New Bonsai owner (japanese juniper)

[tsmoss91]

I bought my first bonsai tree last week. It's a japanese juniper. I'm not sure how old it is, but it's about 6'' tall and about a foot wide. I'm somewhat knowledgable with bonsai, but I'm still new with it. I have a few questions:

1.)I know that junipers need humidity, but is a screened-in porch a good place to keep it?
2.)How much should I water it?
3.) What is the best time to prune and/or wire it?
4.)Is growing moss with it harmful...if not, then what is the best time to transplant it to the pot.

Thanks

[Gnome]

tsmoss91,

Hello and welcome to the forum. I have only been growing Junipers for a little over a year so I still have a lot to learn as well.

1.)I know that junipers need humidity, but is a screened-in porch a good place to keep it?

I don't make any special effort to keep the humidity up. I know that misting can be helpful with a newly re-potted tree and also to help keep the foliage free of dust. I would say that a porch is not a good location for a Juniper which should be located in full sun, at least where I live.

2.)How much should I water it?

This is the wrong question to ask. You should always water thoroughly, in fact water twice thoroughly. The question you should ask is how often to water. The only answer that I can give you is to check it daily and water after the soil is on the dry side. Junipers will suffer from excessively wet soil. A lot depends on where it is located, the weather, the type of soil it is potted in, the size of the pot in relation to the tree, etc.

My tree is in a nearly (90%) inorganic mix that drains very freely. It requires more frequent watering than if it was potted in a more organic soil. On the other hand we have been experiencing some fairly cool evenings here so I have to play it by ear, so will you.

3.) What is the best time to prune and/or wire it?

It sounds like the tree you have is still pretty young so until you have a plan for it perhaps it is best to confine yourself to just pinching the foliage. Frankly I am still learning how to handle mine.

4.)Is growing moss with it harmful...if not, then what is the best time to transplant it to the pot.

I you provide the basic requirements of a Juniper (full sun and free draining soil) you may find it difficult to keep moss alive, so it may be a moot point.

Norm