jasonb wrote:Cheers lackhand,

How do you think it would look if the main trunk had a bit of a bend to it? I am wanting to try and keep the twin trunk to see if it will work for me first, and air layer if that fails.

I think the twin trunk could work if you can get the movement and maybe a little more taper - it's hard to judge from a picture how well the tree will bend, which is why I suggested the layer. I can see the twin trunk potential there though. Let us know how the bending goes. Cheers!

Hi pup,

I realised this after I finished the work.
It's so easy to get carried away with the idea that I forget what I'm doing sometimes. I will be lowering the soil level today though, just to get a bit of clearance. Hopefully I can avoid any detrimental effects on the tree by doing so.

As for the bend lackhand, it is still a small tree in the grand scheme of things so I don't think it will be too hard to get a bit of movement into it at all. I'll be doing that today as well. I'll put up some photos when I do. Cheers for the responses too.

Regards Jason.

Jason,
You have taken off at a run while barely being able to walk, bonsai knowledge-wise. At least that's the impression I get. Let's see: do you know what species of juniper you have bought, and what its growth requirements are? Have you had a look at the surface roots, and the root ball generally?You went for bark removal on a trunk without taking into account that it is much too soon for that. The branches on your tree have terminal tufts of foliage at the end of long rat tails that have been carefully wired, whereas you should be concentrating on building up the foliage closer to the trunk and strengthening the branching. Do you know what kind of pruning is required for this? Have you had a good look at the main trunk and thought of how to create a taper? And a lot more questions.....

Sure, you do have to think of the style that would suit this tree, but you can't skip the first, most essential steps. Read http://www.bonsai4me.com/ It's a website that's as good as a top class bonsai book. See especially the Bonsai Basics and the Species Guide --> Junipers.

The things I've mentioned are no fun to say, but they just have to be said by someone, sometime.

Lisa

Lisa ??? You go girl !!!

Jason if nothing else it looks like you had alot of fun and certainly got to practice a few techniques !!! No this tree wont make the master class series nor the master piece series but hell if you get your self a little more education you certainly have the guts it takes to eventually make cracka trees !!! Bonsai 4 me is a great start. I give ya 10 points for havn a crack !!!

To both Lisa and Ant you both make a valid point and I agree with both of you,

Jason, I think the tree looks good and could be very pleasing, what I want to know is where your getting sweet juni's like that for $30

Thanks for the info Lisa and Ant, I'll be sure to read up on that link. I did have a lot of fun with this one,

And I don't know if I'm allows to name drop, but I get them from bonsai south nursery,

LLK wrote:Jason,
You have taken off at a run while barely being able to walk, bonsai knowledge-wise. At least that's the impression I get. Let's see: do you know what species of juniper you have bought, and what its growth requirements are? Have you had a look at the surface roots, and the root ball generally?You went for bark removal on a trunk without taking into account that it is much too soon for that. The branches on your tree have terminal tufts of foliage at the end of long rat tails that have been carefully wired, whereas you should be concentrating on building up the foliage closer to the trunk and strengthening the branching. Do you know what kind of pruning is required for this? Have you had a good look at the main trunk and thought of how to create a taper? And a lot more questions.....

Sure, you do have to think of the style that would suit this tree, but you can't skip the first, most essential steps. Read http://www.bonsai4me.com/ It's a website that's as good as a top class bonsai book. See especially the Bonsai Basics and the Species Guide --> Junipers.

The things I've mentioned are no fun to say, but they just have to be said by someone, sometime.

Lisa

Lisa you come across as an all knowing Miss know it all. Let the poor guy experiment and enjoy the tree. It can always be improved with future growth.

Gee laying down the law..... At some point you just have to jump in!

You definitely need to do the research, but at some point you just have to jump in. How many can say they did everything perfect on their first tree? How about even the last tree you worked on? I mess 'em up all the time! But if you don't try, then you'll never get it right.

The real key for a beginner is to find stuff that keeps your interest and just keep working at it. And then read like hell while you watch things grow.

Good luck and please give us updates as your tree progresses.

Hi Jason, I have little to add to that which has already been aptly said - It looks like you had fun.

I do hope though that you take head of all of the points that Lisa made as she is spot on with all of them.

As to those who decided to jump on her for attempting to help - shame on you. It's people with so little respect for the truth who feel that everything must be sugar coated who discourage knowledgable people from attempting to help and then we end up with the blind leading the blind and poor quality trees.

To Bonsai4ever: thank you so much for your support!

Lisa