Junipers and weather

[Alex_B]

Hi all,

So I am still new to Bonsai however I have decided I want to get another tree as I am really enjoying owning a Bonsai and would like to expand a bit. I have decided to get a Juniper as my next Bonsai, species wise I am considering either a Shore, Sargent or Shimpaku juniper.

I have been researching them a lot online and I had a few questions about where you guys keep your Bonsai during the hottest and coldest times of the season as all the references I've found have been mostly referencing North American weather.

I know Junipers are outdoor trees and enjoy full sun spots however since it gets so hot and the sun can be pretty harsh in Australia I was wondering do you guys keep your Junipers in a shaded area during the middle of the day or can they handle the heat and sun all day?

Also I have read they don't like the soil being to moist or to dry, so I was wondering in winter since it rains a lot in Melbourne should I keep it undercover (like under a shade or a veranda which will get a bit of filtered light) or should I just keep it in the same spot and make sure the soil is draining the excess water after it rains?

Any help would be great, also feel free to recommend which species of Juniper you think is the nicest or easiest to work with out of the three I am looking at.

[MarkP]

Hi Alex

I am in Sydney and leave my junipers, Sargent and Shimpaku, out in the full fun, same spot all year round. I use a free draining soil mix but have never had any issues with heat or cold. If it Rains then just don’t water till they need it.

They also enjoy the foliage being rained on or watering from above every now and then.

They are great for bonsai, quite resilient, so good choice and enjoy.

[Alex_B]

Hi Alex

I am in Sydney and leave my junipers, Sargent and Shimpaku, out in the full fun, same spot all year round. I use a free draining soil mix but have never had any issues with heat or cold. If it Rains then just don’t water till they need it.

They also enjoy the foliage being rained on or watering from above every now and then.

They are great for bonsai, quite resilient, so good choice and enjoy.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the help, its good to hear they won't really mind the rain but I'm still a bit hesitant about keeping them in the sun on a full 40 degree day but I guess if you water it daily in that heat it should be alright.

Thanks for the help, can't wait to get my first Juniper!!

[shibui]

I follow the same care for junipers. Provided the mix is good and drains freely rain will not worry the trees.
This year it has been hotter than usual - highs of 45C - and my shimpaku have been showing some signs of stress. I'm considering giving them a little afternoon shade to see if that helps them cope with excessive heat and dry.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Hi Alex
I definitely agree with MarkP's recent response.
I'm in Newy and have always kept shimpaku in full all day sun with no problems (recent 40+ hot days included.)
Here is a link below which shows some pictures of a container grown juniper I've been keeping in full sun always.
Growth has continually been strong with no signs of disease, insect or fungal attack to date.

Hope this may ease some of your concerns - go for it!
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/view ... 31&t=25000

[MJL]

This is really insightful for me. I have some Shimpaku... they are going ok but I’d hardly say thriving and for some unknown reason - I have forever kept them out of afternoon sun ... a few hrs of morning sun only. Cheers for starting the thread and for MarkP, Neil and KC&R for the info and link. Very helpful.


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[Alex_B]

Thanks for the advice KC&R and shibui, I'm happy to hear my Juniper will do well in full sun no matter the day once I get it.

I have to admit it seems a bit counter intuitive to me to keep them in full sun as I keep forgetting these are trees that would normally grow to pretty big if they were kept in the wild. I guess I need to stop looking at these as pot plants and start looking at them as Bonsai.

By the way that's a really beautiful Juniper you have KC&R, great movement and I love the pot it is in.

As a side question, do you think its better to buy smaller, younger Junipers in small pots and let them grow into bigger pots over time or should I just fork out the money and buy a bit of a more developed tree ?

[one_bonsai]

We've had a few 40+ days here in Melbourne and I left my Junipers facing the hot northern sun with no problems. Watering is the key.

[one_bonsai]

...do you think its better to buy smaller, younger Junipers in small pots and let them grow into bigger pots over time or should I just fork out the money and buy a bit of a more developed tree ?

If you're a beginner and you can afford to buy more advanced trees then do it, because you need to start developing your skills and knowledge and you can't do it while you're waiting for small trees to get bigger.

[Jarad]

...do you think its better to buy smaller, younger Junipers in small pots and let them grow into bigger pots over time or should I just fork out the money and buy a bit of a more developed tree ?

If you're a beginner and you can afford to buy more advanced trees then do it, because you need to start developing your skills and knowledge and you can't do it while you're waiting for small trees to get bigger.

+1 for this. I would only add that you should buy multiple trees that are further developed so you have plenty to do. The hardest thing about bonsai is leaving your trees alone so they can grow.

[Alex_B]

...do you think its better to buy smaller, younger Junipers in small pots and let them grow into bigger pots over time or should I just fork out the money and buy a bit of a more developed tree ?

If you're a beginner and you can afford to buy more advanced trees then do it, because you need to start developing your skills and knowledge and you can't do it while you're waiting for small trees to get bigger.

...do you think its better to buy smaller, younger Junipers in small pots and let them grow into bigger pots over time or should I just fork out the money and buy a bit of a more developed tree ?

If you're a beginner and you can afford to buy more advanced trees then do it, because you need to start developing your skills and knowledge and you can't do it while you're waiting for small trees to get bigger.

+1 for this. I would only add that you should buy multiple trees that are further developed so you have plenty to do. The hardest thing about bonsai is leaving your trees alone so they can grow.

Great thanks for the help there I appreciate it, I would definetly love to get more trees that are a bit further along so I don't have to wait 10 years before I can start shaping them.

[shibui]

There are always 2 (or more) sides to every story.

As a beginner you can fork out large sums for an advanced tree but your skills and dedication are not quite up to the task and the tree dies because you forgot that every day means every day, or did nor realize it was an outside plant or needed fertiliser or ...... Disappointed you now give up on bonsai.

As a beginner you can pay a little for a stick and learn to water and trim and maintain your little tree. If your skills are not up to par and it dies, no biggie, start again with some more experience under your belt.

As a beginner you buy a stick ..... and somehow keep it alive for the first couple of years .... and then regret that you didn't pay more for a more advanced tree because the stick is still a stick. At least you now have the skills to make a larger investment worthwhile and have only lost a year or 2.

Chances are you will lose trees from all sorts of things that they forgot to tell you about. That's all part of the bonsai journey. One of our memebrs loved to quote that you haven't grown bonsai until you've killed a few. I'm comfortable with starting off with cheaper trees and learning on them. Save the $ for when you have both skills and confidence to make your investment worthwhile.

everyone needs to make their own decisions as to risk V cost. You just need to be aware of the risk to make an informed choice.