#BonsaiNews: What's so great about Juniper bonsai? Simply; Everything!

imagendevoz (54)in #teambonsai • 6 years ago

IF ever there was a tree with a somewhat bad reputation among most bonsai enthusiasts, it would probably be the Juniper - your guess would be as good as mine however, it would appear as though most complaints are made by beginners themselves.

Surprisingly, the Juniper is one of the most formidable trees to use as bonsai, even if you are a beginner.

(IMAGE SOURCE: bonsaibark.com)

I think it is important to start off with the most common mistakes people can make when they have a Juniper in their care:

Do not leave them indoors.
Do not over water.
Do not skip on feeding.
After pruning, do not leave the tree in full sunlight (two to three weeks indirect sunlight).
Don't do it all in one go - pruning, trimming, root pruning, re-potting and bending. Doing this could shock the tree into inactivity and reduce growth. This will result in roots rotting as well.
In warm temperatures exceeding 32°C, do not leave the tree in full sunlight - a form of dormancy may occur.
Do not repot in the heart of winter or before.

Now, for some tips:

If you somehow managed to damage a branch and have no choice but to trim it back all the way to the stem, do so. Afterwards, apply adhesive aluminium tape over the cut as flat as possible. This will ensure that the scarring does not bulge and leave a nasty looking scar - wounds to the tree will heal quickly.
Applying Jin/Shari during winter months is a good idea, as is treating thereof.
Bending the tree into whichever design you prefer.
Trim back new shoots during spring using a scissor at a parallel angle.
Repot your Juniper during early spring. Re-potting can also be done during summer however, spring is best. Only repot if the roots are circling other roots. (if not, repot the following year)
Provide your Juniper fertilizer during autumn - low in nitrogen is best as this will encourage vegetative growth.
Junipers enjoy having their foliage treated with water regularly - this can be done by misting them.
Make use of a mostly inorganic mixture for your Juniper: Check with your nursery for a good mix.
Ensure that the pot is an ideal size which does not leave too much room at the base for roots - if not done this way, rotting may occur due to water retention. Ensure that proper drainage is possible as well.

End of what not to do and some good tips.

Now, the reason why Junipers are brilliant for just about anyone, is the fact that they enjoy bending and take to just about any form or design you can think of applying.

They are rather strong plants and do well in just about any environment - note that there are roughly 67 species of Juniper and of course, as with most species of various trees, care will differ however, the above guide should do well with just about all Juniper varieties.

Below is a style guide found on bonsaiempire.com: