JohnnySon
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HELP ID my Bonsai

I just got it Saturday over the weekend hopefully I have better lucky with this one then the last one I had. If you could help me out thanks a lot. There you are it should be there now

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Last edited by JohnnySon on Mon May 05, 2014 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

tomc
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Try again please. No pix.

evtubbergh
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Juniper (Juniperus)

The picture is too fuzzy to identify further but I am sure someone who knows more can help you identify the species.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... hp?t=16494

https://www.nebonsai.com/Juniper.pdf

tomc
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its a juniper, time to take outdoors.

JohnnySon
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Just a thought what happens if the Bonsai gets to much water while outside from to much rain? Or do I sit it in a place where it gets water but not so much that it kills it

evtubbergh
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Control the water by giving it shelter more to stop damage to the roots and disturbing your nicely laid planted pot. Water from the bottom by periodically placing in a dish of water.

It should, however, be planted in well-drained medium so that it never sits for long in water.

JohnnySon
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So are you saying I should find another pot to put it in thats bigger?

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rainbowgardener
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No not necessarily. It is about the quality of the potting "soil" it is in - actually it should be soil less bonsai planting medium, which is mostly mineral. Bonsai planting medium drains very fast. Regular potting soil has a lot of peat moss in it and holds on to water.

JohnnySon
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rainbowgardener wrote:No not necessarily. It is about the quality of the potting "soil" it is in - actually it should be soil less bonsai planting medium, which is mostly mineral. Bonsai planting medium drains very fast. Regular potting soil has a lot of peat moss in it and holds on to water.
Oh so the amount of soil should be less. Do I wait to do to do that or should I do it now?

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rainbowgardener
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no, I didn't mean more or less. I'm talking about kind, not quantity. I said soil-less, that means the medium it is planted in is not soil, is not soft and organic and peat mossy. It should be in a bonsai planting medium, which is very mineral and gritty.

JohnnySon
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I'm guessing I still give my bonsai the same plant food I was giving the last one I had (Vigoro,All purpose, 10-10-10)? The the cap is about a little over 1/2, and when my bonsai is dry I usually give it about 2 cups of water.

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Gnome
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JohnnySon,

Proper watering is about frequency (how often) not quantity. Always water thoroughly, not a specific amount. Similarly, do not water to a schedule, instead monitor the soil and water as necessary.

Norm

JohnnySon
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Is the plant food that I posted above ok for it though?

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Gnome
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JohnnySon,

10-10-10 is fine, just make sure to mix it according to instructions. Fertilize regularly throughout the growing season.

Norm

JohnnySon
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I was just wondering do I stop giving my bonsai its plant food? I read somewhere that your supposed to stop when the leaves start to fall. October is the start of weather change and leaves falling.

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Bonsai soil is not dirt. Bonsai are usually planted in small pots just large enough to accommodate the roots and need to be re-potted as often as every six months pruning the roots as necessary to keep the plant small.
Bonsai media is often different grades of fine gravel. The bonsai mix is very free draining as bonsai pots are often made of ceramic and have one or two holes for a small bonsai and more for a very large one. Because the pots are shallow they dry out quickly and I water my bonsai every day and they are fed with a slow release fertilizer every 6 months and water soluble when they are in active growth and right after pruning. Most bonsai are outdoor plants and prefer to be in the sun whenever possible. I do not have a real winter so my plants are outdoors all year round. My biggest problem is that if I don't move my pot frequently enough, the root goes out the drain hole and into the ground. My bonsai are on benches or on top of other pots so heavy rain is not a problem, the pots can't flood and they are fine as long as it does not rain for 42 days and nights again.

https://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/IMA ... /Soils.pdf

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rainbowgardener
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JohnnySon wrote:I was just wondering do I stop giving my bonsai its plant food? I read somewhere that your supposed to stop when the leaves start to fall. October is the start of weather change and leaves falling.
Yes, if your juniper is outdoors as has been suggested, you will want to stop fertilizing it. You don't want to encourage tender new growth that can be winter killed. Since you are in a cold winter area, you will want to give it some winter protection. The plant itself is quite winter hardy, but you don't want the roots going through freeze thaw cycles and the ceramic pot can crack. Also if too much snow and ice is on the little tree, it can break from the weight. So you want to give it some shelter. An unheated garage or shed works fine, or an insulated cold frame.

