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Juniper question
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Posted by
eileen_plants z6ny (
My Page) on
Sun, Nov 5, 06 at 17:54
| Hi, I have a juniper that I just bought and after hearing at this forum that it should be outdoors, I have put it outside on my large, wide windowsill, safely secured. Do I just leave it there in all weather, snow, rain, etc? Are there times I should bring it indoors? I am totally new to bonsai and have just ordered two books on the subject, but I thought I would get a head start and ask this question here. I have many houseplants, none of which I would put out on the windowsill in this weather! Thanks.
Eileen |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Juniper question
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| Well, good questions. If your juniper (like 99% of the other small ones sold en masse at large stores not otherwise dedicated to bonsai) came with a layer of pebbles glued to the top, pry it off right away. Then if the soil appears dark, wet, peaty, as opposed to looking like lots of UN-glued gravel, grit, etc. it needs to be repotted into that faster draining mix first, so it will have a chance of avoiding root rot when watered, and that should only be done when some of the top layer (or even a bit more) is dry. The mix it came in (potting soil peat) holds water at the roots way too long and you don't want that. Next, you shouldn't be plunging it straight outside (if it's been living indoors) all at once, but start out for a few days at midday (11-4 pm), and gradually increase it, but the little pot should be in one quite a bit bigger (with it's own good drain hole) and pine bark mulch stuffed in between the pots - window ledges and balconies tend to be very windy, not a great thing for a conifer in a tiny pot, so if you can protect it from the windy (NW?) side with a board or something for winter, that would help too. Don't water if the soil freezes or until it's thawed enough to be drying out in spring. Try not to leave it out during heavy rain, but being snowed on is great for it. |
RE: Juniper question
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| Thanks for the info, Lucy - no pebbles on top, and the soil looks pretty decent, though I may repot later. If it is really raining hard, can I bring it inside, or will that shock it too much? I don't really have a cool room in my apartment. Glad to hear the snow will do it some good. If I repot it, should I cover the rootball completely? Right now it appears to be sticking out of the soil, with little twigs or roots coming out of the base...very confusing ? Thank you! Eileen |
RE: Juniper question
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| Hi, wish you could put a picture on the gallery of this forum so I could see what you mean about the roots.. are you sure it's not just older, larger ones that have gotten woody (like with any tree) and going back down into the soil from the trunk, or is the soil so piled up around the trunk base ('nebari') that it's covering new little branch attempts? Scratch around there carefully and remove a little soil to see whar's really going on. If bringing it out of the rain means 2 days indoors when it's below freezing outside, that's not great, though I imagine it's less likely to rain then anyhow, but if it's not that cold and you only keep it in long enough to 'escape' the rain without becoming re-acclimated to heat, then it shouldn't be a big deal, but really you need to get it into proper grit/gravel which will allow rain to run right through and not have to worry. |
RE: Juniper question
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| i was given a juniper as a gift and after reading all i can in the last 3 days, i will find it a new home! but till then i must try all i can to give it a chance! i know nothing about bonsia the rocks on top are lose not glued on it has a patch of moss there seams to be new budds on 2 of the branches its in a wind swept look in a glazed pot i don,t know if its a good pot the trunk and branches look and fell strong it looks like it needs a trim, i also need good books on the subject and tools!! i have already started to look for a club so i can take my little tree and get help! thanks so much for your help. |
RE: Juniper question
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| Get rid of the moss - it'll compete with the tree for water and/or force you to overwater the tree and kill it. It needs to live outdoors for life, and won't do so indoors for long. Do find the club before you bother with tools, but also find those books. And please punctuate - it's really hard to read your post! |
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