If it's been indoors, the odds of causing death by dryness are far less likely than death by being indoors. When you say it gets "pretty cold", what are overnight temperatures doing now? Once it gets to be below freezing your tree should (have been) in a large container of mulch up to the rim if it's a small pot, though in the ground, you wouldn't have to worry until temps were below 15-20. The gnats(?) may be due your soil not drying between waterings if you haven't repotted into bonsai grit of some kind, and while this is not the time of year to do it, you need to be sure you're not watering just according to how dry the top of the soil is, but deep into it - use a chopstick to check. Also, air circulation's important.

The overnight temps are anywhere from 45 to 60F but Ive yet to put it outside. I have not been heating the home yet though and plan on putting it outside soon. The average winter temps get down into the twenties but the past couple years night are usually in the thirties.

I have only had the bonsai for a month. The soil could be over-compacted and does not seem to be a bonsai mix. Looks like regular dirt.

You've made the classic mistakes of most beginners, don't worry, you belong to a large group. Knowing little or nothing many people just jump in, buy the first plant the wrong way then -- some recover and continue, many don't.

Never buy a 'Bonsai' from an orential looking guy selling out of a van alongside the road. You shouldn't buy anything other than a tropical if you live in a small apartment or dorm...

You did get the bonus of free fungus gnats.

The juniper should be overwintered outside but, given what you've posted here, it probably won't make it through the winter. Your first venture into Bonsai will probably end with firewood in a pot. The majority of beginners end up with the first tree exactly like that.

The easiest way to get rid of the gnats is to mix some Ivory dish soap (2-3 tablespoons) to a gallon of water and use it as a drench. Get something that you can submurge the pot in -- up to or over the rim -- and soak it. They have a 14 day (average) life cycle from egg to adult.
If you drench 4 times in two weeks you should kill everything in the pot, putting up some sticky tape near the pot will also help to kill adults flying around.

If you do drench you won't have to water at all, make sure the pot drains well.

If you have a place to get the plant into even part shade outside this may help, leave it there.

One thing you can do, to help the soil dry out between drenches, is to open up a bunch of holes in the soil. You can use a pencil or chop stick to do this. Work it down into the soil until you hit bottom then wiggle it around in a circular motion to make a hole, this will promote air circulation in the soil. Do this all over the soil after each drench.

However, that same guy sold a bunch of half dead plants to a bunch of unsuspecting people along the road. Then moved on. You've just had your first lesson in Bonsai, I just hope it wasn't too costly.

Bob

Leaving your tree indoors now and then only putting it outside once it's cold will shock it. It should have been outside all along, so stop waiting. The sooner the better.

Okay I am going to make mulch bed for it in a planter built into the front porch. All around and halfway up the trunk?

Its looking fine, the gnats seemed to have left by themselves somehow. The amount of brown is staying the same or receding. Its going outside today.

I normally would not have trusted a guy out of a van but he did have very nice ones and I still dont think he screwed me. He was selling bonsai forests and had a couple that were 20+ years old. Mine in particular has a very nice shape and could resist for the price.

Halfway up the trunk is too much - it'll rot (the trunk), so just an inch at most (or is it only 2" high :-).

Its about 3", its got a good deal of exposed root (alot of the thin wispy ones)that makes up a wider base. Thanks guys, now I just have to worry about people stealing it in their drunkenness.

I have some harder more rigid needles emerging and they break very easily off the plant. One of the shoots I was shapping as hardened and is becoming brittle? what is wrong/ am I doing It is an indoor for now, going to put i t in the garage for its simulated winter but dont want to do it if it is unhealthy? can someone help?

Brittle foliage is dead foliage, likely from being watered way too often in bad soil that has never dried out, along with being inside, outside and inside again. Your tree has likely been dead for some time unless the rest of it's mostly green and soft, so consider starting over in spring with more knowledge and fewer roadside purchases. Look for a local club to join and learn from.