My new (and first) juniper bonsai.

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 3:04 pm

Hi guys, new here so thanks in advance for any help I receive as it'll be knowledge I don't have, I've been interested in bonsai for a long time and my partner bought me one yesterday from Bunnings, it's a 2009 year so I guess that means it's 7 years old, I've been searching around for information on how to raise and care for this, any help would be greatly appreciated, mostly want to know positioning for sun/shade, watering, and when and if I should prune etc, I live on the Sunshine Coast BTW, and the information states it's a juniperus Squamata prostrata. Thanks guys.

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benbonsai · Post by **benbonsai** » October 27th, 2016, 5:51 pm

It's a young plant so I would be trying to get sun for the first half of the day.
As for watering, only water when the soil starts to feel dry. Because it's a rather small pot, this may be once every second day. Water thoroughly to make sure the whole root system is wet. Then allow to dry slightly.
I would also remove the stones and the moss on the top so you can see the soil. This will help you gauge when it needs to be watered.

And pruning. To be honest, I would let it grow and get quite big and bushy before I would start any pruning.
I'm no expert though and that's what I would do.

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 6:03 pm

Hi Ben,
Thanks for your reply and information, from what I've read online your information sounds good, it's just good to get it from people that know what they're doing (there's so much information online) it can be confusing. I thought this might be the case, it's pretty small still, I have a spot on our verander that allows for direct sun up to just after 11am so I'll continue to leave it there, is bringing it indoors at night a good idea? Our house isn't aircon so it'll be the same as outdoor temperature but I can get it out of the wind this way

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benbonsai · Post by **benbonsai** » October 27th, 2016, 6:11 pm

No problems
Yes there's heaps of info out there. Remember though, what works for some may not necessarily work for another. Where you live and local climate may also affect your growing conditions.

Bonsai and junipers in particular are outside plants and if were planted in the ground would be subject to the elements. So I would leave it outdoors and try not to move it around. It will adjust to its spot and moving it somewhere else may stress it.
If the wind is extreme I would maybe move it to a more protected spot on your verandah temporarily until the wind has backed off.

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 8:21 pm

Yea I'll keep that in mind thank you, I'll keep it in its place outside and I have a spot in mind if the wind gets up

do you have any recommendations with regards to fertilisers? Do I need to? If so what's recommended? As you said my bonsai is pretty young, how quickly can they/do they grow? I know it depends on climate and other factors, but will I see growth in a matter of weeks? Months or will it be years before it really starts to grow? Thanks

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Ryceman3 · Post by **Ryceman3** » October 27th, 2016, 8:31 pm

Hi Ashleypaine90,
Leave it outside, wind isn't the end of the world as long as it doesn't topple over and you watch for when it needs water (more wind = more water). Feed it with whatever you have. I use Powerfeed & Charlie Carp as liquid fert... Full strength. Can also use Osmocote or Dynamic Lifter etc as a slow release - you should see growth now as Spring is here, let it grow on and thicken a little then reassess.
Welcome to the forum!

shibui · Post by **shibui** » October 27th, 2016, 8:38 pm

Your juniper does not need to be inside at night. These guys can take temps well below freezing so night time on the gold coast will be heaven.
Your bonsai DOES need fertiliser. All the watering washes all soluble nutrients out of the pot and soon the tree starves. Any fertiliser will be ok for your juniper. Just grab any packet from the nursery and apply it according to the instructions. you can use the rates for potted plants because this is a potted plant or for trees and shrubs because it is also one of those. I try to apply fertiliser every 2-3 weeks to keep my trees happy and healthy. I also like to use several different ferts just in case one does not contain all the nutrients a plant needs.
Your tree will grow but so slowly that you won't notice unless you do measurements. the better you look after it the faster it will grow. Note that all plants grow far quicker if they have plenty of room for roots to grow so trees in bonsai pots usually grow quite slowly. If you want a thicker bonsai quickly take the tree out of the bonsai pot and plant it in a much larger pot or in the garden fro a couple of years.

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 8:38 pm

Thank you very much ryceman3. All this information is very helpful, yea our veranda can act a bit like a wind tunnel sometimes but I have some other spots as alternatives, main thing is it's a nice sunny spot for half the day so I think it'll be happy there, how often do you feed them? Is it worth me doing it now as it's spring? Thank you

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Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 8:41 pm

Thank you for you help shibui, your message came in just after I wrote mine. Thank you everyone you've answered a lot of my questions, I'm sure I'll have more as I progress but thank you again.

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Ryceman3 · Post by **Ryceman3** » October 27th, 2016, 8:50 pm

Yep, fertiliser is your friend. (So is sun!).. get it on the tree now, it will thank you for it. I recommend taking a few pics now and then you can see the growth much more clearly when you compare to the tree in a few months time... that helps to keep you motivated and reassured you are doing the right thing as day by day it can be hard to see the progress. Make sense??!?

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 27th, 2016, 8:55 pm

Awesome thank you! Makes perfect sense, in the sun it goes

yea I've taken a heap of pics yesterday, they'll act as my guide and will show my progress like you said, another quick question with watering, I've seen people use sprinklers on YouTube, I've seen some people dunk the pot into water and let the water soak in from the roots up and then spray the tree separately with a spray bottle, any recommendations? Thank you

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benbonsai · Post by **benbonsai** » October 28th, 2016, 6:52 am

Definitely post your progress with this little juniper. It's great to see a plants transformation.
With watering it's acceptable to use either method, it comes down to personal preference. I use a small watering can with a soft nozzle and when I can I mist my plants with a spray bottle. But I ensure the soil is fully soaked, this means sometimes I must water for a couple minutes and repeat once or twice.
The key is to find the happy medium where you are not over watering nor under watering.

Good luck and welcome to bonsai

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 28th, 2016, 7:16 am

Thank you Ben, I will keep you all updated with photos as this little one grows as no doubt I'll have more questions

yea I like the dunking method, and I have a little water mist spray bottle for the tree itself so I'll use that. Thank you

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shibui · Post by **shibui** » October 28th, 2016, 7:29 pm

Misting is not usually required. In some cases, wet foliage can allow bugs and fungal diseases to start. Just water properly. By that I mean the water must soak right into the centre of the root ball when you water. That's not quite as easy as it sounds which is why some people dunk the pot every week or so in warmer weather. I use the water twice method - water the pot then water any other plants then return to the first and water it again. the time between waterings allows the water to soak in part way. The second time the water penetrates far easier and should reach the centre of the pot.

Ashleypaine90 · Post by **Ashleypaine90** » October 29th, 2016, 5:39 am

Ok thank you shibui, that's really helpful to know, I'm going to get some fertiliser today

I'm not going to need them just yet, but does anyone have some recommendations on tools that I'll need eventually, I've seen there is a lot, what is essential and what should be my first tool? I'd also like to keep with Japanese made, I know that's specific but I've been to Japan and love the work that goes into everything they do (I buy tea from there) and I'm not overly worried about what to spend, as long as they last, I'm in this for the long haul, if anyone recommends any good Japanese brands could you please provide a Aus retailer? If not available that's ok I can order and get them shipped.
Thank you for all your help

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