每日吃瓜

Just returning to 每日吃瓜 after many years. I bought a few pre bonsai small junipers from the local nursery the other day. (Seattle, Washington area).

When I hard prune these small trees latter in the fall, to establish their basic shape, can I expect decent new growth in the spring? Or will it take several seasons to achieve any significant new growth on the heavily pruned limbs?

(I plan on growing the trees in the ground for a year of two to encourage as much robustness and maturity as possible, before training the root system.)

Thanks
Glenn

Depends a little on what you mean with a hard prune. Keep in mind that branches with no, or hardly any, foliage tend to die off. So never remove the major part of foliage unless you really know what you are doing.

Typically you can expect a lot of re-growth in the year after initial styling.
I generally like to avoid repotting a year before or after styling, as I am a firm believer that the tree should not worry about too much at once. However, there are circumstances I break this rule of thumb mself too . There are not a lot of solid rules in bonsai (Except for branches on juniper without foliage are dead).

See this: www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/news-and-even...3382-nrw-bonsai-days
The tree I worked there is doing find, but has to still restart growing. It is slowly showing some green tips on the branches but no explosive growth. Next spring I expect true extension growth.

Maybe this is a more general comment: Junipers grow on each branchending. HOwever, healthy growth is shown in a few tips extending several cm out of the canopy. The first type of growth is NOT a sign of recovery from the work done. Only extension growth shows that your juniper is healthy. Does your juniper has these runners?

Thanks leatherback, your thread is very helpful. Yes, the plants do have very vigorous, heavy new growth - long spikey like tails on the ends of the branches. Plus thick green matting. Iam torn between pruning these off or just using that to let the trees grow a bit more. At some point most of it needs to go. I plan on keeping a simple photo journal to show progression - at least until I gain some experience with the local growing conditions.

Thanks again.

removing the runners will stiulate the rest to grow faster.