Bonsai hobbyists all over the world have used the hugely popular juniper tree to create some of the most spectacular bonsai specimens. There are as many as 50 different varieties of junipers, and they are found throughout the world. The Juniper bonsai tree is very popular, especially among beginner bonsai artists, because they are one of the easiest bonsai trees to take care of. The juniper bonsai thrives outdoors but it can be grown indoors provided it gets sufficient levels of both humidity and light, without which the tree will soon die. They can be displayed indoors for short periods of time but junipers will only thrive outdoors.
Junipers will display two distinctive types of foliage depending on their stage of life. The immature plant will have needle-like foliage which will become scale-like foliage as a mature adult plant. Juniper’s foliage may have a golden hue, or be bluish-green, or even light-green in color.
Among bonsai hobbyists, the Chinese Juniper tree is one of the most traditional and popular variety of junipers. The Needle Juniper is also a very popular variety of Juniper tree. The Needle Juniper gets it name from it’s very sharply pointed needles.
Proper Watering for Your Juniper
With most bonsai trees it would not be a good idea to let them dry out between waterings – not true with the bonsai, it likes to dry out. test the soil everyday to ascertain when it is time to water your juniper tree. Your bonsai needs water when the soil looks and feels dry on the surface. Dig your finger into the soil about 1/2 – 1 inch. Water your bonsai tree if the soil is dry at this depth. Your juniper bonsai will suffer damage if you ever let it go totally dry. The best way to water a juniper bonsai is to place the pot in a container of water practically up to the rim for between 15 and 30 minutes, when all the air bubbles have stopped rising, and allowing the soil to become saturated. Then let it to drain thoroughly – you don’t want the roots to sit in water as junipers are susceptible to root rot. If you can’t soak your plants using this method then water thoroughly from the top, wait a few minutes, and then water again. Do this until the soil in your bonsai pot has been soaked thoroughly. The soil will go from being somewhat dry to completely soaked to fairly dry again during a complete waering cycle.
A juniper’s foliage should be sprayed often to help keep them clean of dust which will help them to breathe. Make certain that you give your juniper bonsai repeated sprayings after it has been repotted. This is done to keep the plant from becoming dehydrated until the roots have recovered enough to furnish water to the tree. A good misting will help to reduce the amount of water lost through trnspiration on hot days.
The Proper Amount of Sunlight
As mentioned previously Junipers do best and are more typically grown outdoors. Even though junipers are able to tolerate all-day sun it would prefer to have it’s high doese of sun in the morning and then spend the afternoon in the shade. Junipers can also do well with filtered sunlight throughout the day.
Humidity
Almost all trees and plants love humid growing conditions. You can use a humidity tray beneath your potted juniper bonsai to maintain a higher level of humidity. Be sure not to let your bonsai pot sit in the water. The tray or plate will also collect the draining water of your freshly watered bonsai. Don’t forget to give your juniper a good spraying in between waterings.
Fertilizing
You should fertilize your juniper bonsai tree approximately every three weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer in the spring, shift to a balanced fertilizer in the summer, a lower nitrogen mix in the fall, and then no fertilizing during the winter. If using chemical fertilizers be sure to dilute to half strength so that roots are not damaged.
Posted under Miscellaneous Content
This post was written by admin on July 9, 2010
