hi all.
i have a juniperus squamata for about a year now and it is growing very wel. because it is a smal tree people have told me to pinch outer buds. i am using this technique but there are still some branches wich grow without side branches. that makes ugly branching in the tree. i have pinched them to but it doesn't work. should i cut em? and how far from main branch.

because its a juniper i assume it is still safe to prune, even if it starting to become fall.

hope you like the tree and comments are always welcome.
the pictures i show u are several stages of growth and design in one year.
tomorrow i will rewire the tree, maby update will come!

grts jeroen

howdy,
first i would sugjest some reserch on timing to do a hard prune...i have been reserching the topic lately for alot of species so i cant remember if its spring or fall for junis im leaning towards spring but ?...
anyways you will have to prune all branches to the first offshoot this will begin branch tapering ...when it looks like it does now again , its time to prune again
keep in mind what your pinching has done and use that knowlege next season.

i like the beginings of this one nice job

i really like the tree and how it looks like, the second tree also fits in nice. about pruning it like you want to, i agree. i think the tree will look nicer when you prune it away.

keep on going!

today i have rewired the tree but dit not prune it. the top of the biggest tree i dit not prune because the growth was bit to fragile. it still needs a lot of work but its slowly! getting there... and i have heard that u can prune a juniper at multiple times. so light pruning wont do much harm at this time a year, if i prune.

my idea for the next year is to search wrong branches between the two trees. like two on same height or... and the ones im keeping let it grow vigouresly. the tree doesnt have much woody growth so the main branches need to thicken and less green. it also needs it first repotting in ceramiek pot because its in its original soil. i couldnt repot because i wanted to prune and shape. the tree is in a bigger pot with gravel around the original soil for draning.

@kitty: these pictures are the same tree. on the first picture i bent the smallest tree down with idea to cut of. later i have put it up and made a twin trunk.

thx for reply; sry for english

Great work, looking good!

@kitty: these pictures are the same tree. on the first picture i bent the smallest tree down with idea to cut of. later i have put it up and made a twin trunk.

i know but with the second tree i ment the right one, and by the way i want to correct your only mistake.

reserching is spelled like researching.
your english is nearly perfect apart from that error.

the tree doesnt have much woody growth so the main branches need to thicken and less green

more foliage means more energy which leads to thicker branches so, if you cut back to a branched section 1 branch splits to 2 and thats twice the foliage,2 branches split to 4 and so on. starting this early on will give the branches much more character in the future ( they wont be straight sticks)

sry kitty, did not read ur post well.

i know more foliage gives more energy but i think when u cut your branches back early (young tree) u will have more branching for growth but less energy in the tree. that means that the tree will be more stressed and will grow less. means less thickening and less woody growth.

i think in the beginning it is best to let it grow big but with selected branches and prune back later. this way u will have a better (thicker/ older looking)startingmaterial to work with and later in overal a better bonsai. (i mean most bonsai, not just this one.)
am i right?

im really happy how the tree looks (maby bitt to much branches between the two trees?) atm. i want this one to stay with me for a while. i do bonsai for a year now, and have this tree with me sinds the beginning.
two summers is a big difference for it sinds first styling. because of that i understand the value of aging and how important it is to have a tree more than 20 years. it doesnt need to be pretty now, needs to be beatifull in 20 years. can see this on this juniper, i did not wire the top (doesn't make a difference).

hihi
grts jeroen

to be honest if you dont want this tree to remain this size than what you are doing now is quite pointless other than practice. if the trees are grown to say 3 times the current size you may not even have any of these branches left.my advice was based on keeping them relativly the size they are.when growing small trees restricted growth is a must

It's difficult to prune evergreens at first. However, dont be afraid to prune it. Thinning some of the interior and bottom branches is a must. I would wait until the nightime temperature stays in the 40F consistantly.
I pruned both my spruce and they're holding their own thus far. However, dont be sad if a plant dies. There are plenty more to practice on and many more seasons to grow in experience.