Just getting started - help!

[FMCSacramento]

My wife and I are starting small with what I believe to be a juniper we picked up at Maruyama Bonsai Nursery here in Sacramento. First question, is it a juniper? Any suggestions as to books for beginners? We are planning on keeping it outside. From perusing the site, I know there are quite a few advanced in the hobby, so I hope my questions don’t seem too remedial. What next steps should I consider, besides trying to keep it alive. Thank you for any guidance!

 

[19Mateo83]

First off…

Second, you are correct, it is a juniper. A procumbens nanna to be exact. You are on the right path already by keeping it outside. The best advice I can give a beginner is to learn to keep it alive. Proper watering is key.

 

[dbonsaiw]

From perusing the site, I know there are quite a few advanced in the hobby, so I hope my questions don’t seem too remedial.

Welcome aboard. We are a bunch of mixed nuts with very different experience levels. I have found the more knowledgeable on this site to be very free and open with their advice. Better to ask questions than make mistakes (and then be forced to ask even more questions).

 

[AshleyMammal]

First off…
View attachment 579659
Second, you are correct, it is a juniper. A procumbens nanna to be exact. You are on the right path already by keeping it outside. The best advice I can give a beginner is to learn to keep it alive. Proper watering is key.

Not to be rude (you know much, much more than me) but are you sure it’s a procumbens nana? It’s looks to have a mix of juvenile and mature growth - my guess would be something more akin to a san jose maybe? I know nana can get mature scale foliage but it seems rare on a tree of this age (certainly from my experience of nana in the UK) - happy to be corrected!

 

[Shibui]

Not to be rude (you know much, much more than me) but are you sure it’s a procumbens nana? It’s looks to have a mix of juvenile and mature growth - my guess would be something more akin to a san jose maybe? I know nana can get mature scale foliage but it seems rare on a tree of this age (certainly from my experience of nana in the UK) - happy to be corrected!

Well done for looking closer. I agree with your conclusion this is unlikely to be procumbens. Might also be J. chinensis with some juvenile growth.
Regardless of the exact species it is a Juniper and all Junipers are treated pretty much the same so from a cultivation point of view, ID to species level is not needed.

We are planning on keeping it outside. From perusing the site, I know there are quite a few advanced in the hobby, so I hope my questions don’t seem too remedial. What next steps should I consider, besides trying to keep it alive. Thank you for any guidance!

Great that you have done enough research to know Junipers need to be outside. They definitely need good amount of sun, humidity and fresh air.
Water when the soil is getting close to dry. That will vary through the year and with pot size, soil type and local microclimate so you'll just have to keep checking the soil each day until you get a handle on your tree at your place.
Regular watering also means nutrient leaching so bonsai also need regular fertiliser. Any plant fertiliser is suitable so find something that's easy for you to use. Liquid fert every 2-3 weeks in growing season, solid, organic ferts every 4-6 weeks or controlled release fert 2-3 times per year. Use any fert at the rates on the packet. No need for half dose for little trees - that's already accounted for in the pot size.
Trim any shoots that grow outside your desired shape.
If you want to change the shape of the tree use wires to hold the new shape for a few months then remove wires before they mark the bark.

Not sure what beginner level books there are these days?

 

[Gabler]

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[Gabler]

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[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

I'm betting that's juniperus chinensis as well, as I checked the website of that nursery and the only juniper they mention having in stock is "Shimpaku"

 

[Michael P]

To help with watering, push a wooden chopstick or dowel deeply into the soil and leave it there. After 24 hours, pull the stick out and feel the end. If the end is really wet or dripping, the tree is over-watered. (This is almost impossible if the tree is in proper bonsai soil.) If the end is moist but not wet this is good. If the end is dry or nearly so, water the tree. Leave the chopstick in place all the time so that it is easy to check moisture level.

Since you are new to bonsai, the chopstick method is very helpful until you learn how much water the tree needs.