Caring For Your Juniper Bonsai
Lee Dobbins
The classic Juniper bonsai is a natural hybrid species of Chinese
Juniper. Since some Junipers can live for 200 years, caring for
your Juniper Bonsai can give you a beautiful plant that will last
a lifetime (and then some!)
The Juniper is an evergreen coniferous shrub which can be found
in mountains and forests everywhere in the world. Their needle
like leaves turn scaly as the tree matures and have a blueish
green to light green shading with an occasional silvery
variation. There are over 50 species of Juniper, many of which
are long lived, but some only live for 2 or 3 years after being
turned into Bonsai plants.
Your Juniper Bonsai is relatively easy to care for as it is
pretty much disease free. It thrives in full sun bu must be
protected from the hot midday sun. In cold climates you must
also protect your bonsai from frost.
If you plan to grow your Juniper Bonsai indoors, make sure you
have the appropriate lighting. These plants also need a bit of a
humid environment so misting can help. Be careful when watering
and be sure that you water until soil is most, but don’t leave
standing water in the pot as root rot can kill these trees
easily.
Like most plants, Junipers benefit from fertilization and they
should be given a high nitrogen fertilizer every two weeks
starting in spring and running through mid summer. From
midsummer on, give them a low nitrogen fertilizer alternating
with an acidic fertilizer.
Bonsai plants in pots need to be repotted every two years until
they are about 10 years old. It’s best to report in the spring,
using a slightly larger pot. Be sure to use free draining soil
that includes clean grit or stone so alkaline deposits are kept
from harming the Juniper.
Shaping your Juniper Bonsai is what makes the tree unique and can
be accomplished with careful pinching throughout the growing
season. Be sure to use only your fingers to pinch and never use
scissors or other tools which will cause the ends to turn brown.
Make sure you don’t pinch off all the greens as you will need
enough foliage to protect the branches. Avoid pinching the first
leaves that sprout and make sure that you develop a gradual
pinching routine leaving a reasonable amount of time between
pichings.
With proper care, you will be able to enjoy your Juniper Bonsai
for a long time. One interesting fact is that Junipers keep
their shape for many weeks even after they die.
Lee Dobbins writes for
http://www.bonsai.garden-corner.com where
you can learn more about caring for your Bonsai.
Back to Index of Shrubs & Trees for the Home
Search our site for any Home, Lawn or Garden Info
