Care Guide For The Juniper Bonsai Tree
The juniper genus comprises around 50 to 70 different species within the cypress family. They are evergreen coniferous trees or shrubs, which are very popular for bonsai.
Bonsai juniper trees that can be found in big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot are often Japanese garden juniper, also known as green juniper (Juniperus procumbens nana).
Other popular species include the Chinese juniper (Juniperus Chinensis), the Japanese shimpaku (Juniperus sargentii), the Japanese needle juniper (Juniperus rigida), two species from central Europe: the juniper (Juniperus sabina), and the common juniper (Juniperus communis). )
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It also includes three American species: the California Juniper (Juniperus californica), the Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), and the Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). All of which have very similar care guidelines.
Specific Bonsai Care Guidelines for Juniper Bonsai
Placement
Place the tree outside, year-round, in a well-lit location with plenty of sunlight. Juniper cannot live indoors. During winter, protect the tree when temperatures drop below 15 ° F (-10 ° C).
Some species change their foliage color during frost periods to purplish brown, which is part of their internal frost protection mechanism. Don't worry, they will be green again in spring.
Watering
Be careful not to overwater, as juniper roots do not like soil moisture. Before watering, the soil should be slightly dry.
Tree misting can be done regularly, especially after the tree has been replanted, as it benefits from the humidity in the air. We invite you to check this article about how to watering your bonsai tree.
Fertilization
Use normal organic fertilizer pellets every month during the growing season or liquid fertilizer every week. If you want to see strong growth, you can apply higher nitrogen levels in the spring.
Pruning
Long shoots emerging from the silhouette can be pinched or cut at the base with sharp scissors during the growing season to develop cushions of foliage.
Don't trim the juniper like a hedge, as removing all the growing tips weakens the tree and cuts off the brown needles. When the foliage pads become too dense, they must be thinned with sharp scissors at the base.
Juniper bonsai is generally a strong tree that also resists aggressive pruning very well. But it cannot sprout back from the bare parts of trees, so be careful that there is some foliage on each branch that you want to keep alive.
Wired
Junipers grown for bonsai are often heavily wired when very young. The dramatically twisted shapes are very popular and correspond to the natural shapes that used to grow in the Japanese mountains.
Junipers can be bent aggressively, but be sure to wrap the branches in raffia or tape to protect them. Be careful when bending areas with dead wood, as these pieces break easily.
If they are large and old, you can split the deadwood to bend the more flexible live parts.
Foliage pads need to be installed and spread after thinning to let in light and air; otherwise, the inner parts of the foliage pads will die and the dense pads also increase the risk of pest infestation.
Aesthetically, we want uncluttered structures to prevent the juniper from looking like broccoli.
Transplant
Transplant the juniper bonsai tree once every two years using a basic soil mix or a little more drainage. Very old trees can be replanted at longer intervals. Don't prune the roots too aggressively.
For propagation use seeds or cuttings.
We hope you enjoy watching this video about how to create a Juniper Bonsai tree:
Source: Bonsái Empire
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Last update on 2025-01-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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