Juniper rescue

[JoeH]

Another mower hit and halfway out of the ground, not much in the way of roots, so hope it lives, pretty much a Bonsai already. It was in a short planter hanging over the wall and looks like it got hit Thursday, noticed it Saturday dug it up pack it in wet soil from the area then potted it at home.

 

[JoeH]

thanks for all the likes, hoping it makes it, I have a while to hunt down a long pot.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Good lookin' tree but depending on the roots I'd leave it alone for a while. It isn't quite the same thing but when I collect California junipers I sometimes don't repot them for five years until they get really strong and established root systems.

 

[Vance Wood]

Give it at least a year before you mess with it. Just make sure it is anchored in its pot so that the wind does not drive it out of the pot. Don't panic if it turns yellow in places, according to Kimura this is a good sign that the tree is active.

 

[AZbonsai]

Yes you need to upgrades to the black pot like I did.

 

[JoeH]

that pot was what I had on hand that would fit the long trunk/roots. I plan to leave it in that for at least a year. I've been about 75 percent successful on moving junipers like this so far. This one is really cool. I did move the pot yesterday into more sun and it seems stable in the pot now.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

that pot was what I had on hand that would fit the long trunk/roots. I plan to leave it in that for at least a year. I've been about 75 percent successful on moving junipers like this so far. This one is really cool. I did move the pot yesterday into more sun and it seems stable in the pot now.

A juniper takes several months to respond to a change in environment. I'm not trying to get you down, I'm just saying you won't know if that tree is going to live for at least six months. Knowing that it is going to die - that can happen overnight

When I pull a juniper from a landscape or field location, it goes into sun protection for 3 - 6 months depending on time of year. Bigger trees go into Anderson flats... and I don't transplant them again until I see roots coming out the bottom.

 

[JoeH]

It was in deep shade where it was so I moved most of my trees out yesterday along with this one, it just was a bit more stable in the pot that didn't need to support the shrubby part when moving it.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

You also live in Florida where the humidity is much friendlier for transplanting trees. In Southern California we have to go to extreme lengths to baby conifers with weak roots. It is not unusual to hear of people using humidity tents and misters. I will use a humidity tent on a tree that seems really weak or that I know has limited/weak roots. However for the most part I can get away with shade and twice-daily waterings (with good open soil mix) - as well as making sure that I don't do any root work in the heat of the summer.

When the Santa Ana hot dry winds are blowing down here, if you have a recently repotted tree that you aren't protecting, it can die between sunrise and sunset. You will come out to look at it and it truly looks like someone freeze-dried it. The foliage will be grey green... but desiccated. It is a dead tree walking This is true even for trees collected out in the desert.

 

[AZbonsai]

You also live in Florida where the humidity is much friendlier for transplanting trees. In Southern California we have to go to extreme lengths to baby conifers with weak roots. It is not unusual to hear of people using humidity tents and misters. I will use a humidity tent on a tree that seems really weak or that I know has limited/weak roots. However for the most part I can get away with shade and twice-daily waterings (with good open soil mix) - as well as making sure that I don't do any root work in the heat of the summer.

When the Santa Ana hot dry winds are blowing down here, if you have a recently repotted tree that you aren't protecting, it can die between sunrise and sunset. You will come out to look at it and it truly looks like someone freeze-dried it. The foliage will be grey green... but desiccated. It is a dead tree walking This is true even for trees collected out in the desert.

Been there done that. It is disheartening because you think it is going to be alright and then boom.......firewood.

 

[JoeH]

Good thing I am in FLA then. I still won't do transplanting when its hot out, I wait until now, cooler and staying a bi damp with weekly rains accompanying the cold fronts.