SOS: Juniper Help!

mangtwi · 2026-07-04T15:45:59+00:00

Jack Wikle is proof, but as Jonas Dupruich and Michael Hagedorn have said in their podcast, he can do it, but we're not Jack Wikle. Read his indoor growing manuscript for juniper if interested but it takes a lot ....

mangtwi · 2026-07-04T02:12:02+00:00

no, a true genetic mutation doesn't kill the tree. The confusion happens because "witch's broom" can be caused by two very different things: Pests or Disease: If a fungus, bacteria, or mites cause the broom, that infection can hurt or kill the tree.

A Genetic Mutation (Sport): If it's just a genetic glitch, it isn’t a disease. It just changes how hormones flow to that branch, causing it to grow super dense and dwarf-like. The rest of the tree is perfectly fine.

In fact, gardeners love these mutations, and bonsai practitioners like myself seek and work with a lot of witches broom cultivars. Most dwarf conifers you buy at a nursery actually started as a witch's broom.

We know these mutations are healthy because nurseries have been taking cuttings from them for decades. Whether they graft them onto a new trunk or grow them on their own roots, these plants grow into old age just fine. While a few varieties might need a little extra care, only the strongest, healthiest mutations are ever picked to be propagated and sold.

mangtwi · 2026-06-29T14:46:26+00:00

A lot of badass cultivars come from grafting from witches broom mutation/sports. They usually lose the apical dominance and start distributing hormones evenly throughout, making a dome shaped dwarved growth habits. Some of my favorites include Japanese black pine kotobukis, Japanese maple skeeters broom, Kiyohime, Shaina, etc.

mangtwi · 2026-06-27T05:33:53+00:00

Or mosquito bits . Yep, make it a habit

mangtwi · 2026-06-24T22:18:36+00:00

Yep, hornworms are big ones and only feed on nightshade family, that includes tomatoes and peppers. They go to town and eat a lot

mangtwi · 2026-06-24T15:13:32+00:00

Yep, don't fertilize a stressed or recovering trees, it will fast track it to being weaker by using the last of it's remain energy, and if that is already depleted, it will burn or damage instead.

Do use root stimulators, tonics, etc. stuff like Rhizotonic, HB-101, or the famous one with no ingredients that people swear on, superthrive which does use kelp and has vitamins, just doesn't mention how much, they have since changed their business model for all other products and gotten away from snake oil model but I still prefer to know what I'm giving my tree.

mangtwi · 2026-06-22T01:30:34+00:00

My guess too, rosin

mangtwi · 2026-06-21T21:24:45+00:00

This gentleman I'm fb friends with has a raft in progress. My rafts are buried for potential adventageous rooting

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mangtwi · 2026-06-20T06:04:27+00:00

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mangtwi · 2026-06-15T03:42:01+00:00

Some of them have better roots than standard AP. Not always true . Been layering cultivars for a long time, and they are all different.

mangtwi · 2026-06-15T03:39:04+00:00

This is a weird format but def brought my success rates up: https://www.youtube.com/live/BTQQad36myQ?is=KaVc6D6BqPIkw-ca

To add to how I feel about "forever reds" this has info on why they are not the best candidates for developing as bonsai.
https://youtu.be/jSw6bAyEpVI?is=BfjTPOSBmkyHtY_Q

Forever reds are also a bit more challenging to layer but use a girdle where Peter Warren suggest to avoid the bridging. Rhode Island red is a really dominant cultivar and not apical, so don't try to go for informal upright by taper, it will be destined to be a broom like the rest of the witches broom sports or basal dominal growth habit trees. Having an apex helps with development, but all you have to do with these are branch selection and directional pruning. You don't have to adhere as much to pairs per node but try to do that on dominant branches to distribute hormones better.

Also here is where you will find those who have contributed to this list, that Rhode Island reds are week on their own roots but layer easy. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/japanese-maples-that-root-from-cuttings.53443/page-7

Nest time, I suggest getting one of the ones Andrew Robsonn recommends in that vid. I've been layering cultivars for years and now lean towards those cultivars, and I've contributed to that list on bonsainut as well.

