Comments on: Taking Care Of Your Juniper Bonsai

By: Mo

Mo — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:16:37 +0000

Some of the info here is true, some most definitely not true and some just misleading.

Since this article is about junipers, I’ll restrict myself to them. Junipers are OUTSIDE trees. They are only brought inside for 1 or 2 days at a time to display.

Junipers are what’s known as a ‘hardy’ tree; meaning they can withstand limited freezing temps and in fact do need a dormant period, brought on by winter when the temps drop and the light levels fall (due to the angle of the sun and the shorter days).

Most junipers given as gifts have come in a VERY water retentive soil - basically potting mix (often covered in glued-on rocks - take them off!). This is a bad soil for bonsai, but not a killer. Junipers do not like being waterlogged (known as “wet feet” to bonsai practitioners), so watering this type of soil becomes tricky. Let the top of the soil become somewhat dry before watering. However, do not let the rootball dry out. Scratch down about 1/2 inch. There should still be moisture there. Water whenever that condition is present. Do not water on a schedule. Changing conditions call for a flexible schedule. Observation of the necessary conditions for watering is best. In general, cooler climates need less watering and hotter climates need more.

I leave my junipers out all year long, only bringing inside when a hard freeze is forcast.

So I don’t get too long-winded, I’ll just say that people should arm themselves with as much info as they can find. There’s lots out there. Do a search.

Regards,
Mo

By: Sergio Marrero

Sergio Marrero — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:26:00 +0000

Hello,

I just bought a bonsai today, and I believe its a juniper, well I’m more then sure it is.

It seems to be rather moist for now an I have not watered it today since i bought it this afternoon.
Do i need to spray water it or just bottle water it?
Is it alright to have a fan in the room where the bonsai is at night?

I read a lot that you need to prune back your bonsai but i do not understand if my juniper needs this, also like everyone else right now its spring and I do not know how much humidity or direct sunlight i need my bonsai to recieve everyday.

I live in Tennessee and the humidity gets very hot here, so I am scared to put it beside my window all day.

If you could answer my questions it would help more then you realize,
Thank you.

By: confustikate

confustikate — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:53:25 +0000

Hello! My boyfriend recently gave me a beautiful juniper bonsai, and I am researching how to care for it successfully. He also gave me a book full of growing tips, but they are for general bonsai care rather than species specific instructions. This bonsai is about 8-9″ tall from soil to top of branches, and trained in a semi-cascade style. (Gorgeous shape, too!!) It has very short, rather dark green needles; I have seen this species of bonsai sold in nursuries quite often. I was wondering if someone could help me identify what type of juniper I have based on that description? This is my second bonsai; my first was the same kind but unfortunately, I lost it to spider mites. Despite ‘medication’, it could not be saved and I really want this one to be healthy, happy, and long-lasting! It is not only very beautiful but also a sentimental gift; my bf gave it to me as a souvenir of a retreat we took at a Trappist monastery last week; the resident monks train bonsai as a hobby and to help support their organization.

Also, if anyone has any growing tips they care to offer, please feel free! I’m a little concerned about whether I need a humidity tray, whether I should repot it, and what sort of light exposure it prefers. I’ve read contradictory things regarding the latter: one site said at least 4 hours of direct sunlight everyday; another said afternoon sunlight through a window would be fine! Thanks for any advice, and good luck with your own bonsai trees

By: Beckett

Beckett — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:08:06 +0000

Hi I got my first bonsai tree for Christmas and I think it’s doing pretty ok, but I have wanted one for a long time and the last thing I want is for something bad to happen to it, So have some questions(this is a Juniper bonsai).
First. I know that it is supposed to “go dormant” during the winter. And I can kind of understand that but I don’t really know how to let it do that, so I looked around some places and I read somewhere else that I should put it in a cool room(about 50 degrees F or less)and that if I could not do this then I should put it in a place of
minimum sunlight and spray it with cold water every day. And I just wanted to know if this was the proper way to take care of my bonsai during the winter.
Second. I read in one place that it should have full sunlight, but I also read that it indirect sunlight would be sufficient if I could accomplish the above question. Please ease my confusion.
Third. This one is simple, how much water should I give my bonsai tree? I read that I should leave it in water up to the rim of the pot for 1/2 to
1 hour if the soil is moderately dry, but that seems very wrong.
I would very much appreciate it if you could answer these questions for me.

By: Josh Bloom

Josh Bloom — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:05:41 +0000

Hi, I puchased a juniper bonsai tree about half a year ago and about one month ago i decided to give it a very light pruning. A good proportion of the branch tips have since become ’spikey’ as opposed to the regular leaf structure. I understand that this is a sign of stress. Is this likely to be a result of the pruning?? How could I avoid this in the future and what conditions would be best to nurse it back to health??
Would greatly appreciate any help you can offer me on this matter. Thanks

By: Mike Miller

Mike Miller — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:53:23 +0000

Hi, I have a question about the hibernation thing. I live in Northern Florida and it does get pretty chilly around here in the winter, but I think it’s time to start the tree (a green mound) on the dormancy period and it’s still hot as hell outside. Can I put it in the refrigerator for a day or so to get it started? I guess my main question is how does it respond to temperature swings? Will it start hibernation in the cold and even if it gets warm a few times over the next few months ,will it stay in hibernation?

By: Brenda N. Griffin

Brenda N. Griffin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:59:20 +0000

Hi and thanks for the info. I don’t understand how to keep my bonsai dormant. Can you explain how I do this? Do I water it? How cold is too cold for a Bonsai to be outside in the winter? Please respond,
Brenda