Classroom Corner – Roy’s Tesco Juniper Update

Can you remember just over 12 months ago in June 2014 I posted the story of Roy’s Juniper which he had acquired from a Tesco car park. Hopefully the three pictures below will serve as a reminder.

Roy had rescued the tree to such a degree that we had been able to carry out a first rough styling with the placement of major heavy branches.

Earlier this week Roy invited me to his garden to carry out another styling of the tree. The amount of growth this tree has put on in 1 year is amazing. Roy has applied our feeding schedule and carried out his routine maintenance work, watering, etc with great care.

The fact is that all Roy’s trees are just as strong, vigorous and full of foliage. Because of this all his trees are making excellent progress. Many enthusiasts like the styling work, will apply the wire, get excited about deadwood, and will prune/pinch all day (often when they should not be doing either).

The routine work in between is what lets most of them and their trees down. You need vigour, you need strong growth, you have to give me or your mentor something to work with. See just how quickly your tree will move from one level to the next. Good health and growth is just so important.

Roy had totally rewired the tree before I arrived so that we could concentrate on branch placement. Several possible fronts were considered but I think the one we decided on 12 months ago is still perhaps the best.

Notice how we have left the tips of the branches. The last thing I am thinking about is my reputation and that final pristine photograph!…..I want my trees and my customers trees to live, to be strong not to boost my ego and be weak!…….we still have work to do with this tree!

Coining the phrase “Every little helps” is perhaps an understatement in this case because this is one massive Juniper with a big, big future and the fact that Roy is reaping the rewards for all his hard work should make him a very proud man indeed!