JUNIPER BONSAI - a great starter tree

Juniper Bonsai are the most popular bonsai trees in North America, maybe because they are not difficult to grow. However, it is the maintenance that must be ongoing in order for them to remain healthy and become the miniature Juniper bonsai that you want. The tradition states that Juniper bonsai are grown outdoors and when needed for display, they were brought indoors. You will find your juniper to be an easy to care for tree.

If your Juniper Bonsai is placed in full sunlight then you will have to water it daily. It would be better if the tree were placed in a partial sunlight situation. If your Juniper is inside it will need at least three hours of sunlight each day. It doesn’t like drafts or heating vents, so make sure the tree is placed away from either of these and not close enough to feel the backdraft.

When watering your Juniper bonsai immerse the pot in water almost to the top and leave for about an hour making sure the soil gets saturated through the holes in the bottom of the pot. If you are growing your tree in a shallow pot you will need to repeat this watering process every two to three days. With a deeper pot, when the soil feels dry on the surface this is when it is ready for water.

Pests and insects are a large enemy of Junipers. To keep your tree clear of these little pests, you should spray the tree once a month with household plant insecticide. Don’t forget to spray all plants within the area as the mites like to travel. They don’t limit their diet to one particular plant and can somehow jump from one to another.

Winter is the time when plants and nature in general becomes dormant and this also goes for your Juniper Bonsai. In winter it likes to cool off, have a rest. Indirect lighting is enough and watering is reduced a lot. If the tree is kept in the living area, keep it away from sunlight, and because it is living at room temperature make sure to humidify by misting every so often.

Junipers have two different types of foliage. When it is young the foliage is dense and scaly looking. Mature foliage resembles a pine tree, the needles become more distinct.

Whether you buy a juvenile or full grown, the procedure is still the same as far as growing and maintaining. Though it isn’t difficult to grow, once you get the hang of bonsai tree growing, Juniper is one of the easiest of the bonsai’s to begin with. It does have its little idiosyncrasies, like changing its foliage in mid stream shouldn’t distract you. When the mature tree is re-potted it returns once again to its juvenile branches.

The best technique for simplicity with a Juniper bonsai is to grow the tree upright, with horizontal branches, apparently this is the easiest to maintain, but it doesn’t have the curly dwarf effect, it simply resemble a very miniature tree. However, this is exactly what a Juniper bonsai is supposed to look like.