Junipers...finally

[PastryBaker]

Out here in Palm Springs, CA there are no junipers at any nursery etc. Except for large ones for topiary. Found a grower who could ship to CA.
Have not had junipers since I lived back east. Got a three pack, so I can play with styles.
They came in 4" plastic pots in regular organic soil and they were bigger than I thought they would be. Going to let them acclimate for a month or so.

Can I slip pot into a pot with bonsai soil without removing the organic soil that the roots are in? Or should I just leave them in their 4" pots til spring and then repot into bonsai soil?
Thanks

 

[doc spring _work]

I would have taken a hedge for cutting >.> But that's just me

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Can I slip pot into a pot with bonsai soil without removing the organic soil that the roots are in? Or should I just leave them in their 4" pots til spring and then repot into bonsai soil?
Thanks

In Palm Springs you can repot them in December and they won't miss a beat. When I lived in the OC I used to repot all of my pines in December and never had an issue. The main thing is to avoid doing anything significant to the roots as you are heading into or during the heat of the summer. So while many people in other parts of the country might be repotting in March or April, you will want to be well done by then.

Also, sounds strange, but check Craigslist for juniper listings. Some people will post when they want landscape plants removed. Also, some of the property owners in the high desert to the north or along the 74 to the south will occasionally post when they want to get rid of some of their California junipers.

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palmsprings.craigslist.org

These Hollywood junipers are interesting at $125 each... They are Juniperus chinensis 'torulosa' or 'hollywood' or 'kaizuka' depending where you buy them. I'll bet they have pretty beefy trunks to work with...

 

[PastryBaker]

I would have taken a hedge for cutting >.> But that's just me

I didn't think about that.

 

[PastryBaker]

In Palm Springs you can repot them in December and they won't miss a beat. When I lived in the OC I used to repot all of my pines in December and never had an issue. The main thing is to avoid doing anything significant to the roots as you are heading into or during the heat of the summer. So while many people in other parts of the country might be repotting in March or April, you will want to be well done by then.

Also, sounds strange, but check Craigslist for juniper listings. Some people will post when they want landscape plants removed. Also, some of the property owners in the high desert to the north or along the 74 to the south will occasionally post when they want to get rid of some of their California junipers.

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palmsprings.craigslist.org

These Hollywood junipers are interesting at $125 each... They are Juniperus chinensis 'torulosa' or 'hollywood' or 'kaizuka' depending where you buy them. I'll bet they have pretty beefy trunks to work with...

View attachment 563186

Those are some big "pre-bonsai",,,lol Thanks for the info. It is so different growing here. While everyone else is repotting in the spring, we are putting up shade cloth. How can I re-pot from regular organic soil to bonsai mix without messing with the roots?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Those are some big "pre-bonsai",,,lol Thanks for the info. It is so different growing here. While everyone else is repotting in the spring, we are putting up shade cloth. How can I re-pot from regular organic soil to bonsai mix without messing with the roots?

I would just leave them alone atm. Wait until the summer breaks. It can still be pretty hot there in Sept/Oct.

 

[PastryBaker]

Thank you. I am going to do that. I noticed this morning they are very root bound and roots coming out of the drainage holes. So I know they will be happy when I do repot them after the heat. May add a small amount of topsoil because there is a lot of room on top.

 

[Srt8madness]

In Palm Springs you can repot them in December and they won't miss a beat. When I lived in the OC I used to repot all of my pines in December and never had an issue. The main thing is to avoid doing anything significant to the roots as you are heading into or during the heat of the summer. So while many people in other parts of the country might be repotting in March or April, you will want to be well done by then.

Also, sounds strange, but check Craigslist for juniper listings. Some people will post when they want landscape plants removed. Also, some of the property owners in the high desert to the north or along the 74 to the south will occasionally post when they want to get rid of some of their California junipers.

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palm springs for sale "juniper" - craigslist

palmsprings.craigslist.org

These Hollywood junipers are interesting at $125 each... They are Juniperus chinensis 'torulosa' or 'hollywood' or 'kaizuka' depending where you buy them. I'll bet they have pretty beefy trunks to work with...

View attachment 563186

Those would be $500+ here!!

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Out here in Palm Springs, CA there are no junipers at any nursery etc. Except for large ones for topiary. Found a grower who could ship to CA.
Have not had junipers since I lived back east. Got a three pack, so I can play with styles.
They came in 4" plastic pots in regular organic soil and they were bigger than I thought they would be. Going to let them acclimate for a month or so.

Can I slip pot into a pot with bonsai soil without removing the organic soil that the roots are in? Or should I just leave them in their 4" pots til spring and then repot into bonsai soil?
Thanks

These are great for heavy wiring, twists, bends for informal uprights. Twists for future shari.

 

[Tahoebonsai]

Wow what a deal, I do the same thing and I usually just go under farm and garden on Craigslist and just type in “dig” and all sorts of things pop up where they’ll say you have to dig it up… I came across a bunch of little old gold junipers this year that still had the price tags on them lol such a score

 

[PastryBaker]

Wow what a deal, I do the same thing and I usually just go under farm and garden on Craigslist and just type in “dig” and all sorts of things pop up where they’ll say you have to dig it up… I came across a bunch of little old gold junipers this year that still had the price tags on them lol such a score

Now that is a nice haul !!!!

 

[PastryBaker]

I would just leave them alone atm. Wait until the summer breaks. It can still be pretty hot there in Sept/Oct.

Just curious...can I slip pot them into a slightly bigger pot so they have soil? Would not disturb them. Since they are so pot bound. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Just curious...can I slip pot them into a slightly bigger pot so they have soil? Would not disturb them. Since they are so pot bound. Thanks.

When you water, is the water going down into the soil/roots? If not (or if it takes a little while), you can reduce the soil surface 1/2”, allowing the water to rest (and not spill off to the ground) but slowly go into the soil, if needed.

Overall, it likely is better for the plants to remain where they are until it is safe to repot them. I’ve learned this lesson in my 1 year of experience thus far: When I impose my “needs” upon them, we both suffer. I punish them by doing something out-of-season, and they punish me by responding with poor health or death.

 

[PastryBaker]

When you water, is the water going down into the soil/roots? If not (or if it takes a little while), you can reduce the soil surface 1/2”, allowing the water to rest (and not spill off to the ground) but slowly go into the soil, if needed.

Overall, it likely is better for the plants to remain where they are until it is safe to repot them. I’ve learned this lesson in my 1 year of experience thus far: When I impose my “needs” upon them, we both suffer. I punish them by doing something out-of-season, and they punish me by responding with poor health or death.

Thank you. So true about my "needs". Learned that when raising reptiles. When I water, the water goes out of the bottom immediately. So I keep watering for a bit.
There is enough room on top to add soil (they came in organic soil) or put a layer of sphagnum. It is so hot here, they dry fast. I will wait to repot.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Thank you. So true about my "needs". Learned that when raising reptiles. When I water, the water goes out of the bottom immediately. So I keep watering for a bit.
There is enough room on top to add soil (they came in organic soil) or put a layer of sphagnum. It is so hot here, they dry fast. I will wait to repot.

Glad to hear, to waiting