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taliba

New Bonsai Questions

taliba
13 years ago

Today arrived my first Juniperus procumbens, shipped to me from a nursery in Mississippi. It is reportedly 3 years old and looks to be healthy.

After being in a Fedex box for the last 2 days and journeying from a Mississippi nursery to my home 8,500 ft above sea level, should I allow my little tree to rest and acclimate before I begin to train it? If so, how will I know it is ready to prune?

It is an outdoor bonsai, but I am afraid that it will be shocked by the significantly cooler nights here in Colorado. I want to introduce it to the cool night air very slowly, but winter is coming soon and I don't know if I should keep it outside when there is danger of frost.

I am such a newb. Thanks in advance for feedback and suggestions!

Comments (4)

  • waldoc4
    13 years ago

    Hello all, what kind of bonsai is this, i got it as a gift and i want to grow and train it thanks :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:4393}}

  • larke
    13 years ago

    Taliba - Your tree will be more shocked if not allowed out. Unless your nights are actually below freezing, don't worry about it. But there is so much more to it all and pruning is the last thing you should worry about now. See if you can find a local club (I know there are some in Denver) to join asap and they can help with the basics. What's more important is to be sure most (certainly more than less) of the mix is dry between waterings (which should then be done well enough to reach the drain holes). What the club will help you with is the kind of mix it should be in - very, very important as most small J. procumbens come in crappy peaty potting soil that doesn't drain well at all, allowing root rot to set in quickly. But just repotting at any time of year is not done either, which is why you have to be so careful about watering until it is done. Keep it in full sun.

  • larke
    13 years ago

    You have a Fukien tea (Carmona microphylla) and not a great idea to have been given as a gift, not a newbie tree at all. However... it is very tropical and therefore cannot live outdoors now (until next summer, anyway). It would also be very helpful to know where you live even if it's indoors because of light, humidity, etc. What you need to do are a couple of basics like making sure it has enough humidity to survive, which doesn't mean a spray or two daily, but rather a tray wide enough to span the foliage, one with highish sides (1") and filled with pebbles and water. Just be sure the water is never high enough to reach the pot bottom because if it's wicked inside, roots can rot. Next thing is very intense lighting - 99% of windowsills won't work, but do your best until you can get hold of a fluorescent fixture that takes e.g. a T5 bulb (high wattage). Hang that six inches above the tree for 16 hours a day (you can get cheap little timers at the hardware), and change the bulb(s) every six months or so even if they still look ok. Don't water like a houseplant but when the top half inch (not more) of the mix is dry. The problem of this is that most commercial small trees come in "potting soil", almost all peat moss and really lousy for bonsai because it holds water much too long. You'll need to repot with a faster draining grit as well as some organic matter (60% grit : 30-40% organic), but don't do it yet til the tree recovers from its move and looks good. It may lose some leaves now due to a new lighting situation (prior to the fluors) so keep an eye out. Try hard to find a local club because they'll be the source of good information, and go to bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html for great general advice on tropicals (and you can write to Jerry too). Keep in touch here with any questions, and good luck.

  • larke
    13 years ago

    Waldoc - you need to start your own thread here for your tree, not use Taliba's one about Juniper.

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