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Old 10-02-2003, 05:25 PM
Jim Lewis
 
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Default [IBC] Juniper Bonsai life expectancy?

hi i just got a juniper bonsai tree and it looks fairly
young maybe 2-3 years. anyhow, i'm wondering
how long can i expect this to live? lets say i were
to care for it and repot, water, give good sunshine,
feed and everything else expected of a good master...


I assume from the message that you are inexperienced with bonsai.

I also assume that what you have is a pre-formed,
already-in-the-pot commercially produced bonsai. We call them
Mallsai.

If both (or either, actually) of these assumptions is correct,
the answer -- unfortunately -- is "not long" unless you are lucky
and a fast learner.

You have the right attitude, through. It has a chance if you
"care for it, repot, water and give good sunshine, feed and
everything else . . ."

Maybe I can help.

1. As Iris said, it should be outdoors 24 hours a day and 7 days
a week for 52 weeks a year (unless you live where it gets REALLY,
REALLY cold where it will required some winter protection. That
does NOT mean to bring it inside the warm house. A cold frame,
unheated garage or basement, etc. is necessary to allow it
dormancy. If you have it inside now, and temps are still below
freezing in your area, keep it inside, in a sunny location, and
move it out as soon as freezing weather is over.

2. If it was a mall-bought (including Home Depot and roadside
kiosks) juniper bonsai it probably has a soil surface that is
covered with rocks the size of your thumb (or thereabouts).
Chances are these rocks are glued on the surface of the soil.
Get rid of them. Now. Replace the resulting void with a
good-quality potting soil.

3. A few words about watering: Too much water is as bad as
(maybe worse) than too little water, especially for a juniper.
ONLY water when the soil feels dry an inch or so under the
surface. How do you tell? Keep a stick jammed into the soil
about half way between the trunk and the rim of the pot. Pull it
out at the same time every day and feel the dirty end. If it is
damp, do NOT water. If it feels dry, Water. If you got a sheet
of instructions with your tree they undoubtedly said to water by
plopping the pot in a sink-full of water and let the pot soak it
up. This is not good for the soil -- especially the soil that
most Mallsai come planted in. Use a watering can and water from
the top -- like rain.

4. Feeding. Don't overdo. Any houseplant fertilizer will be
fine. Monthly is all it will need. Don't start until March or
April.

6. Rush to your nearest bookstore or garden center and purchase
the Sunset book on Bonsai.

7. Find a local bonsai club and join. The old timers there can
help easier than we can. If you write us again, please tell us
where you live. It makes giving advice easier because chances
are we have someone from your general area on the IBC.

And, 8. If this tree dies, it probably isn't your fault. Fully
half (maybe more) of all Malsai are DOA in the store, much less
the purchaser's hands. It takes weeks for a juniper to look
dead.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of bonsai.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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