How to prune rocky mountain juniper

Spring through summer for foliage pinching; structural branch selection in early spring. Pinch or trim extending shoot tips back by one-third, leaving at least a small spray of foliage on each shoot. Avoid flat-shearing. Treat deadwood with lime-sulfur to preserve and highlight the natural jin and shari that are characteristic of collected specimens.

Pinching every 4–6 weeks during the growing season; structural pruning once per year in early spring. Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) is cold-hardy and prized in bonsai for blue-grey foliage and natural deadwood. Like all junipers, it will not back-bud on bare wood, so always leave foliage on retained branches. Pinch extending tips throughout the growing season to build tight, pad-like foliage clouds.

Pinch or trim extending shoot tips back by one-third, leaving at least a small spray of foliage on each shoot. Avoid flat-shearing. Treat deadwood with lime-sulfur to preserve and highlight the natural jin and shari that are characteristic of collected specimens.