develop out
over the Bonsai pot and descend
below the horizontal aspect.
Perfect conditions for Juniper
Bonsais are when the tree is placed
in full sun and the soil balance is
slightly on the dry side. This
again, is why growing a Juniper
Bonsai tree is perfect for a Bonsai
beginner, as watering levels are not
a critical as other species.
However, the Bonsai soil shouldn't
be left to dry out permanently. On
the flip side, plenty of water will
not have any adverse effect either,
proving the Bonsai pot has adequate
drainage for the water to be free
flowing.
When it comes to feeding a Juniper
Bonsai tree, normally every 3 to 4 weeks at the start of
Spring right through to mid Autumn is preferred.
However, thoughts vary here, with some Bonsai
enthusiasts opting to use organic fertilizers instead
With artificial Bonsai fertilisers
tending to be harsher, it’s important that proper care
should be used to ensure the Juniper Bonsai tee
continues to grow and remain healthy. By using a
weaker strength of about twenty-twenty-twenty Nitrogen
Phosphorus Potassium – NPK the Juniper Bonsai should
have the perfect balance of nutrients. However, make
sure not to use fertilisers during the warmer months or
after repotting the Bonsai tree.
It’s a good idea when repotting the
Juniper Bonsai tree to also snip away some of the roots,
don’t go mad but a light pruning of roots is considered
best. Do not be tempted to prune more than one third of
the root ball, Juniper Bonsai trees that are younger
than ten yeas should be repotted once every few years.
Older Junipers depending on their condition can be
repotted every three to four.
The correct Bonsai soil mixture is
an important aspect of any Juniper Bonsai tree care
program. A split of about ten percent peat, thirty
percent rough sand and sixty percent soil is about as
good as it gets for any Juniper Bonsai. However, a
viable, but not quite as good alternative would be to us
a mixture of sand, leaf mold and Loam in equal
proportions.
With the roots and soli of our
Juniper Bonsai taken care off, it’s time to turn our
attention the top half. When repotting and especially
when trimming any roots you should also take the time to
prune away unwanted branches too.
A popular Bonsai technique that
Bonsai enthusiasts often use to remove any unwanted new
growth is called ‘finger pinching’. This involves
rolling the shoot between thumb and forefinger before a
sharp twist ensures a clean cut. Practice is best
advised before performing this procedure however, as if
used incorrectly can but extra strain of the trunk of
the Juniper Bonsai tree. Once mastered, the finger
pinching technique should be use frequently throughout
the growing season in order to maintain balance to the
foliage.
One thing to watch our for
throughout your Juniper Bonsai tree care program is red
spider insects. These are a common problem to all
Juniper Bonsai trees. Tell-tale signs of infection
with theses pests are yellow looking foliage and tiny
spots on the underside of the Junipers branches. A good
tip would be to use a lightly coloured peace of paper or
any other whitish material and give a branch a light tap
whilst holding the sheet of paper directly below.
Hopefully this will disturb a few of the pests causing
them to fall onto the paper. Any signs of life from the
paper are likely to mean the Juniper is infected.
Tobacco dipped in water can be a
good home made solution. However, it’s probably best to
source a professional solution specifically designed to
cure the infection of the Bonsai tree.
Once the insecticide has had chance
to work for a few days, you should daily spray the
infected areas with water, and allow to dry fully. If
the infection still persists then you should seek
further Juniper Bonsai tree care help.
