Help identifying what kind of Juniper mine would be

[Dank Piscean]

I received this Juniper bonsai as a gift a couple of days ago and have been learning a lot on how to care for my new favorite little tree but I'm still curious what specific species of Juniper this could be. Any help would be very much appreciated. The friend who gifted to me said it was also 16 years old according to the person who sold him it but people I've told said maybe it was from a cut of a 16 year old and looks much younger.

 

[thomas22]

I have several junipers I don't even know what kind they are. I would guess yours is a Procumbens Nana.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Probably a cutting from a 16 yr. old tree. I would agree with @thomas22
And say nana.

 

[Shibui]

If really badly treated it could take 16 years to grow tree like this. Better conditions maybe 3 or 4 years and these are grown for a quick buck so more likely to be youngish.
Unfortunately sellers see mugs coming and some have been known to stretch the truth just a little to get a sale.
Juniper procumbens, probably var nana.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

That pot.. I dont know if will be the best for growing the tree, it have a pocket of water right? The part with soil have drainage holes? The tree looks planted in a kokedama with moss or something similar

 

[Shibui]

That pot.. I dont know if will be the best for growing the tree, it have a pocket of water right? The part with soil have drainage holes? The tree looks planted in a kokedama with moss or something similar

Someone must turn out millions of these pots each year - and the Oriental fisherman to go with them.
The pond section is separate from the soil section so no problem with waterlogging but the soil side is rather small so I do get quite a few of these donated after the tree dies form dehydration. Keeping the water up to a tree in such a small pot in summer is challenging.
My guess is the roots are in soil but the moss is on the surface (not kokedama) because everyone knows real bonsai has moss on the soil. May also help conserve some moisture in the small pocket of soil.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Dank Piscean]

That pot.. I dont know if will be the best for growing the tree, it have a pocket of water right? The part with soil have drainage holes? The tree looks planted in a kokedama with moss or something similar

I believe it is in a sort of kokedama or maybe its just the way it was wired. It has a very "ball-like" appearance. The pot does have a drainage hole at the bottom but just a little over half the pot is actually soil.
I'm still very new to all this but I'm eager to learn more and really want this little guy to thrive. Would you suggest repotting into a training pot? I've never done this but with some research and help from here I can try for the sake of the tree.

 

[Dank Piscean]

Someone must turn out millions of these pots each year - and the Oriental fisherman to go with them.
The pond section is separate from the soil section so no problem with waterlogging but the soil side is rather small so I do get quite a few of these donated after the tree dies form dehydration. Keeping the water up to a tree in such a small pot in summer is challenging.
My guess is the roots are in soil but the moss is on the surface (not kokedama) because everyone knows real bonsai has moss on the soil. May also help conserve some moisture in the small pocket of soil.

You're right about the pond section and the moss covers the surface and theres soil underneath. I'm guessing this is nursery soil. Would you say its best to have it repotted into a large pot maybe 6 or 7 inches long? The weather here in NY is starting to feel more like spring with some showers too so maybe it would benefit from being in a bigger pot. I just don't know if foliage is an issue because I'm aware they should have enough energy before a repot to handle the stress.

 

[DanaWhicker]

If you have a few dozen hours of free time, you might want to read some soil threads. Then, if you have a few dozen more, check out some threads on Juniper care.

Seriously though, if it were me, I'd put it in about a 1-3 gallon nursery pot. Although the ground would be a good choice too.

 

[Shibui]

You're right about the pond section and the moss covers the surface and theres soil underneath. I'm guessing this is nursery soil. Would you say its best to have it repotted into a large pot maybe 6 or 7 inches long? The weather here in NY is starting to feel more like spring with some showers too so maybe it would benefit from being in a bigger pot. I just don't know if foliage is an issue because I'm aware they should have enough energy before a repot to handle the stress.

A slightly larger pot will give some insurance against accidental dehydration when (note not if) you forget to water one hot day or go away for the weekend. An even larger pot will allow faster growth to develop a far better bonsai in future. The choice is yours.
Your tree appears healthy and happy. It has plenty of good strong growth to cope with a repot, especially if you don't plane to reduce roots much.
If you planned to reduce the top by 50% or more then repot may not be appropriate.