In a message dated 4/27/2003 7:05:17 AM Mountain Standard Time,
writes:

I'm new to San Jose junipers, so I have a few questions.

Is scrubbing the bark for the red color recommended on this tree? Any
disadvantages?


I think that if you do this, you are negating one of the main ADVANTAGES to
San Jose junipers as bonsai, namely the way they "bark up" quickly to give
you an aged look. San Jose junipers can easily look much older than they
actually are because of this. Why scrub the bark off? Kimura stated that
the only reason this is done so often in Japan is that many junipers grow on
rocky coast lines there where the bark is often "scrubbed" by sand and wind.
So, the Japanese style their junipers to match the way they often grow in the
Japanese environment. If this is not true for your environment, you are
copying the Japanese style and not nature. Better to style your juniper
towards it's strong point than to it's weakness. FWIW.

Best Regards,
Daniel Avrin
Department of Homeland Senility

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