I have a juniper tree and a cherry blossom. What kind of soil should I use to repot them? Ive never had a bonsai and they were a gift from my sister in law for my birthday. They came from Walmart so Im sure they were not taken care of properly so I want to make sure they are healthy. Also any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Soil recommendation
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Melospiza
Shohin
Remove the rocks and moss on the surface and use a gritty mix based on materials such as these: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/bonsai-care/advanced/bonsai-soil
Tkae care not to disturb the roots too much now.
Tkae care not to disturb the roots too much now.
Shinjuku
Mame
That's how to do it. You want to use an inorganic soil mix instead of an organic mix like potting soil.
bonsaidave
Shohin
It is very likely they are in 100% peatmoss. Get a picture of the soil under the rocks on both.
Where will these be kept? Is outside an option?
Where will these be kept? Is outside an option?
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Your juniper would like an inorganic soil, pumice is the ''go to'' as a pretty much universally acceptable main component for an inorganic soil. A typical blend will be pumice, lava, and Akadama. Or pumice, lava and composted fir bark. There are premixed blends available, Aoki blend is one. It is pumice based with lava and Akadama.
Perlite can be substituted for pumice, but it has a few issues, being quite light, it washes out of bonsai pots. Perlite also shifts too easily to provide stable anchorage for trees in shallow bonsai pots. Perlite is great for being light weight in grow out containers, larger nursery pots, and deeper plastic pots.
Turface MVP has been used, it is best as a component of a blend, less than 25% turface in a mix, with pumice or other products tends to be good.
The tree you called a cherry is likely a ''brush cherry'', either genus Eugenia, possibly Eugenia uniflora or Eugenia involucrata, or it is genus Malpighia, Likely Malpighia emarginata, Barbados cherry or brush cherry. There are a number of unrelated trees, having nothing in common with the european cherry, that get called cherry. Regardless whether it is Eugenia (most likely) or Malpighia (a possibility) the care is similar, they are sub-tropical trees with very little tolerance for freezing weather. They want sun, they want a soil with a fair amount of organic components. They want a slightly acidic soil, much like azaleas, though not as fussy as azaleas. If they are in peat moss, it is not the worst thing for a year or two, but usually by the third year peat based mixes break down and become less hospitable for life.
What mix to use? A blend, like the Aoki blend described above, with a handful of extra composted fir bark would be fine. Or extra Akadama. A blend of equal parts pumice, and composted fir bark would work quite well.
Perlite can be substituted for pumice, but it has a few issues, being quite light, it washes out of bonsai pots. Perlite also shifts too easily to provide stable anchorage for trees in shallow bonsai pots. Perlite is great for being light weight in grow out containers, larger nursery pots, and deeper plastic pots.
Turface MVP has been used, it is best as a component of a blend, less than 25% turface in a mix, with pumice or other products tends to be good.
The tree you called a cherry is likely a ''brush cherry'', either genus Eugenia, possibly Eugenia uniflora or Eugenia involucrata, or it is genus Malpighia, Likely Malpighia emarginata, Barbados cherry or brush cherry. There are a number of unrelated trees, having nothing in common with the european cherry, that get called cherry. Regardless whether it is Eugenia (most likely) or Malpighia (a possibility) the care is similar, they are sub-tropical trees with very little tolerance for freezing weather. They want sun, they want a soil with a fair amount of organic components. They want a slightly acidic soil, much like azaleas, though not as fussy as azaleas. If they are in peat moss, it is not the worst thing for a year or two, but usually by the third year peat based mixes break down and become less hospitable for life.
What mix to use? A blend, like the Aoki blend described above, with a handful of extra composted fir bark would be fine. Or extra Akadama. A blend of equal parts pumice, and composted fir bark would work quite well.
Melospiza
Shohin
I like this advice, except that I like to use the term 'porous bonsai mix' instead of saying organic or inorganic. Bark pieces can be part of a bonsai mix and to me that is an organic component, whereas garden soil is mostly clay, and that is an inorganic component.
Shinjuku
Mame
I stand corrected. 
Thank you all of the great advice. I was going to keep both of them on my patio. It gets about 6 hours of sun daily but I have them in a shaded spot so its not directly on them. I was planning on keeping them out all year. Should I bring the cherry blossom in. Which I only read the tag for that name ? so also thx for the info on him too!
I was planning on keeping both out year round. From everything I've read that is where they thrive the most. I have all 4 seasons. I read the juniper tree requires a 3 month winter just protected with straw from the frost.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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When I discuss organics in bonsai mixes, I do consider bark chips to be organics. Your point completely confused the issue with the issue of an open pourous mix.
I maintain a bonsai mix needs some organics like bark chips.
Separately all my bonsai mixes are sifted to remove fines. Anything that goes through a 1/16th inch mesh (roughly window screen) gets discarded. For trees in larger pots I use a coarser screen, to get a coarser mix.
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