Shortii
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Time of year to train/trim bonsai leaves?

Hi, I was given a bonsai tree as a gift and need to know if there is a certain time of year to both train and trim your bonsai tree? Also, I live in a seasonal climate, so should I not get another juniper? Any help would be appreciated.

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rainbowgardener
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are you talking about a juniper? Junipers don't have leaves, they have needles. Branches of juniper are trimmed or trained. At times the new growth at the tips of branches is pinched out, if you don't want that branch to keep growing . Juniper needles are not trimmed.

If by seasonal you mean with winter, then yes juniper is fine. But they need to live outdoors year around. They die indoors. Juniper is hardy up close to the Arctic circle, so it will survive your winters. (If you are not sure, look around your neighborhood and see how many people have junipers planted in their yards.)

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

It kind of depends on the tree. Some people do make bonsai out of deciduous trees like magnolia which would require shaping and trimming in the dormant season.

Most potted trees that are not deciduous and most bonsai are regularly clipped,pinched, wired, or shaped to maintained their form. A plant in a shallow pot may need to be fertilized regularly and it may need to be repotted every six months if the roots fill the container fast.

Most bonsai are trees and only a few of them like ficus and schefflera tolerate indoor and low light conditions. Tropical trees do have to go indoors for the winter because they are not winter hardy, but will need to be provided a lot of light. Citrus, gardenia, bougainvillea trees are not hardy in most cold winter zones. Evergreens like pines and junipers are best kept outside year round.

I do have an advantage since I don't have to really grow anything indoors. My cats make it nearly impossible to do that anyway. I can experiment with more different types of tree like mugo pine, jade, bougainvillea, ficus, and junipers. I did try a kinsu orange, but I killed two of them just in the pre bonsai stage, so not everything is meant to be.

You should find out what kind of tree you have and what conditions it requires. You will need to be able to provide the light and watering requirements that the tree needs. Shaping and pruning will also depend on the tree and its natural growth.

A geometry tree is relatively easy to grow since as long as you provide the right light all around the plant it requires minimum shaping.

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rainbowgardener
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Pictures always help!

I was thinking the poster was talking about a juniper bonsai, because they asked "should I get another juniper," which seems to imply they have one already.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Its possible. I can't really tell since the OP said "should I not get another juniper". It could mean he/she already has one or that one had died. If they had successfully kept a juniper, even in a seasonal climate, it would still have to stay outside to have a chance of survival long term, so season would not be a factor.

It would definitely help to know what kind of plant the OP has.



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