Juniper coming out of dormancy when to water?

[power270lb]

I'm in 7b, been 50-63 degrees for a ten days or so. Tree made it through my first Winter, I'm new to this so where do I go from here in regards to watering? All winter id use snow and ice cubes for a little bit of water but now I don't want to drown the roots. Also don't want it to dry out either.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Where has it been, and where is it now?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Keep the soil moist, always. Never let it dry out bone dry - but you don't want it to be a swamp either. So much depends on the condition of your soil, and your container. A tree planted in good soil in a container with adequate drainage is almost impossible to drown - because water doesn't pool or sit. You want to water your tree and watch the water flow through the soil and out the bottom of the container, leaving wet (but not saturated) soil behind. Saturated means all dirt and water and "no air".

 

[Lazylightningny]

Keep an eye on the soil. If it's drying out, water it. Mine are moving a lot of water right now, even though buds aren't even swelling on most of them.

 

[power270lb]

Where has it been, and where is it now?

Outside on a west facing balcony in a cold frame, still there. It's in a pot with pine needles for protection then in a larger box stuffed with pine needles. Since it's been warmer I've moved to middle of porch to get sun.

 

[Colorado]

Probably should have watered them yesterday

 

[power270lb]

Keep the soil moist, always. Never let it dry out bone dry - but you don't want it to be a swamp either. So much depends on the condition of your soil, and your container. A tree planted in good soil in a container with adequate drainage is almost impossible to drown - because water doesn't pool or sit. You want to water your tree and watch the water flow through the soil and out the bottom of the container, leaving wet (but not saturated) soil behind. Saturated means all dirt and water and "no air".

It's in great soil and it drains quick. Just trying to get a jump on spring.

 

[power270lb]

Probably should have watered them yesterday

Haha I did, been checking every day for the last month.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It's in great soil and it drains quick. Just trying to get a jump on spring.

Without sounding patronizing... if the soil is getting dry, water it Just be observant.

As your juniper wakes up and metabolism starts up, it will naturally transpire more and draw up more water. The soil will dry out faster than it would have back in December - even if the temps are the same - because of the water demands of the tree. Often you can tell that a tree is waking up simply due to the fact that the soil is drying out faster. When a tree is fully dormant, the soil can stay damp for extended periods of time - almost like you never have to water.

So try to make your watering schedule match the watering needs of the individual tree. Don't base it on weather forecasts, or how much rain you have or haven't had. Look at the pot, stick your finger in the soil, or (like many of us do) pick up the pot and gauge the weight of the tree and the soil. A dry tree weighs significantly less (like half as much) as a tree with damp soil. Once you have a lot of trees, you will find that the watering needs vary from tree to tree, depending on species, condition, other care (like if you just pruned it or did root work), or even location on your bench. You might find that your trees need to be watered, while your friends' trees next door don't. I don't think anyone on this site can provide better advice - because your garden may be slightly different from anyone else's - and your trees are definitely going to be different.

 

[hinmo24t]

Haha I did, been checking every day for the last month.

im in a similar zone and all my trees outside in containers made it thru winter along back of garage, on benches, blocked from wind. juniper, thuja, azaleas, pitch pine, beech, maples, dogwood, etc.

i watered them once all winter. otherwise just natural snow.

watering needs ill keep an eye on with the milder temps now. once a week if no rain thru april, compared to hotter months when they get watered daily (the juniper chinesis in larger nursery pot i did every 3ish days, they dont want to be too wet...its getting repot to smaller container, will prob water every other if no rain)


good luck. a lot of people are correct that trees should be watered when they need it, but theres value in structure as well, per what i have done, with regiment and frequencies in respect to tree type general watering needs.



the pines and junipers dont want water as much as most of the others ^

 

[Dav4]

I'm in zone 7b GA (should probably be 8a). We've been having warmer then normal, but more importantly, very dry weather with low humidity the last week to 10 days, and I've been watering daily... even the ones that are not actively growing, like my junipers. There's no such thing as a watering schedule, particularly in the spring time, when you can have cold and wet vs warm and dry. When in doubt, I water. If your trees are in good soil, so should you.

 

[Forsoothe!]

So, open the cold frame and leave it open as long as the weather is typical of spring. Close it only when it turns bad.

 

[sorce]

I felt my ERC on a rock the other day, my driest joint, after a couple springy warm and windy days, complete with it's sickness, still felt healthily pliable.

Still Purple, I'm sure it hasn't been using water, but my Shimp is turning rapidly, and some other nursery joints greening, the last ones going are the smartest, the most local, the ERC.

I watered. Skipped a day and watered again yesterday. Contemplating the move out then it's water everyday, sometimes twice with no question.

I reckon a conifer has better mechanisms to transpire more, than a Deciduous has mechanisms to transpire less.

Since you will be reminded every time you are here, of weight, it should be easy to remember that the absolute most foolproof way to know how much water is your capacity, how much it uses, how much regular watering soaks vs. dunking soaks, changes in capacity or complete soaking ability.....etc etc etc...

Is to weigh em.

Our view to inside the pot, is via a .

A scale, a........ balance.

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I'm in zone 7b GA (should probably be 8a). We've been having warmer then normal, but more importantly, very dry weather with low humidity the last week to 10 days, and I've been watering daily... even the ones that are not actively growing, like my junipers. There's no such thing as a watering schedule, particularly in the spring time, when you can have cold and wet vs warm and dry. When in doubt, I water. If your trees are in good soil, so should you.

I've been watering some of my trees twice daily Particularly my quinces (which are already budding) and my Mediterranean species (olives, live oaks, etc) which also seem to have broken dormancy. Tropicals went outside yesterday... but keeping an eye on the nightly lows.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I leave mine under their mulch until later in April and don't remember ever watering them in spring. Michigan has even precipitation year-around, so maybe I'm dumb lucky living here. I water in autumn after I put them on the ground and before I cover them with mulch only if there is a long dry spell. In autumn, getting dry is part of the process that shepherds them into winter, but they can be sitting in place on the ground and un-mulched for 6 weeks waiting for the weather to have forced the mice to find a good winter home. Mulch too early and it becomes a mouse hotel.

Anyway, sitting on the ground, in full sun, mulched, they can begin to grow as conditions permit and any inclement weather comes and goes without a problem. We have a "false spring" as often as not here where it gets nice for a couple three or four weeks and then goes to hell in a handbag for a week or two. I have had very bad luck with trying to protect plants that I have uncovered and encouraged to grow in this false spring. While it makes my flowering plants bloom later than I like (Bonsai Show on Mother's Day), I have paid the ultimate price once too often.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Some of my sabina hybrids never went fully dormant.
They kept on drinking and growing throughout the winter.
We get plenty of rain though, so yesterday was the first watering of this year.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I pulled mine out of their winter bed a few days ago and have been watering every day since. But then my soil drains like a sandox and the trees are already putting out new growth. I keep a chopstick in mine and check it if there is any question.

 

[leatherback]

Did someone mention that you water when the soil is getting dry?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Did someone mention that you water when the soil is getting dry?

It sounds simple but... it is as much an art as a science. You can kill a tree by over or under-watering, though under-watering is instant death versus over-watering is a slow, lingering death

I actually think watering is simple, as long as you have the tree in the proper soil. It is the soil that is the hard part.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It is the soil that is the hard part.

All of my soils are made from hard parts. Akadama suuuucks! And so does my watering. But let's not divert too much into that water thing. It's simple; you put water in a pot with holes and water comes out. Repeat.
Does it even matter if the tree is drinking at all? I believe not. Washing out old gunk can be good.