Hello! I have some questions about my bonsai and I can't seem to find the answer.
My husband bought me a Californian Juniper for Valentine's day off Amazon. I know that it came from Half Moon Bay, CA, but I do not know the nursery (I tried to figure out where it came from so I knew how long it had been in its current pot, but I had no luck). It came with a artsy looking rock and in regular potting soil with a card that had watering instructions and its tolerable temperatures.
My husband then bought me a book on bonsai, but I felt that it was dated (circa 1950's) so I bought a newer book just recently.
My juniper seems to be doing well. He put on tons of new growth when it became spring and I kept him inside under the plant light the whole time. I just put him outside for the first time at the beginning of the month when we moved into our new apartment (I keep him on the balcony). I check his moisture with a moisture meter.
My question is this: from everything I read it is the "off-season" for repotting, but should I repot him with some better soil? I hate this regular soil because it just washes away and exposes some of his roots (which I cover back up and spray with a misting bottle).
My first goal with my bonsai was just keeping it alive, but now I'm not sure where to go from there.
[img]https://a705.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/52/l_2dbff035e75fd00ab975356469ff4e70.jpg[/img]
I have pruned him a bit since this photo.
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M.Rose,
Hello and welcome to the forum, I'm glad to hear that your tree is doing well. As you probably know by now Juniper is an outdoor species and will not fare well in your home. The balcony is where it should stay even during winter, but more on this at a later date.
I agree that the tree should be re-potted into a more suitable bonsai mix but if you do not have such on hand there is no point in going from one poor mix to another. It is, as you have noted, probably a little late to do a thorough re-potting this year anyway.
Your tree can survive in this mix if you are cautious in your watering habits. I purchased mine form a nursery about this time of year and kept it in good health until the following spring when I re-potted using a nearly 100% inorganic mix. Juniper do not like to be constantly wet so this type of medium is not ideal. Get a chopstick or wooden skewer and shorten it appropriately, then insert it into the soil to the bottom of the pot and leave it there. Every day remove the chopstick and check for moisture.
I have never used a moisture meter and I wonder how you know at what level to water? If you use the chopstick method, at least for a while, you will have a visual indicator and a reference point when using the moisture meter.
For now the real problem seems to be that the tree is either in too shallow of a pot or has been potted too high. Mass produced trees like this are placed in bonsai pots too early to appeal to consumers such as yourself, it is not your fault it's just the way things are. Bonsai pots are usually reserved for trees that are a little further along.
One option would be to slip-pot it into a slightly deeper container, it does not need to be a bonsai pot. If you decide take this route locate a pot that is a little wider and a little deeper than the one it is in now, make sure that it has excellent drainage. Also get some sort of potting mix that is similar to what you already have. Having two different soil types in the same pot causes other problems. Gently remove the tree from the current pot and without disturbing the roots transfer it to the new, deeper pot and backfill with the new soil. After that water it in well.
Another option might be to fabricate some sort of ring or cylinder that you can place around the tree so that a little more soil could be added. This will look pretty goofy but will stress the tree less than even the slip-pot described above.
Next spring a thorough re-potting can be done at which time the old soil should be removed and replaced with an appropriate mix. In the meantime take a look at the sticky threads concerning soils and re-potting, they are located at the top of this forum.
Norm
Hello and welcome to the forum, I'm glad to hear that your tree is doing well. As you probably know by now Juniper is an outdoor species and will not fare well in your home. The balcony is where it should stay even during winter, but more on this at a later date.
I agree that the tree should be re-potted into a more suitable bonsai mix but if you do not have such on hand there is no point in going from one poor mix to another. It is, as you have noted, probably a little late to do a thorough re-potting this year anyway.
Your tree can survive in this mix if you are cautious in your watering habits. I purchased mine form a nursery about this time of year and kept it in good health until the following spring when I re-potted using a nearly 100% inorganic mix. Juniper do not like to be constantly wet so this type of medium is not ideal. Get a chopstick or wooden skewer and shorten it appropriately, then insert it into the soil to the bottom of the pot and leave it there. Every day remove the chopstick and check for moisture.
I have never used a moisture meter and I wonder how you know at what level to water? If you use the chopstick method, at least for a while, you will have a visual indicator and a reference point when using the moisture meter.
For now the real problem seems to be that the tree is either in too shallow of a pot or has been potted too high. Mass produced trees like this are placed in bonsai pots too early to appeal to consumers such as yourself, it is not your fault it's just the way things are. Bonsai pots are usually reserved for trees that are a little further along.
One option would be to slip-pot it into a slightly deeper container, it does not need to be a bonsai pot. If you decide take this route locate a pot that is a little wider and a little deeper than the one it is in now, make sure that it has excellent drainage. Also get some sort of potting mix that is similar to what you already have. Having two different soil types in the same pot causes other problems. Gently remove the tree from the current pot and without disturbing the roots transfer it to the new, deeper pot and backfill with the new soil. After that water it in well.
Another option might be to fabricate some sort of ring or cylinder that you can place around the tree so that a little more soil could be added. This will look pretty goofy but will stress the tree less than even the slip-pot described above.
Next spring a thorough re-potting can be done at which time the old soil should be removed and replaced with an appropriate mix. In the meantime take a look at the sticky threads concerning soils and re-potting, they are located at the top of this forum.
Norm
Thank you very much. 
I think I might try your suggestion of fashioning some sort of ring around his pot and adding more soil.
The moisture meter's suggested range for a bonsai is between four and five (above dry, but not too moist). It seems to be doing well for him. I let him dry out before I water him again. It's been pretty hot here, around 90 degrees with the humidity between 50-70 percent, so I keep him on the wetter side since he dries out quicker.
I read the articles on soils and it was extremely helpful. I feel so bad for my bonsai because he has to be in potting soil...
I think I might try your suggestion of fashioning some sort of ring around his pot and adding more soil. The moisture meter's suggested range for a bonsai is between four and five (above dry, but not too moist). It seems to be doing well for him. I let him dry out before I water him again. It's been pretty hot here, around 90 degrees with the humidity between 50-70 percent, so I keep him on the wetter side since he dries out quicker.
I read the articles on soils and it was extremely helpful. I feel so bad for my bonsai because he has to be in potting soil...