Specialty Gardening: I got a small bonsai as a gift - now what do I do?, 1 by tapla

tapla wrote:
Ok - so you can be 99% sure it's the plant I named as likely. Regardless, junipers will want basically the same care. Your tree will almost insist on being outdoors - including now. Lack of light, dry air, and being deprived of a cold rest will be more than your little tree will tolerate indoors. If you move your tree outdoors now - be sure to acclimate to full sun gradually over about a week to 10 days to prevent sunburning foliage.

Water only when nearly dry, not on a schedule. To give an example of how dry junipers will tolerate the soil: I usually leave a single volunteer weed or plant of some sort in the container of junipers I'm growing on. When the weed shows signs of wilting, it's time to water the juniper.

I have about 15 small J. procumbens as little bonsai I'll sell or give to friends/people that show interest in our club. These trees are still on the grow benches here in MI, and will stay there until temps start to drop below 20* at night. At that time, I'll move them to a table in an unheated garage where they will winter, mostly in the dark, and unattended except for a scoop of snow on top of them occasionally to keep the soil from drying completely. When spring arrives & temps look like they're above 20* to stay, they go back out into the shade for a week & then to full sun.

You shouldn't need to fertilize them any more in this growth cycle, if you take my advice & put them outdoors. 24-8-16 or 12-4-8 all purpose fertilizer is a very good choice once you start feeding again.

The best way to overwinter your plant is to bury the entire container in the soil on the north side of a building out of sun and wind & forget it until spring. As long as it gets a little rain or snow on it from time to time, it will be fine. Mother nature is a much better babysitter than we. ;o)

Good luck, TT.

Al