New to bonsai, but doing o.k... I think.

[Ghostdance]

Hello everyone,

So at the moment, I have 2 trees. I have a Juniper, and a Hibiscus. I have read the sticky about care, (I.e. water and light). At this time my Juniper is in my office with no direct light. I water it every 3-5 days, but mist it more often. So far it seems like it is doing well. I do take it out and set it on a table with direct light every few days too. So far so good. I am thinking about planting it outside. Is this a bad idea? I live in southern Idaho, and does get below freezing here in the winters. But a juniper shopuld be able to take it. Right?

The Hibiscus is another matter. This has got to be the hardest plant I have ever grow. I've killed 3 others so far. This thing is so tempremental that it'll drop it's leaves if you change your shirt. I have had it about a year and am just now figuring out how to keep leaves on it.

I thank you for the site and all the info that you provide.

Ghostdance.

[The Helpful Gardener]

It's the roots I worry about when we start to talk about freezing. In the ground the latent heat in the soil is enough to get it through winters, but the pot can actually get colder than freezing (wind chills) so not so good. In the ground if you don't root prune, soon it's not a bonsai, it's just a shrub. Still many members of my old bonsai group used to unpot, overwinter in the ground, and repot every spring. Can be done...

The no light thing is freaking me out a little, even outside every few days. But if yopu are doing it and have been for a while, I am always learning new things about these plants. Let me know how it's doing...

And BOY are you right about hibiscus. Probably photoperiod triggered, so supplemental light might help this time of year. And watch for insects; lots like that tree....


Scott