Thinking about finally trying a Juniper. Advice?

[TinRoses]

Local nursery has large potted Parsoni and Blue Pacific plants for "ground cover". Many of these pots have multiple trunks with A LOT of movement. Usually 2 or 3 trunks of decent thickness, long leaders, and they seem HEALTHY. Many beg to go cascade, others beg to be radically bent. And did I mention healthy? That has always been my main concern with Juniper as I have heard that they can die and fast if you screw up. Normally I play with deciduous plants, but I have ALWAYS loved the look of Juniper and lord knows I have the patience to sit and wait and style. For $6 - $8 bucks and NOT Home Depot/Lowes stock, I think I may have struck gold. I could always deadwood an additional trunk and work to separate others that would make good stand alone Bonsai.

Now here's where I ask for advice. What should I look for in earnest, aside from sexy trunks and movement? Should I buy now and leave alone until spring? Granted I'm in South Florida (zone 10) and I think these guys grow all winter long here... What's the recommended potting mix? I know these guys HATE wet toes and seem to do awesome in Florida's sandy soil. I absolutely do NOT want to screw this up, even if the investment isn't all that huge. Thanks in advance.

 

[Eric Group]

Look for the thickest trunk you can get with good movement.
Blue Rugs are garbage for Bonsai... Parsoni is "OK".. I think they do better in S Fla than most climates in America... Maybe it is the heat, but everywhere else I see them they are overrun with spikey/ juvenile foliage. In Florida, people seem to be able to get them to produce mature scale foliage reliably...

I still recommend you get your hands on some Shimpaku/ Kishu/ Itiogawa if you want to do Juniper Bonsai. I even prefer Procumbens Nana to Parsons personally.

Oh, and as far as care- I will give you the same caution I give everyone these days: the recommendations against over watering do NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD LET THE TREE DRY COMPLETELY OUT! A tree kept a little too wet will probably just grow more- unless we are talking extreme over watering.. Like floating in a mucky mess of liquid mud over watering. A tree that gets too dry is DEAD 100% OF THE TIME.

 

[sorce]

Blue Rugs are garbage for Bonsai

I agree, but I think he's talking about the blue Pacific needle joint like Grimmy has.

Also, garbage, unless you find a huge one for a 2 foot final tree IMO.

I kind of dig parsoni. Sawgrass been working parsoni now.

I'd be looking for trunks, movement, and decent branching.

Sorce

 

[GrimLore]

I agree, but I think he's talking about the blue Pacific needle joint like Grimmy has.

I have the 2 Blue Pacific Shore Juniper and they will make some really nice cascades in a few short years. I also have a Blue Rug Juniper 'Wiltonii' but that one might land up in the landscape - to much of a ground hugger. The Shimpaku are nice and I am seeing some value in the Red Eastern Cedar. Here they all stay in full sun and MUST be kept damp. I use a fast draining Nursery type mix with a thick drainage layer of Perma Till and they do just fine. I also have just started playing around with them except for growing the Eastern Cedars and there are a few more on my Spring list - a little finicky they are but really not overly difficult.

Grimmy