Newbie to Bonsai. (High Resolution Image warning)

[Logan Y]

Hello people of BN. I have always loved Bonsais, and today I came across one for sell. I bought it at my local flea market. I have no clue what Bonsai tree I have, but I think I have a Juniper? I'm not really sure. Here is what it looks like. I don't want it growing sideways anymore. I like hearing people's opinions so let yours be heard.

 

[Shorty54]

As a newbie myself, first thing is you're going to need to put your location in your profile. So, you can get advice on proper care. Congrats on your new addiction!

 

[Logan Y]

As a newbie myself, first thing is you're going to need to put your location in your profile. So, you can get advice on proper care. Congrats on your new addiction!

Okay, I put my location on my profile now. It was nice today so I let my Bonsai soak up some sun in the nice weather Dalton had today. It's really cold tonight so it moved inside my house for now. Don't want it going dormant!

 

[Logan Y]

I just want to know what species I have. I would also like know some wiring techniques and when is the best time to do that, and so fourth. I have so much more to learn.

 

[Shorty54]

Looks like a Juniper, not sure which species....there are a few

 

[milehigh_7]

Juniper Procumbens 'nana' is what you have. It needs to be outside. Do you have a place that gets morning and early afternoon (shaded late afternoon) sun? If so that's perfect. Don't take them in and out as a regular practice. The changes will be more damaging than any cold you are having in Georgia at this time of year. You will get some specific advice soon from those more knowledgable than me.

Welcome to your new life and I will leave you with this. Bonsai trees are like Lay's potato chips, you can't have just one.

 

[sorce]

That feller caught my fish!

Less you been real rough with it, Or trimmed it, that little piece of needles In the soil Look like ones I only find in dead junis, cuz they break off dry.

I hope your tree is well. Is it pliable?

You have till mid summerish to repot for an angle change. If its well.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Looks like you need to check if the moss and stones are glued to the surface of the soil. If so take them off. They are glued on to hold the dirt in during shipping.
Get yourself a wooden chopstick or skewer. Push it into the soil to check for moisture. If it's almost dry add water. If moist wait to water.
Fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer like miracle grow.
Keep in full sun.
Welcome to bonsai!

 

[jk_lewis]

Get yourself a wooden chopstick or skewer. Push it into the soil to check for moisture. If it's almost dry add water. If moist wait to water.

This works only if the skewer/stick has been in the soil long enough to soak up moisture. Jam it into th soil and KEEP it there. Remove it daily, and do NOT water until the stick feels dry.

As someone else said this tree must stay outdoors. it can't get too cold for it anywhere in Georgia -- not even in the mountains.

 

[Vance Wood]

This is more my hope than opinion; it is my hope that what is most surely going to happen over the next couple of months, specifically the death of the tree, will not dissuade you from continuing in the art of bonsai. Most of these super market bonsai are not cultivated with a long term goal in mind past selling the tree and getting the money. I realize this is kind of a cynical outlook, but after fifty years growing bonsai and seeing how bonsai are grown professionally as opposed to commercially, I have a real good guess this little guy is headed to the compost heap. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong and that your care would be enough to bring the tree through.

Mike is right you need to check if the rocks and moss are glued on the surface and they need to be removed. The rock and moss can be replaced later once the tree is strong and growing. As to the tree; it is a Japanese Garden Juniper aka a Procumbens Juniper. It will need a lot of training with wire and pruning and a lot of growing out, something that is going to be very difficult with it growing in a bonsai pot with a rock and fisherman. This tree has no branching at all and will need to be encouraged to branch out. The tree has no design other than it goes over to the right with it's one branch.

If you are serious about getting into bonsai you need to work on keeping the tree alive and branching out.You need to work on educating yourself about bonsai and how they are made and how they are kept alive.

Oops! I was wrong! There is another branch hiding behind the first one. Now there is opportunity to do something with the tree but without the skill or knowledge to do those things odds are the branch would be broken. Can you photograph the tree from the other three angles and post those photos?

A word of warning: Procumbens Juniper have very fragile joints, the places where branches meat the trunk or large branches. If the tree is not handled carefully they break off at those points. Be careful if you start moveing the branches aside to get a better look.

 

[augustine]

Remove the moss and the pebbles under the large rock. You'll find that the pebbles are glued together.

Flea market trees may not be the healthiest. It would be unwise to do anything but let it be and get strong.

Need sun, water and fertilizer. Don,t bring in at night, you can shelter on cold nights in locations like a basement way, garage, under a deck or next to the house. Do your research.

Best,

Augustine

 

[Cypress187]

My first tree i learned alot from was the same species, mine was from a nursery. But i repotted in wrong season and put it in the full sun afterwards, so he didn't make it.

 

[Logan Y]

That feller caught my fish!
I hope your tree is well. Is it pliable?
Sorce

Yes, it is movable.

 

[Logan Y]

Looks like you need to check if the moss and stones are glued to the surface of the soil. If so take them off. They are glued on to hold the dirt in during shipping.
Get yourself a wooden chopstick or skewer. Push it into the soil to check for moisture. If it's almost dry add water. If moist wait to water.
Fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer like miracle grow.
Keep in full sun.
Welcome to bonsai!

Okay, thank you. I'm in the process of removing the pebbles and moss.

 

[Logan Y]

If you are serious about getting into bonsai you need to work on keeping the tree alive and branching out.You need to work on educating yourself about bonsai and how they are made and how they are kept alive.

okay, so basically let it grow more stems and let the dried out ones just fall off?

 

[edprocoat]

Okay, thank you. I'm in the process of removing the pebbles and moss.

The pebbles if loose will not hurt anything and look nice in your Penjing display. The moss if kept wet will rot the roots and if let dry will become water repellant so remove that. It looks healthy as a horse right now and is most likely a Pro Nana. Keep er healthy.

ed

 

[Logan Y]

#1: Here is the progress. As you can see, the one with my hand in the picture, I discovered a paper like substance I guess that the Juniper was in before I bought it. Do I need to remove it or leave it with the plant.

#2: Soil is very wet, probably because of the moss and rocks not letting the water evaporate so it definitely doesn't need watered right now.

 

[Logan Y]

The pebbles if loose will not hurt anything and look nice in your Penjing display. The moss if kept wet will rot the roots and if let dry will become water repellant so remove that. It looks healthy as a horse right now and is most likely a Pro Nana. Keep er healthy.

ed

Thanks Ed. I will put them back in (the pebbles), when the soil is dry. It's very damp at the moment.

 

[Cypress187]

okay, so basically let it grow more stems and let the dried out ones just fall off?

I think if it's dead and in the way you can better remove it, so the healthy branches/foilage will (instantly) get more sun and airflow. But in your picture i don't see anything dead.

 

[Logan Y]

Okay, good. Thank you all for the help. My plan is in the upcoming weeks is to possibly wire my plant to concentrate the foliage and have a little bit of formal upright. I don't want the second branch so how would I go about that?