Newbie questions
 

Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's market
from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a pumice pot
and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a large (6'
x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long. So we
aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to signs of
unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I might
watch for to keep it healthy.

Bob wrote:
Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's market
from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a pumice pot
and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a large (6'
x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long. So we
aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to signs of
unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I might
watch for to keep it healthy.

Welcome to the sport of bonsai. At least you seem to be
aware that junipers are NOT indoor trees, so when it slowly
fades away, you will know why. Assuming you have some
experience with plants, you probably will be able to keep it
"alive" for a year or so. But it will not thrive.

The indoor environment is especially rough on trees -- even
trees that _can_ adapt to indoor life -- ficus, sheffelera,
etc. It's too dry indoors. I'm speaking of humidity, not
soil moisture. There's no fresh air (breeze). Light (even
on a sun porch) is always lower than they get outside, and
the UV is missing. Insect problems become much worse inside
than out.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Sorry, Bob. Outside it goes and outside it stays. Junipers might last a
season or two indoors, but eventually they will die if kept inside.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob"
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 11:37 AM
Subject: [IBC] Newbie questions


Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's
market
from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a pumice pot
and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a large
(6'
x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long. So we
aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to signs
of
unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I might
watch for to keep it healthy.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++


************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I will add it can visit you indoors but only for a few days at a time.
I have a stand and I do bring in outdoor bonsai indoor to visit with on
those cold winter nights. It gets to about 30 f here so they never go
hard dormant where I am.
On Aug 28, 2005, at 2:12 PM, Marty Haber wrote:

Sorry, Bob. Outside it goes and outside it stays. Junipers might
last a season or two indoors, but eventually they will die if kept
inside.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob"
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 11:37 AM
Subject: [IBC] Newbie questions


Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked
at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's
market
from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a pumice
pot
and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies
often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can
see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a
large (6'
x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long.
So we
aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to
signs of
unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on
this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I
might
watch for to keep it healthy.

************************************************** ********************
**********
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ********************
**********
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/
--
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail
+++++

************************************************** *********************
*********
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** *********************
*********
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/
--
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail
+++++


************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Bob:
Welcome to the hobby!
You have received some good advice re keeping your juniper indoors.
Don't do it!

I would like to offer one additional bit of information:
Junipers have the characteristic that when they die, the needles
continue to look green and stay attached to the tree for several
weeks. The needles dry out and get more "prickley", but it is hard
to see happening. Generally if it dies (which it will do indoors)
you won't notice it until it is too late.

God Luck,

Tom Pillichody
in West Virginia
where tiny oaks from giant acorns grow

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Thank you all for both the warm welcome to the group, and the sage advice.
Outside it goes and outside it will stay. I just need to change my habits
and place it in an outdoor viewing area. I am certain I will have many more
questions the more I learn from reading current and older posts.

"Bob" wrote in message
...
Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's
market from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a
pumice pot and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a large
(6' x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long.
So we aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to signs
of unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I might
watch for to keep it healthy.

Bob wrote:
Thank you all for both the warm welcome to the group, and the sage advice.
Outside it goes and outside it will stay. I just need to change my habits
and place it in an outdoor viewing area. I am certain I will have many more
questions the more I learn from reading current and older posts.


Gosh. It's SO nice when people actually take our advice. ;-)

Now I have one more bit of advice: Do NOT let this be your
only bonsai!

That is serious advice, and is not intended to get you to
buy, Buy, BUY bonsai.

It is simply that people with just one tree tend to love
their precious baby to death -- and you sound like a
probable candidate, to me. :-)

Having more than one tree forces you to spread out your
affections somewhat.

While bonsai do need care, a lone tree will last longer on
benign neglect than it will from hovering over-attention.

And, if you buy an untrained plant-in-a-pot and train it
into bonsaihood youself, think of the accomplishment!

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Bob wrote:
Well, everybody has to start sometime. My time is now. I have looked at
bonsai plants for a while. Finally I bought one at the local farmer's market
from a booth for a local nursery. The bonsai is a juniper in a pumice pot
and is gorgeous to my untrained eye.

I have done a bit of reading on the net about the mistakes newbies often
make. I am still wishing that I can enjoy my plant indoors so I can see it
more often than I will if it is outdoors. I am fortunate to have a large (6'
x 9') sun room that gets a substantial amount of light all day long. So we
aren't just talking about a big window.

Obviously if I choose to start my bonsai off here and it starts to signs of
unhappiness, it will go outside, but I am curious if any others on this
newsgroup have had success in keeping their tree indoors and what I might
watch for to keep it healthy.

The other reason why junipers (and all non-tropical plants) have to go
outdoors is because they have to go dormant during the winter. If they
don't get the cold weather, they croak.