Juniper help

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Hello! I just bought a little juniper online (Which I should have thought of before buying it) but never thought about how to take care of it so I need some guidance! I also need to buy a pot for it as well. Also I want to turn this guy into a bonsai so when would be a good time to wire it?
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sorce

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Where'd it come from?

Where are you?

Cute Lil bugger.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

Tieball

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How big...tall....do you want your tree to be?
Unknown to me....but it looks like about 3”-4” tall right now. That about right?

And....add your location now and zone to your profile. That will be really helpful.
 

Shibui

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I want to turn this guy into a bonsai so when would be a good time to wire it?
From the look of the tree about 5 years from now would be a good time to wire it but if you find a small bonsai pot and put it into the small pot you might need to allow 10 years.
A great deal depends on what you expect your juniper bonsai to look like - size, shape, trunk thickness, etc when it grows up.
 
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This little guy stands 6-7" high including the pot(4") and it's trunk is about 1/4 diameters long. I was reading the info on it and it says that it should be kept in 60-70 degrees temp which is about the temp my house is at. It also says that I should buy a humidity tray or mist it once or twice daily? I mean I do live in Colorado where there's no humidity so maybe I should do that? Also it's supposed to snow soon and I REALLY don't want to put it through that. 😅
 

sorce

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snow soon

Where was this info you read?

I ask because if "on the package" it may be a tell of the next answer....

Where were they keeping it in Ohio?
A greenhouse?
Outdoors?

It should go outside, but it may not be prepared if it was grown indoors in Ohio.
Which seems so.

Kind of a conundrum, there no "best" way, you kinda gotta just hope it makes it!

Indoors with you, you'll near surely "love it to death", so I'd risk the great old dry Co outdoors! The snow will help it stay insulated. Perfect!

Next time, slide over to your local "cheap nursery" and pick up a local plant.

There WILL be a next time. And a next time...And a next time...And a next time...And a next time...And a next time..And a next time...And a next time...etc.

Sorce
 

brentwood

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I'm in Ohio, and it's been warm AF this winter - 60 today mid-state. Medina is North, probably colder but not like usual. I killed a juniper last year keeping it inside, they dry out fast in a heated house. Your real task will be to acclimate it to your weather and not dry it to death first. Garage and humidity tray, additional misting? I'm new also, but I am learning the hazards... Curious what more experienced people's will say.
Good luck!
Brent
 

canoeguide

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These are very used to the cold winter and survive in worse conditions than your location. The issue is, as others have said, that you don't know what conditions this was living in for the past few months in Ohio. If it was outside, getting exposed to colder and colder temperatures, it can (and should) be put outside on the ground in a shady spot *right now*. If it was grown in a heated greenhouse for the last few months, it's not really ready for freezing temperatures. This is tricky. I'd put it outside in a spot against a house foundation out of the wind, ideally on the North side of the building in the shade, dump a little mulch around it and forget it exists until spring, except for making sure it has snow on it. Your first job is not wiring or pots, it's keeping this alive. Once you can do that until next summer, the tree will be there waiting for you. If you mess with this tree now, it will very likely die.

Edit to add, and I mean no offense: this isn't very special material and you can find similar and/or better stuff at any garden center or big box store for very cheap prices. This is why I'd put it outside as described above and ignore any concerns about whether it has been conditioned for the cold. If it dies, it can be easily replaced, but putting it outside gives it the best chance.
 

brentwood

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Ohio threw him a curve ball this year, my outside plants think it's spring right now, worry January will be a rude awakening. Medina looks similar, shocked by that. That juniper probably saw snow a month ago, sitting at 40s and 50s lately. Again, I really wonder how you deal with that kind of crazy weather. Junipers are tough, but...?
B
 

BuckeyeOne

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This little guy stands 6-7" high including the pot(4") and it's trunk is about 1/4 diameters long. I was reading the info on it and it says that it should be kept in 60-70 degrees temp which is about the temp my house is at. It also says that I should buy a humidity tray or mist it once or twice daily? I mean I do live in Colorado where there's no humidity so maybe I should do that? Also it's supposed to snow soon and I REALLY don't want to put it through that. 😅
Get it outside!! I've seen it so many times where the instructions say it s OK to leave inside. Not True!!! No matter how many times a day you mist it.
Junipers are an outside tree. Do not worry about the cold. They need to go through a period of dormancy brought on by the cold and snow.
Just bury the pot up to the rim on the preferably north side of your house and mulch up to the lowest branch.
Now, wait for it to show signs of life in the spring before any thing else.
 

Colorado

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I wouldn’t put it outside just yet! It will need to go outside eventually, but with this very cold storm coming through tomorrow through Monday it will very likely die if it’s been kept in a greenhouse.

Do you have a garage of some sort? Something cooler than the house but will protect it from the impending single digit temps?
 

Orion_metalhead

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Put it outside. If you have a spot which is on the ground - dirt, or stone, or grass - this is ideal because it will radiate warmth to the bottom of your pot.

Leave it exposed when temps remain above 32deg. When temps are to drop below that - at night for instance - cover it with an upside down styrophome cooler. Continue this for a few weeks. Slowly leave it exposed to cooler and cooler temps until you can leave exposed. If you get a big snow, leave exposed so snow covers the tree up to the foliage. This is also good insulation.

Keeping juniper inside is doable, but it requires a meticulous humidity setup and lighting rig which you may not want to invest in at this point.

Im im nj. Junipers never come in. Weve jad down to 15-20degrees and they are fine because i let nature do the work in setting them up for winter. Search and read threads on overwintering advice.
 
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