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Potting Question

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Potting Question was created by James May

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5133
I have a juniper tree with a long and skinny trunk. I was wondering if i could plant the tree in a taller style cascade pot and have roughly 1.5 inches of the lower trunk beneath the soil. Would this be safe for the tree? And can a juniper grow new roots from the portion of the trunk thats under the soil?

Thanks for you input. : )
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Replied by Pinkham on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5134
Do you want it to root higher on the trunk?
post a picture of the tree and a little more information, if you would :)
Last Edit:12 years 7 months ago by Pinkham
Last edit: 12 years 7 months ago by Pinkham.

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Replied by James May on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5140
Ok. So I purchased this Juniper Procumbens Nana from my local nursery in a 1 gallon container for 12 bucks! It was a completely round shrub with no trunk visible at all. This is my first time creating a bonsai from nursery stock. I removed a lot of foliage and re-potted it into this black pot (the only spare pot I had on hand). I then wired it up to the best of my ability. Keep in mind that this is the first time Ive ever wired a tree.

My plan is to remove the wire and re-pot the tree sometime in march of 2013. The vision i had for this tree was to put it into a taller cascade pot. I know that it is unconventional to put an upright tree in a cascade pot, but I personally think it would look beautiful.

I want to know If new roots can grow farther up the trunk of the tree. This potting idea will require almost 2 inches of trunk to be buried underneath the soil. Im worried that new roots will not grow and that the tree will become sick from having moist soil around its trunk.

Here are some pictures...

Juniper as it is now.

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The style of pot I would like to put it in. (pardon my quicky photoshop job)

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Replied by Pinkham on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5144
If you're happy with the way it looks, I think the decision is already made. I would personally put that tree in a big pot for a few years to thicken the trunk and go from there.
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Replied by James May on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5145
Ok cool. I was thinking about putting it in a large pot to thicken up, but I feel a little impatient with this tree. I was planning on buying 2 more trees like this one and letting those thicken up for a few years before doing anything with them.

Just to make sure, will new roots emerge higher up on the trunk?
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Replied by dsdevries on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5146

but I feel a little impatient with this tree.


Patience is the most important skill you have to learn in bonsai. If you can't then bonsai probably isn't the right hobby for you. I suggest you put your eagerness aside and let it grow undisturbed for a few years in solid ground or in a pot.

You could use this tree to practice other skills like wiring, pruning, repotting, etc now. But keep in mind that this will only seriously slow down it's development. It is also very likely that this will restrain you in your options once the tree has reach it's desired matureness.

There is actually one thing that you can do on this tree, but you have to like it. You could create a small shari circling around the trunk which you extend and widen each year. The tree will try to heal the shari creating a cambium layer around the edges of the shari. As this cambium grows thicker each year it will force the tree into dramatic bends. This technique also requires the tree to grow thick and long as fast you can. So no pruning, lots of fertiliser, and lots of space for the roots to grow undisturbed.

If you want to practice your bonsai training/styling skills, why don't you buy a tree that is a bit more mature than this one from your local nursery and start turning it into an actual bonsai. I'm sure this will give you much more pleasing results than buying another two of these kind.
Last Edit:12 years 7 months ago by dsdevries
Last edit: 12 years 7 months ago by dsdevries.
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Replied by Pinkham on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5147
Here is a suggestion. I did this to a privet last year.
I pot layered the top off the tree by cutting an inch ring in the bark, dusted it with rooting hormone and planted the tree deep in a pot and left it for a year. This spring I took it out and separated the tree. I now have a short tree. :)
Follow air layering instructions, but instead of wrapping plastic wrap around the wound plant it deep in a pot.
Last Edit:12 years 7 months ago by Pinkham
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Replied by Pinkham on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5148
Here is the tree, last year and then again this year after separation.
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Replied by James May on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5160

Pinkham wrote: Here is a suggestion. I did this to a privet last year.
I pot layered the top off the tree by cutting an inch ring in the bark, dusted it with rooting hormone and planted the tree deep in a pot and left it for a year. This spring I took it out and separated the tree. I now have a short tree. :)
Follow air layering instructions, but instead of wrapping plastic wrap around the wound plant it deep in a pot.


Genius! This is what ill do with this tree.. so when i repot it i just carve away a little ring of bark to promote new root growth.
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Replied by James May on topic Re: Potting Question

Posted 12 years 7 months ago #5162

dsdevries wrote:

but I feel a little impatient with this tree.


Patience is the most important skill you have to learn in bonsai. If you can't then bonsai probably isn't the right hobby for you. I suggest you put your eagerness aside and let it grow undisturbed for a few years in solid ground or in a pot.

You could use this tree to practice other skills like wiring, pruning, repotting, etc now. But keep in mind that this will only seriously slow down it's development. It is also very likely that this will restrain you in your options once the tree has reach it's desired matureness.

There is actually one thing that you can do on this tree, but you have to like it. You could create a small shari circling around the trunk which you extend and widen each year. The tree will try to heal the shari creating a cambium layer around the edges of the shari. As this cambium grows thicker each year it will force the tree into dramatic bends. This technique also requires the tree to grow thick and long as fast you can. So no pruning, lots of fertiliser, and lots of space for the roots to grow undisturbed.

If you want to practice your bonsai training/styling skills, why don't you buy a tree that is a bit more mature than this one from your local nursery and start turning it into an actual bonsai. I'm sure this will give you much more pleasing results than buying another two of these kind.


hehe.. I know how important patience is. I have 5 trees now that I take my time with. This juniper was so inexpensive that I dont mind being impatient with it.. I can always get a few more :).

I do love shari, but I dont want to try it on this tree. I plan on getting a "mature" shimpaku juniper in the future to try my hand at a spiral style shari trunk.

I appreciate your input, but bonsai is definetly the right hobby for me. Although im new at it (only 2 years), I truly enjoy it and I plan on doing it for the rest of my life.. that way I can have some awesome 50+ year old trees to pass on to my future children to enjoy :)
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