New to Bonsai-first Juniper.

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:12 pm

Hey guys I'm completely new to bonsai. I just recieved my first Juniper shimpaku in the mail today and he is awesome. I have to house him in something as my bonsai pot has not arrived yet. He is a very young plant only 6" tall from the plug and I don't know what I should do with him. Any advice on what I should do with him would be appreciated.

JustinBoi · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:17 pm

Well maybe putting him in a temporary pot for now would be nice.
Also providing a picture would probably help us give you more advice on what to do.

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:32 pm

I thought so. Maybe a small nursery pot? Heres the best photo I have.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=170569313316[/url]

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:34 pm

[img]https://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq225/nostrangers08/CB8Wl2QBGkKGrHqZjgEzrtDqfF0BNJhfyz-e_12.jpg[/img][/img]

JTred · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:37 pm

Justin088 wrote:I have to house him in something as my bonsai pot has not arrived yet. He is a very young plant only 6" tall from the plug and I don't know what I should do with him. Any advice on what I should do with him would be appreciated.

Generally its best to not put a tree into a "bonsai pot" until it has reached the trunk girth that you want. A shallow bonsai pot will slow growth down a lot. I second the notion of a nursery pot, and to stay there for a while, something big.

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:40 pm

OK thats a good start. Now unfortunately my timing has been horrible in this process as I received the tree before the pot and the soil. Any ideas on soil as the only thing around me is a home depot and I don't think they have bonsai specific soil. Sorry for the ignorance haha I'm just really new.

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:55 pm

OH and also. I am going to leave my junipers as outside plants. Any word of advice on keeping it alive in the hot texas sun?

JustinBoi · Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:02 pm

Free draining soil may contain akadoma, calcined clay, lava rock, ect.
If that is available for you.
Any local nurseries near you that may be able to give you advice?
Sun issue. Florida is getting as hot as you, just make sure to keep them from not being over-watered or under-watered in your climate.

manofthetrees · Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:18 pm

Howdy,
if nothing is availible it looks like it would fit in a cut water bottle ( make sure there are holes made to drain the water) ...any soil will work for little while and as for bonsai soil get it online it's what I did in the begining cuz my "local" bonsai store is a 2 hour drive

JustinBoi · Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:41 pm

I would recommend doing manofthetrees idea.
I did that before, it worked well for short periods of time.
My local bonsai nursery is also a 2 hour drive.

Justin088 · Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:52 pm

Thanks for the advice. I ended up picking upsome free draining soil. I'll use that with the plastic nursery container I picked up as well. When I do get my bonsai soil in should I just repot it with the new goods?

TomM · Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:48 am

Hey Justin,
Noticed that you started this thread on the INDOOR BONSAI forum and just wanted to emphasize that shimpaku (and all junipers) belong outdoors. You mentioned that it will be going out soon. That's good.
Find a place that provides some morning sun but shade in the heat of the afternoon. I spent a lot of years in Texas and know how it gets.
You're getting good tips on temporary care of your new little juniper. Good luck with it. Take good care - keep in touch.
Don't baby it to death.

Don't overwater!!
Tom

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:52 pm

Ok guys I found a small plastic container with a plastic tray that I put underneath the container. I poked a couple good size holes in the container for drainage. Now about the watering, should I submerge the plant up to its trunk and get the soil nice and wet? Any advice on watering my new plant would be great. That seems to be the hardest part.

JustinBoi · Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:37 pm

Don't know if anyone mentioned this to you but you can do the chopstick method.
It's where you stick the chopstick into the soil and if the soil sticks to it and feels moist to the touch too.
Wait to the next day to water.
(You can use a kitchen skewer if needed)

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:49 pm

Oh ok well I went ahead and submerged the plant in water so the soil got really wet.(I don't think it was the right thing to do but I read several articles on this technique. Any body heard of this technique? I will wait for the soil to dry out a bit before I water again. Thanks for all the replies!

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:51 pm

Also in the picture above you can see two competing "trunks". Can I cut thse two out and leave just the main trunk or should I wait?

JustinBoi · Thu Apr 07, 2011 2:00 pm

I would think you could leave them there now and when it grows out more you can cut them away if you still want.

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:21 pm

should I do any pruning? The little one seems to have many long shoots. should I start pinching now as young as it is?

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:43 pm

[img][img]https://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq225/nostrangers08/IMG_0561.jpg[/img]

So I went ahead trim down the branches a bit. I think I completely buzzed it and destroyed the tree. [/img]

TomM · Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:54 pm

Whooa, SLOW DOWN!!

You've had this little juniper for 1 day. It was only 6 inches high. It should have - number 1, been allowed to adjust to its new home, and number 2, been allowed to grow out for a couple years, then pruned to shape, styled.

Learn about your tree, learn enough to keep it alive. Learn to grow it. Then work with it.

Instant bonsai might be fun - but not gratifying. Patience, patience.

Justin088 · Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:06 pm

lesson learned.. it's all about trial and error I guess. Ill just leave him alone and hope he doesn't die.

JustinBoi · Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:42 am

I don't think he's going to die.
He just needs to adjust like TomM said.