Help for a first-time bonsai owner? (with pictures)
Hi! My mom gave me a juniper bonsai tree for Christmas because I have a few small plants already (here's a photo).
The trouble is, I've only ever had succulents and a lucky bamboo plant before, so a bonsai tree is quite a bit above my experience level. My mother knows practically nothing about plants and all I have for care advice is a short "Survival Guide for the First-Time Bonsai Owner" booklet, so I've decided to come here to set some things straight.
Firstly, the booklet mentions that junipers do better outside, but I have no outdoor space whatsoever (I live in a college dorm). Is there anything I should be aware of if I want to keep this tree alive indoors? I live in New England and get poor light in the winter, so I do have a lamp for my plants, but it isn't very large or tall so it hits the tree more from the side than the top. Is that an issue? Here's a photo of the setup:
Secondly, the booklet says that junipers and other evergreens should not be pruned with pruning shears and instead unwanted growth should be plucked, and that I should ask my dealer to show me how to do it. However, I don't have a dealer; I don't even know where my mom bought the tree. Is there some online resource that I can learn this method from? Or are pruning shears actually ok for junipers?
Thirdly, I'm not exactly sure how to tell what to prune. I know that new shoots in visually undesirable areas (the underside of the branch, the trunk line, the base of branches, straight up, etc.) should be pruned, but what about when a branch starts to get too long, or the new growth on a branch has leaves that aren't as compact as the rest? For example, I'm not sure if I should prune the ends of these branches or not, because they're longer than all the rest and the growth at the end isnt very compact:
Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for fertilizer? Also bonsai soil, for when I eventually need to repot the tree?
Thanks so much, I know this got kind of long but I'd like to give this tree the best chance I can.
Comments (10)
Samantha K (New England, 6b)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (7)The place to start would be with your overall objectives and goals. What do you expect to accomplish by making changes to what's there now? What do you hope to gain? Laws about cutting down trees are a little more sophisticated than your statement about them would suggest. Usually, not every tree is protected and also, it has something to do with size. And likely, it would not preclude you from performing maintenance on trees, which could possibly involve a lot of cutting. In a given thread on the forum, it's best to focus on one area -- like the front yard -- and forego discussion of other projects. If you try to lump everything in your yard into a single thread, it can be overwhelming and the discussion can be confusing. Wherever you want to focus on, it's good to show a set of photographs that spans the entire scene. In order to do that, you would stand in line with the center of that scene, about 25' away from it, and start photographic it at the far left end, pivoting to the right, taking slightly overlapping shots as you go until the farthest right picture has been captured ... and then post those pictures. For the front of a house, this is usually 4 or 5 pictures. (When taking them, you cannot change locations between any of the pictures. And don't post a computer generated panorama made of them.)...See MoreFirst time succulent owner in need of MAJOR help!
Comments (6)Very basic requirements to grow succulents are good drainage - both well draining mix and the container with drainage holes. If left in that teacup, you may have problems sooner or later - unless one has really good experience, making sure it is getting proper amount of water is hard to 'guesstimate'. Ppl often say: I water just few drops...I water very seldom...or something similar, since they are afraid of plant rotting. Watering in sips doesn't give enough moisture to the roots. Plants should be watered, when needed, well. Excess water should not sit at the bottom. Next requirement is good air circulation - many succulents will do well in higher temps, but most dislike high humidity. And finally, plenty of light - it will vary for some species; many will prefer full sunlight, some rather dappled....See MoreFirst time home owner... need help (kitchen)!!
Comments (12)After looking more closely at your photos, the problem you are going to run into are things like window and door trim. I can't tell if there is trim on the window in the yellow nook. Assuming there is, anything you put on top of the tile could end up too deep for the trim. Assuming there isn't and it is tiled to the window, you would have to figure out a way to trim out the window to hide the tile, then do your beadboard. I understand this is your first home and that you don't want to rip things out but, you don't want to make it worse than it is by kinda sorta fixing it. I would test removing the tile. If it comes off pretty cleanly, then I would remove all and skim coat to fix the walls. If not, I would remove both tile and plaster and drywall. It will be labor intensive, but better to do it right the first time and improve the home, than to do something that will only make it worse and possibly decrease the value....See MoreCurb appeal help/First time home owners!
Comments (3)So sorry, don’t know why it didn’t upload with the post!...See More
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