sac009

Hi everyone
about a week ago i got a juniper bonsai for my birthday.
I had a fig (called a moreton bay fig i think) for about 9 months last year until it was poisoned.
I am wondering how i am supposed to cut the branches of the tree as i have read that they will go brown if i use scissors and need to be pinched. Can anyone explain how i would go about this? I will post pictures of the tree soon to gather future styling ideas.
thanks to all
Sarah

T.S.Wheeler

I don't actually have experience working with junipers, but what I understand is that the leaves/scales will turn brown if you cut them with scissors; thus you need to pinch them--it does less damage. If you just want to cut branches off (as opposed to leaves) scissors are fine. There are several bonsai tools designed for specific types of cuts (none of which have I ever owned, but I have used old toe-nail clippers to get a more flush cut).

I hope this helps; maybe somebody has more or better advice.
Travis

Rick Moquin

Travis,

ROTFL, you owe me a keyboard clean up from a five finger coffee spray Frugal and innovative I like that.

Sarah,

A little Shakespeare... To pinch or not to pinch that is the question?

Pruning is pruning and pinching is pinching. One is designed for branches whilst the other for removal of the terminal bud. Both have their place in bonsai cultivation and are used interchangeably at the right intervals. Constant pinching will produce "poodle like" foliage pads, whereas pruning and pinching will provide the proper foliage outline. I know I am confusing you!

Once you have removed the terminal bud on any given branch, that branch ceases to grow, full period. The action causes the latent buds along the branch to wake up and sprout. As these new buds sprout and you pinch them out, latent buds further down will wake up and so on and so forth.

Pruning develops branches whilst pinching increases the density of the foliage pad. When the foliage pad becomes to dense it is necessary to thin it out, this is done by pruning out excessive branches, this is done with shears/scissors etc... perhaps toe nail clippers but they would seem a little awkward to me.

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Bonsai is the journey, not the destination
Bonsai Wonders

sac009

thankyou very much that makes sense.
should be able to give that a shot

Peaceful Warrior

Do you know if your tree was a "department store bonsai" If so please check to see if the rocks and any decorations are glued to the top soil. This is common for these plants and what happens is the water runs off the glue (which isn't good for the tree anyway) and to the edges then down the sides of the pot an out without doing much. IF they are please removes the rocks and glue.

Also if you didn't know, a juniper should be an outside tree, given your location you are probably fine atm, but remember it needs to go dormant when the weather turns cold, and that probably means outside depending on the climate.

I have made the above mistakes, so if you knew better just ignore me.

Michel

Hi,

Welcome to the bunch.

Some pics might help us,
since by now we don't even know yet
if it's a needle or scale species You've got there.

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Greetz,
Michel

Pup

Coming from Australia you could live in the Alice or the snowys or Darwin or Melbourne, or Perth all have very different climates.

You say you killed a fig!! by poison, deliberately or by accident.
Because figs are almost impossible to kill.

For more help why not try AusBonsai.com

Cheers Pup

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G, day I live in western Australia I have been trying for the last 20+ years with some success to grow Bonsai. I am a perpetual learner and an advanced beginner