Earlier in Part I we reviewed how to properly water, fertilize, and give your bonsai plant ample measures of sunlight and humidity. In this 2nd part we intend to have a discussion about when and how to re-pot your juniper bonsai, when to prune, how to take care of your juniper throughout the wintertime, and just how to keep the pesky insects faraway from your bonsai plant.
Pruning Your Juniper Bonsai
Invariably in the springtime, and then perhaps again in the fall season, buds (new growth) will form on the tips of the juniper bonsai tree branches. This new growth ought to be taken off by pinching, or else rapidly growing shoots will develop and your bonsai will begin appearing a little bit unkempt and lose it’s nice looking shape. Allow these fresh buds to grow approximately 30 days before you pinch them off. While you’re pinching off the new buds, also be watchful for older, yellowing foliage, and remove it from your plant. The yellowing foliage is rather unattractive. Removing this can also enable much better air circulation as well as the sun to reach the newest growth easier. Whenever you see brand new growth in the course of the regular growing season of summer you must also pinch it off. This will keep the plant looking tidy and furthermore to preserve it’s shape.
Your juniper bonsai won’t be injured, at all, from this pinching of new growth. Pinching is, in fact, the technique by which you will miniaturize and shape your juniper to become and stay a bonsai.
Repotting Your Juniper Bonsai
Young junipers, those less than 5 years old, will gain from being re-potted every second year. And once they reach 5 or 6 years old they will then only be re-potted every 3rd year. Make sure to use soil that drains readily when you re-pot your juniper bonsai. If your bonsai requires re-potting, be certain not to do this in the hot months of summer. Junipers should only be re-potted during the spring and fall in order to avoid causing any harm to your plant. If the juniper’s pot was not draining totally there’s a good likelihood it’s got root rot. If this happens to be the situation then cut off each of the damaged roots, then re-pot the plant working with only pure sphagnum moss. Keep the plant in the moss for a full year until the roots have entirely recovered. Immediately after repotting your juniper be sure to water it thoroughly and then keep the plant in a shady area until the roots have recovered.
Pruning the Juniper’s Roots
You are able to re-pot your juniper plant either in the spring or the fall. Then when you do you should take a look to determine if the plant is becoming root-bound. Before you prune the tree’s roots you have to very carefully get rid of most of the soil from the plant’s rootball. It is safe to cut off about 1/3 of the juniper’s roots. After pruning the plant is ready to be placed back in it’s pot. It’ll have lost some soil when you removed it from the rootball, so it is advisable to replace it with a 3:1 mixture of potting soil and sand. Allow it to soak in a solution of transplant shock supplement, and spray with water a couple of times a day for two weeks.
Keeping Pests Under Control
If you’re growing your juniper bonsai in the house you need to be particularly aware and looking out for spider mites. They can cause real injury to your juniper. In some cases it may be too late to save your juniper by the time you notice an infestation of spider mites. To prevent this from occurring you should include a once a month spraying, using an insecticide, into your bonsai care program. Indoors or out, make sure to spray all other nearby plants that might also have the spider mites.
How to Care for Your Juniper in Winter
Your juniper tree needs to have a rest period during winter to be able to remain healthy, and so it ought to be kept in a spot that the temp will not likely exceed 60F degrees all winter long. During this period your bonsai needs to be guarded from drying winds and severe cold conditions. This can be achieved by making use of cold frames, window wells, enclosed unheated rooms, or mulch beds.
Your juniper bonsai tree does best if it has a “Winter” to complete it’s natural cycle. Place it in a cool room in the winter, the chillier the better. A freeze followed by an abrupt and rapid rise in temperature will hurt your bonsai. Therefore you would be doing your plant more harm than good by bringing it inside immediately after it’s been subjected to freezing temperatures. The freeze by itself won’t cause injury to your juniper. Your juniper plant is only going to require low intensity light (indirect light) if the temperature remains continually below 50F degrees. The plant will need much less water while it is dormant during the winter, and if the temperatures remain low enough.
If you don’t have a garage or a basement or another cold spot to mimic winter, and thus you have to keep your juniper indoors, attempt to keep it someplace where it is out of direct sunlight. Every time your bonsai is kept in the house at room temperature, be sure to humidify it by misting it maybe once or twice daily. Spraying for mites also becomes more important.
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