Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

Not sure what Species tree I have. please help.

I'm not sure what tree I have and would like some on identification.
any and all help would be great.
Attachments
20160824_194219.jpg

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

It is a juniper and looks quite healthy so far. You do know that it must live outdoors all year round? Junipers die indoors.

Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

ok. I just received it yesterday.
what would be the best link for care and such to follow??

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

well you could start with the general bonsai info here:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/bonsai/

and here:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... =36&t=1479

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... =36&t=3422

I don't know where you bought your little "mallsai" (mass produced juniper bonsais), but not from a reputable dealer who knows what she or he is doing. The soil looks very rich and dark and organic. That is bad. Bonsais, especially evergreen bonsais need to be in potting mix that is very mineral, gritty, free draining. And it looks like it is in a glazed pot. That is also bad. Junipers should be in unglazed pots.

Here's an article specific to junipers

https://www.dallasbonsai.com/care-guide ... niper.html

It is probably too late to repot it now. If it survives until spring (these little juniper cuttings can be kind of iffy, no matter what you do), repot it into a deeper, unglazed pot with good bonsai soil.

Best Wishes. Keep us posted re how your juniper baby is doing.

Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

Since it's too late to do anything g about the shallow and glazed pot, and since it's in poor soil, what would you recommend I do until spring when I can repot??

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Read the information I suggested for you. You are mainly going to have to be very careful not to over water. The soil it is in now holds on to too much moisture for too long and the glazed pot aggravates that.

You haven't said where you are located. If you are somewhere with cold winters (what juniper prefers), then it is going to go dormant in winter. It will need VERY little (like next to zero) water while dormant. Don't fertilize in fall /winter either. In early spring you can do the re-pot and then begin fertilizing again.

Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

Ok. So update on the pot. It is glazed on the outside, but not the inside, does that matter?
How would I check the soil? There are small porous rocks on top and some type of soil underneath.
I'm locsted in southern colorado.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Make sure the rocks aren't glued together. You will see in the links rainbow suggested that a Widely recommended method for checking soil moisture is the "chopstick method".

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

RE: " It is glazed on the outside, but not the inside, does that matter?"

No. Glazed pots only ever are glazed on the outside. The issue is that glazed pots can't "breathe." Unglazed pots are slightly porous, allow for transfer of air and humidity.

Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

Alright. Is my location in colorado good for the juniper?
What should I keep in mind?
Thanks for all the help so far. Its greatly appreciated.

Fornit356
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 1:12 pm
Location: Colorado

ok. wanted to take a pic of the soil and what looks like roots on top of the soil??
Attachments
20160826_115702.jpg
20160826_115634.jpg

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Having a bit of the roots showing over the soil is preferable in bonsai. Those roots are called nebari. They help make the tree look more realistic, like it is actually on a solid foundation and rooted in to its location.

Image

notice the roots spreading out from the base of this trunk.

But the roots you want showing are the main, woody ones, not the small fibrous ones. Looks like they gave you the look of a slanted tree, just by tilting a straight one in the pot. Someone that knows more than me will have to suggest what to do about all those little roots. I'm guessing at some point you will need to trim them off, but that really is a guess.



Return to “Bonsai Identification”