Last Saturday, May the 13th, 2017, I decided to prune two junipers that I potted in shallow pots in January 2016. Both look healthy and having signs of new growth.
Juniper 1:
Before:
This juniper has a slanting style. It is not the first time I styled this tree, so the branches has initial bending, slowly training it to my desired shape I had in mind.
After:
Juniper 2:
Before:
Although this Juniper has a slanting style, but one can say that it is more of an informal style.
After:
The trimming procedure
- Started from the lower pads by trimming away the weak foliage
- Shaping the first branch using Guy wires. Plastic tubing was used to protect the bark.
- Turned my attention and removed foliage that was growing
- Forming each pad, starting from the lowest foliage pad.
- A bonsai pad should be formed by having a flat or slightly rounded bottom.
- The upper foliage fills the complete pad in a ‘clamp shape’.
- Thin and tapered foliage at the edge of the pad.
- Fuller foliage at the center and back of the pad.
- The shape of the juniper pads should have a semi-rounded one.
- Each pad varies in size and shape according to the pad position.
- Upper pads should not block light falling on the lower pads, so that each pad should have the same amount of light source: this enables photosynthesis, that will make the tree to grow vigorous.
- Once light will penetrate the pads, the growth of back budding will be encouraged.
- The growth of new back buds have two advantages:
- Fuller pads
- The possibility to reduce the pad size, thus reducing the overall size of the tree, and having a more compact looking bonsai.