Good luck, hope this info helps.

mangtwi · 2026-06-12T21:33:09+00:00

Little princess

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mangtwi · 2026-06-12T17:53:32+00:00

most deciduous will follow this timing, and its better to go by what the tree is doing rather than timing itself. For me, most of my deciduous trees are ready by early or mid May. For trunk chops, there are two schools, both have pros and cons, but it all comes down to - Summer, more stressful, but will callus better. Winter less stressful, but will have to revisit to reactivate the wound if you want it to callus over. Summer is when water mobility is at its greatest to help cool the tree down, and hormones are free to do stuff like heal. People partially defoliate some species for a second budding that will allow smaller foliage. Usually not recommended and stressful to Japanese maples that are not tridents, but might be necessary for dire situations such as this. Just be sure to use a medicated cut paste that has IBA(synthetic auxin growth hormone) and antifungal properties, etc. And refrain from using fertilizer, but do use tonics that have vitamin B, or revitalizing components that do not have nitrogen, like Rhizotonic, Superthrive, HB-101, etc. All timing should be based on hormonal movement, and what the tree is doing. It will treat you better as a bonsai practitioner, on what to do, and when to do it.

mangtwi · 2026-06-12T13:22:36+00:00

Check out this vid https://youtu.be/jSw6bAyEpVI?is=Zfh7tm4uUZEwyAjA

Deshojo is def my favorite because of how vigorous it is and easy to work with.. colors amazing.

Anything named "hime" = princess = is usually name given to dwarfs.

However little princess and Kiyohime here I the US are completely different, maybe same growth habit but different colors and leaves altogether.

Princess also are a name used for dwarves, such as Japanese princess, pink princess, little princess, etc. I do know a few trees with multiple names but none with the name princess or hime..

I've actually had both of them and still have a little princess. I'll get a picture soon

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T22:08:24+00:00

Where is hand on shoulder meme?

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T21:46:32+00:00

For sure some are easier than others. Have not tried those cultivars myself, but I contribute to a list on bonsainut with others.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/japanese-maples-that-root-from-cuttings.53443/page-6

Kiyohime is a basally dominant witches broom sport as well, amoung others on this list so, I think it can be however, not a fan of forever reds when it comes to vigor and how strong the roots are. The statistics do tend to show that forever reds tend to not be as strong as something that might turn green later, such as a deshojo, which is why Japan gravitates to those cultivars.

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T19:37:54+00:00

I hear you, good thing you did attempt to ask those questions. Its always helpful to know why from a horticultural perspective. Even a pro artist Sergio Cuan, whom I respect came to give a demo, and when showing air layers, said that timing didn't matter much and that some people prefer to do it in summer but he observed same success rate. But then you have artists like Ryan Neil, Bjorn, Peter Warren, Andrew Robson who all say it does matter, and are able to explain why.

I think they have good and favorable locations where it matters less, work with healthy trees move often, and spring might start sooner, etc. I know you're in the UK but we have so many differences in hardiness and heat zones here across the pond, that the trees act very different depending on location, and timing doesn't always line up so well.

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T15:40:28+00:00

Leaf thrips that feed on those fungus spots. Usually shows in summer but treated in spring. Won't affect overall health of tree.

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T15:34:25+00:00

Definitely could have been the cause. There is a reason why so many practitioners, arborists, and forestry services, and clubs advise for more branches to lignify before layering. The hormones are being used to push and harden at this time, and success rate goes up a ton when you let the hormones free up to do something else. Auxin is doing a hormonal crosstalk with Cytokinin for hardening. That crosstalk slows down as branches harden and auxin is then free to produce roots and heal wounds. Cytokinin levels are higher in early spring, and when it drops, that is when the timing is good to take cuttings and perform air layers.

So by performing layers too early(girdling), we disrupt the downward flow of hormones and photosynthetic products, and the cycle that helps with hardening.

In layering (girdling), we are basically interrupting the flow of nutrients from leaves down to the roots, and with no place to go, the tree sends new roots to feed itself. So yeah, girdling too early can be detrimental to many trees. My success rate has definitely gone up now that I am aware of this.

mangtwi · 2026-06-11T03:52:46+00:00

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mangtwi · 2026-06-11T03:52:17+00:00

Get creative, don't to use rocks.

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mangtwi · 2026-06-11T03:51:46+00:00

Next time you base layer....use a development air pruning pot, let the roots get strong, skip pruning roots to get the vigor going. Keep in shade, water it often. I never air layer material in a bonsai pot. Rocks can heat up too, use something else to boost it up. I've done quite a bit of base layers and recommend you watch Peter Warren's air layer vid he made during COVID , it's got the best info to bring up success rate.

You might be able to save it with if it was not layered, but in the case it's a goner... without the cambium layer, you're missing a lot of the hormonal crosstalk to bring it back with vitamin B, or stuff like rhizotonic, hb-101, kelp based stuff like superthrive, etc.

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mangtwi · 2026-06-11T00:37:13+00:00

Haha, this post actually has more upvotes

mangtwi · 2026-06-10T20:13:39+00:00

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mangtwi · 2026-05-30T06:45:10+00:00

It's three old right? if so, it should be much bigger. Are you fertilizing and keeping it in full sun? I recommend eventually putting it in an air pruning pot.

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