ozpompey
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Care for a 14 Year Old Juniper Bonsai

hi all..after many years of consideration I finally have the free time to start this wonderful pastime...I have just bought an already established juniper tree, as I thought it would be easier to learn on an established tree, rather than a new growth ( hopefully I am not wrong )...it is around 55cm highs and 14 years old....I would like to try and grow a few more, once I have learned a bit about doing so...any help or advice would be most appreciated.... :)

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Gnome
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Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

ozpompey,

Hello ad welcome to the site and the hobby. Please update your profile to indicate your general location. Tell us how and where you are maintaining your new tree.

Norm

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Mass market juniper are most often rooted cuttings only a few days or weeks away from the propagating bench. A styled 14 year old juniper should cost $ 140 to $ 1,400. if yours did not, its not that old.

Please check your soil for (hot)glued on rocks. If they are present, please remove them post haste.

The virtue of evergreen bonsai is their unchanging nature, the weakness of evergreen bonsai is their unchanging nature.

You must learn how to use a chopstick to test soil for presence or abscence of moisture. The bonsai learning forum has threads about watering.

Juniper are an outdoors only tree. Indoors is too dry, too warm, and too deadly to juniper. For example an air conditioner or a dehumidifier can literally mummify your tree in a matter of weeks. No matter how much you water.

Juniper do best on a bench in full sun. In Northern hemisphere winter nested in a box with bark mulch around the pot, under an eve outdoors; or in a cold house.

Where you are located is going to change how you water (as in how often) and how you edit soil for your tree. Amending your profile or signature line will help us help you.

ozpompey
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hi tomc, thanks for the info....I paid 300 Australian dollars for my juniper, with an age guarantee stamp, as I said in my earleir post it stands around 55cm high and has been shaped into a spiral trunk...I will update my profile when time allows..in the meantime..I live in perth western australia, we are just heading in to our summer, the temp varies between 32 and 40 plus degrees for months, the sun is extremely strong here even when the temp is cool it feels much hotter because of the sun strength...I have placed my bonsai outside in a sheltered area that gets only morning sun....I am watering thoroughly every morning, it has no glued on rocks, just lose coloured gravel spread on top of the soil.....

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

I've not looked at a globe to determine just how much in the tropics you are, save that compared to the midwest USA, you're there, in the tropics that is.

So you are going to have to use filtered light-shade as you describe. I would expect your going to also mix your own soil with more organic material in it. There are a multitude of Englsh speaking ex-pats all along the southern pacific rim who aught to be consulted, or in local OZ bonsai clubs who can make better direct experience advise about what you dirt will need to be.

For winter I think I'd move your tree to the north side of the house and bench him in full shade.

valley
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Greetings, When I saw you name I knew you'd be an Aussie. Welcome, Just read a post by tomic { the north side of the house won't be in the shade.}

It would be nice to have a look at this tree, if you get a chance to post a picture.

Again, welcome.

Richard

ozpompey
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hi, hope I have done this right...if so this is my juniper bonsai.....
Attachments
juniper 1.jpg
juniper 1.jpg (34.49 KiB) Viewed 2386 times

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Valley is right, an' I'm wrong. You are on t'other side of the equator.

Rummage around and find a local bonsai club near you. You are on the tropical frontier for this temperate zone tree, and I want you to get the best advise you can. Fer sure better than I can give ya.

I agree though that is not a new cutting.

How is your chop-stick method (for watering) coming on?

valley
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Location: ranches in sierra nevada mountains California & Navada high desert

Everybody is right, he knew what you meant. That Looks great, doesn't have that tortured look, it's healthy and happy. Is that a Pau Pau I see in the background?

We have Juniper here, a different type, in the high desert, gets darn hot here in the summer. I'm thinking Juniper can take the heat. Are the any growing there.

I , for a long time, wanted to flavor some C2H5OH with the berries from our Juniper. My, understanding that's how they do Gin, When I roll the berries I get the Gin smell.

So you're way out Perth, never been that far west. Wifey's from Byron Bay, New South Wales, our youngest was born there.

Good to meet you here.



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