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Just wanted to show you guys what I did for protecting my bonsai during the winter. I was going to build a wooden box for it, but I decided to go with using a 20 gallon fish tank. I cut out two 22 by 11 pieces of plywood also got some styrofoam to stop the heat from escaping, and a heating cord. Here are the pictures just like to know what you think?

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Image

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rainbowgardener
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heating cord??? Part of the point of having it outdoors is that it needs cold winter dormancy. It is cold hardy down to something like negative 30 degrees. The only protection it needs is not to be weighted down or broken by snow pack and not to have the little pot broken by freeze thaw cycles.

Get rid of the heating cord, take the lid off, and put a bunch of mulch in the tank to protect the tree...

JohnnySon
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Oh ok I seen a video on youtube about how to get your bonsai ready for winter, and they used one so I thought thats what I had to do. Plus I was thinking of frost advisories worried that the frost would kill it.

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Bonsai pots are usually shallow and the roots are not given that much room. Bonsai media is more like grades of fine gravel and it is not dirt. The pots usually only have one hole so the main thing is that it drains. Bonsai outdoors exposed to sun, and wind sometimes need to be watered every day. Even in the rain, if the pot drains well it should not hold on to too much water unless the rain is continuous. Plants may need repotting every 6-12 months. They do not necessarily go into a bigger pot, but the top and roots are trimmed and the media refreshed.

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rainbowgardener
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JohnnySon wrote:Oh ok I seen a video on youtube about how to get your bonsai ready for winter, and they used one so I thought thats what I had to do. Plus I was thinking of frost advisories worried that the frost would kill it.
Frost is not only harmless to it, it needs frost and cold. Look around your neighborhood and see how many junipers are planted as landscape plants and sit out there all winter. It is adapted to winters like yours and will die if kept warm all winter.

I don't know what the video you saw was, but there are many, many different trees and shrubs that are used for bonsai, everything from juniper and pine, through Japanese maple and Chinese elm, to tropicals like ficus and bougainvillea. They all need different kinds of care. Any of the tropicals would die instantly in our winters, but juniper belongs here.

JohnnySon
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Update on my Bonsai it's not doing so good at all its all brown expect for some small tiny spots on the tip of the tree. I think maybe some left over water before winter may have froze in the soil. My own fault I am afraid I was also not able to come across any mulch to put in the box to protect the tree they either sold it all or put it away for the winter. This one did last longer then the one I had before it of course when I started the first one I really had no clue as to what I was doing before it was to late the first one didn't even make it a year. This one lasted a year so I got a hang of keeping it alive up until winter that is lol. If you would like pictures just let me know I would be happy to post some not giving up yet.

tomc
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Welcome from Albany OH.

An evergreen tree is designed by providence to live outdoors. I might look for a bag of bark mulch to use as nesting litter in your wintertime box. Wally Werld has them on sale for $1.80. I might also create vents in the bottom of that winter box for drainage. If the pot is protected, its good to go to -30°F.

I would only use a hardware cloth screen as a lid. It will permit snow to enter and shield against snow pack. Your juniper will get enough sun through a foot of snow for its winter-time needs.

If you are using a pricey ceramic antique pot, slip the tree out of the pot and wrap it up with paper & twine. the nest it in you box with bark as a protective layer.

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So for an UPDATE:
Last year I got another Bonsai to try again this time it survived. I know I have to prune the roots and some of the branches. I was just wondering which roots do I prune I read or saw somewhere to trim the thicker roots. My stepfather found some scissors that are used for Bonsai, but I also seen somewhere that your not suppose to trim the branches your suppose to prune them with your fingers. Just asking here before I go ahead and do it.

Thanks for the help



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