juniper Question

[RichKid]

My wife, gotta love her for trying, bought me a mallsai juniper. Obviously a cutting. My question is, since its been indoors in the mall for who knows how long does it need to be acclimated? I don't wanna kill it by keeping it indoors but I don't wanna throw it outside for its first time in the dead of winter. Will it be okay?

 

[Dav4]

It needs to stay inside until spring... place in a sunny window, watch the water, and get it outside once freezing weather is behind you.

 

[GrimLore]

It needs to stay inside until spring... place in a sunny window, watch the water, and get it outside once freezing weather is behind you.

What he said

 

[Vance Wood]

It needs to stay inside until spring... place in a sunny window, watch the water, and get it outside once freezing weather is behind you.

Very true and reasonable, you give the tree a year to develop in a normal state of being, outdoors. If you throw it outside now you will probably kill it. It's like releasing a wild cat into the environment and assuming it will survive simply because of it's instincts.

 

[RichKid]

I typically do deciduous, this would be my first non tropical evergreen. What are the light needs for these? Growth rate? I know theres tons of info about junipers out there, but I tend to trust what the group consensus is here more than any random site. This thing is small, I dont know if I should take it out of its pot in the spring and try to grow it or just maintain it as it is. Its in one of those pots thats half soil and half water feature.

 

[Dav4]

What are the light needs for these? Growth rate?

When dormant, light requirements and growth rates are negligible. However, your tree is most likely only semi-dormant. During the growing season, junipers demand full sun...it is virtually impossible to give them too much direct sunlight during a PA summer. As it is now, your juniper would like more sun then it would if dormant, but I wouldn't worry too much about that right now. Keeping the juniper coolish (which will hopefully slow it's transition to active growth), but with descent light from a south facing window will be the best course of action until you can get it outside.

 

[milehigh_7]

If there are rocks glued onto the soil get'em off pronto.

 

[flor1]

If you get some warm days set it out side as long as it stays warm.
The more light you get on it the better fortys to fiftys won't hurt a thing.
If it's going to stay in the fortys overnight leave outside.