Brand new to bonsai. Advice on first juniper

[Mikeq716]

Hello everyone.

My name is Mike. This little juniper is my first attempt to get into bonsai..something that I have been wanting to do for a long time.

I have been trying to do as much reading as I can, but I'm a little dazed.

The tree is 3 years old. I think it has been styled as a windswept, but I understand that that can be very difficult to work with.

I am just looking for advice and suggestions on what to do with this little fella. A semi cascade in the future could be nice.


Thanks to everyone in advance.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

And welcome to the wonderful crazy world of bonsai! If you maintain your sanity for the next few years you will be doing better than the rest of us nuts

The first thing to consider with your juniper is that it is a living tree. No matter what amazing styling plans you might have for it, all will be for naught if your tree dies in the first month that you own it. So focus on keeping it alive - which is the first key lesson of bonsai. You will probably kill it - because everyone kills their first tree - but the important thing is never to kill a tree the same way twice That means you are learning.

Second thing - get yourself at least three more junipers just like it. Bonsai takes time, and nothing is more frustrating than trimming a tree... and having to wait for six months before you do anything else with it. So get yourself some more trees to play with so you don't kill your first tree with too much kindness.

Thirdly - always try to style your tree so that it looks like a tree in nature. Don't style it to look like a bonsai "style". The best thing you can do when starting out is to go online, look at pics of trees in nature, and choose a tree that you want to model your bonsai after. Print out the picture and keep it with you every time you trim, wire, or transplant your tree. Force yourself to try to make your bonsai 100% look like the photo. If you can accomplish this, you will be years ahead of many people who try to make their trees look like bonsai.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Mithrandir]

Hey!

I don't have much more to add to the above other than you've picked a good type to start with. Junipers can be relatively slow growing however are quite forgiving.

Also, i second the recommendation to get a few more of different sizes (even junipers from a nursery/bonsai nursery will be great to start on) as it will give you a mix of experience in learning how they grow, how to train them.

Don't be afraid to lookup any bonsai clubs/societies in your area that you could join, or go to visit. They are a great way to meet some really experienced people, learn a lot and get exposure to it all!

 

[Lorax7]

One piece of advice I would add is that junipers are outdoor trees, so make sure to keep it outside. Some trees can be kept as houseplants, but juniper just isn’t one of them. It needs the temperature fluctuations, humidity, and natural sunlight that it gets when outside.

 

[Cypress187]

Practise keeping it alive for the first 2 years , Welcome to the forum.

 

[Cable]

Are the rocks sitting on top of the soil or glued on? Can you see what kind of soil is in the pot? In the first pic it looks like they're just sitting on top of a regular potting soil or pine bark mix. If so, be careful since junipers like to be on the dry side so you won't be able to water too heavily. Depending on the mix, though. I have a juniper in a pine bark mix that is very free draining so I can still water every day without a problem. But I've seen ones in a higher moisture retentive soil that die from being too damp.

 

[J P]

Welcome to the bonsai world. The health of any tree should always be the first and foremost priority. Try to find out if there is a bonsai nursery near you and take a beginner's class. Have fun