Nursery Juniper Mid-Summer: To Repot or Wait?

[MidMichBonsai]

Hello all. I'm relatively new to bonsai (within the last 4 years) and I just picked up a wonderful procumbens at the a local nursery for $4. That's right...styled this tree would have been north of $40.

My question is, given that it's June and I live in Michigan, should I repot immediate to get it into a bonsai medium or leave it in it's nursery pot and repot this spring. I have heard mixed opinions and could go either way. Of course my main concern is health. Is it more healthy to get the roots into a medium that will promote more fine feeder roots and reduce the risk of rot or to wait until the optimal repot time in the Spring?

Thanks in advance for any advice that comes in.

 

[John Ruger]

I've left nursery junipers in the containers they came in for a couple of years with no problems.

 

[Paulpash]

Let it recover if styled. Repot in Spring 2015.

If not styled and healthy repot next Spring.

If the medium is a good open one then as John says it can stay in that til it's ready for a pot.

You have the right idea: " Of course my main concern is health" so just be guided by that factor. Remember not to remove a lot of foliage when you style as Juniper suffer really badly when you remove over 50% of the foliage.

This has some great info for Junipers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISdGcQ93Ey4

 

[Paradox]

I would leave it be and repot it next spring. I wouldn't even style it at this point.
I always prefer to get the repotting done as soon as possible (the next spring) because trees in nursery pots generally are not in very good soil and they are often getting root bound/crowded in the pot.

 

[october]

Can we get a picture of the tree?

Rob

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Finally got some photos up. Please feel free to offer any suggestions. I'm thinking right now of going with a cascade to the right as the truck seems most interesting in that direction.

The first photo is the trunk/front that I like. The 2nd is the front zoomed out. The rest are each of the other 3 sides...enjoy.

 

[mc4mc44]

I would leave it unstyled, but maybe thin out it out some to let in more light. I would also remove some soil from the pot until i found the rootspread. Then repot in the spring.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

I thinned quite a bit of the interior growth as much of it had yellowed and was going to die anyway. This thinned it a decent amount and opened up some spaces so that sun can now get to the interior branches. I will try to add a top shot sometime soon.

I want to be careful not to do too much as I think excess work in a single sitting is what is responsible for my killing other junis in the past.

 

[mc4mc44]

I thinned quite a bit of the interior growth as much of it had yellowed and was going to die anyway. This thinned it a decent amount and opened up some spaces so that sun can now get to the interior branches. I will try to add a top shot sometime soon.

I want to be careful not to do too much as I think excess work in a single sitting is what is responsible for my killing other junis in the past.

That's good (not the dead tree part, just that you learned from it). It's always good to know when to stop, that can be hard for people to learn. If you think you should stop, then put it back on the bench and forget about it until spring.

 

[Bill S]

Winters there come fast and hard, waiting til spring will be safer, unless you can overwinter at less than frozen temps.

 

[augustine]

Good find, nice trunk wait til Spring to repot. Better check for spider mites.

Best,

Augustine
central MD 7a

 

[MidMichBonsai]

Does there seem to be evidence of spider mites? I've been keeping an eye out but thusfar but have not seen compelling evidence that they are present. I suppose with all of the trouble that everyone has been having with them this year that I could proactively treat for them?

 

[Eric Group]

Does there seem to be evidence of spider mites? I've been keeping an eye out but thusfar but have not seen compelling evidence that they are present. I suppose with all of the trouble that everyone has been having with them this year that I could proactively treat for them?

Nothing wrong with treating a new tree "just to be safe" with a mild insecticide. That was a good buy for $4, should be a nice ne to learn on.