The nursery industry sells these staked or top grafted (as well as flat). See pictures here.

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/1678/dwarf-japanese-garden-juniper/

When you plant it out you should use a heavier stake that you can tie it firmly to. Also the stake will need to reach as high as you want the plant to grow.

Although your plant doesn't actually look to have the foliage and habit of Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' in your picture - to be that one it should have the dense leaves (except when heavily shaded) and creeping branches (when not made into topiary) shown in the pictures linked to above.

And many others elsewhere.

- have you ever seen this done? ... NOT WITH THIS PLANT SPECIFICALLY ... BUT THAT DOESNT REALLY MATTER

- what will it look like, what habit? .. IT WILL BE AS TALL AS YOU TRAIN IT.. AND THEN GO DOWN FROM THERE ....

-will it form a trunk, will it be free-standing? ... NO REASON IT SHOULDNT ....

===>>> why do you need to wait until spring to plant it.. in your zone??? ...

go buy an 8 to 10 foot piece of rebar ... and set it.. and than plant the plant around it ... figure out how to get it home .... before you buy it.. if you dont have a truck.. lol ... also figure out how you will drive it in the ground from a ten foot ladder ... its just all down hill.. lol.... and dont forget to not count the foot or two.. you have to drive it in the ground ... and buy it thick enough ... that it doesnt wobble inserted vertically ... see what i mean ... you just arent going to do this with a stick pushed a few inches into loose soil ....

when i was messing with doing this type of thing... the height of the actual stake.. was the limiting force .... it will be real hard.. to replace the stake .. in the future ...

my experience with this... was with pinus strobus pendula ... in the pix below.. you can easily figure out.. how far they ended up being able to stake ...

ken

pendula

https://www.google.com/search?q=pinus+strobus+pendula+staking&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyns-9iOjQAhXFiFQKHUeSAPsQ_AUICCgB&biw=908&bih=744&dpr=0.9

rebar

https://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&q=8+foot+rebar&oq=8+foot+rebar&gs_l=serp.12..0j0i8i30k1l3.2580.2580.0.12059.1.1.0.0.0.0.1038.1038.7-1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.1025.9U0-phLp0aw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.141320020,d.cGw&biw=908&bih=744&dpr=0.9&ech=1&psi=5yNLWLjdDMKF0wKPh5rwDw.1481319403707.3&ei=-SNLWIbxC6aB0wLEzKXIBQ&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

the 19 dollar walmart one .. 4th pic

https://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&biw=908&bih=744&noj=1&q=post+driver&oq=post+driver&gs_l=serp.3..0l10.171925.173723.1.173856.11.9.0.1.1.0.208.921.0j5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..4.7.926...0i67k1j0i131k1j0i10k1.Iaky7coZrQo

A similar Juniperus procumbens 'Green Mound' on a 30 inch stake. You will need to take multiple leaders up the stake in order for it to achieve fullness.

How tall of a stake you need will depend on how long it takes the trunk portion nearest the ground to be rigid on it's own. Once it has a rigid base you can use a two foot or so piece of bamboo as a splint that attaches to the solid trunk on one end and the wispy bit on the other end. I'm doing this with Picea pungens 'The Blues'. Be aware the bottom branches that are not staked will need to be trimmed constantly.

tj

Would be pretty neat to stake one as high as you can go. There's a few good examples when you google image search "juniperus procumbens staked" but I haven't seen any staked more than 4 or 5 feet. This is a nice one from the search. Dave yours is quite nice too.

thanx for the responses. Garen Rees' pic in particular is something like what I want, but much larger. I think the draping nature of the branches is really quite distinctive. Maybe just a nip & tick here and there, I want the bottom to be broader than the top. I sort of have the feeling that this will never be free standing.

Free donut day today and having absolutely no willpower I gave in, on my way in I snapped this. These kind of plantings have a hard time of it battling red spiders and phomopsis but here is a young one. Am gonna follow up and see how it does over time.

Ha ha, I caved on donuts and cake yesterday at work. In fact I made a cake donut sandwich because everyone gets on my case for eating healthy.

That little guy will be sprawling across that concrete in no time unless they keep it pruned. Even though it's at a Dunkin Donuts, knowing me, I would be compelled to bring in a taller stake, continue staking it, and pruning it as needed lol.

Thanks for the update. Its looking good.

tj

Yes, looks great!

Thanks!