What to do with 2 juniper clones(or cuttings) and two Hinoki cypress for winter.

[Akiyama]

So. I have two cuttings or clones(I'm not sure which term to use here) that have rooted and been in a regular pot with potting soil. I took those cuttings probably 4 months ago. The Hinoki cypress I took two cuttings and they both seem to have rooted as well but they have only been in the pot for about 2 months. But assumed they would have browned up and wilted quickly if they did not root. Unlike the Juniper which I took 6 clones originally and it took over a month to realize which ones surely weren't going to make it. I really don't know if took the cuttings properly as far as starting a bonsai goes. The Hinoki cuttings I took were larger than the Juniper cuttings I took. Both I took off shrubs growing healthily in my yard for years. However I would like to know what I should do with them, now that they are rooted and seem like they will survive, especially with winter coming very soon? I'm in North Georgia near Atlanta, not up in the mountains, but it does get cold here at night down in the 20°F a few weeks a year and sometimes lower. Days can range from 30-70 even in January. I realize I took the clones late in year probably but I just got my first Bonsai Tree(a Juniper Procumbens) as a gift in May so that is when I got the Bonsai "bug" in me. The juniper cuttings are a different species than my bonsai, they are maybe shimpaku they have a lot of scale like foiliage. The Hinoki Cypress cuttings I took from a shrub/tree about 5.5 feet tall. For now I just want to know what I should do with the cuttings now that they are rooted. The Junipers will need to grow a good bit before I could really do anything with them. Now the Hinoki are both larger cuttings. I possibly could begin to prune off some the inner foliage and shape them but I think I should wait til spring and also make sure they are firmly rooted in place. I would like them to grow as well of course but I took larger cuttings from them on purpose to see if it work and I could start with something larger.

Any help would be appreciated greatly. I will also have some quest about my actual Juniper bonsai if you can call it that. As I have had some problems with it sadly. But I will make a new thread for that.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I keep my cuttings in the original soil for a year or more. They keep rooting while they're in there and they can use the energy gained in such soils to grow tall and wide.

I do keep them outside and in the ground because I don't like winter protection; in the long run it's going to cost me pots and my back, and a lot of effort by hauling them around.. Not to forget that if I miss a watering, it'll be for nothing. Outdoors that isn't much of an issue.
If my cuttings don't make it as cuttings, they wouldn't make it as bonsai. So it's a system that filters out the weak.
I see the benefits of winter protection, but I prefer the benefits to my own well being and relaxation.

It's unlikely that you have shimpaku growing in your yard for years. Because they're very uncommon in the nursery trade.

 

[BrightsideB]

So. I have two cuttings or clones(I'm not sure which term to use here) that have rooted and been in a regular pot with potting soil. I took those cuttings probably 4 months ago. The Hinoki cypress I took two cuttings and they both seem to have rooted as well but they have only been in the pot for about 2 months. But assumed they would have browned up and wilted quickly if they did not root. Unlike the Juniper which I took 6 clones originally and it took over a month to realize which ones surely weren't going to make it. I really don't know if took the cuttings properly as far as starting a bonsai goes. The Hinoki cuttings I took were larger than the Juniper cuttings I took. Both I took off shrubs growing healthily in my yard for years. However I would like to know what I should do with them, now that they are rooted and seem like they will survive, especially with winter coming very soon? I'm in North Georgia near Atlanta, not up in the mountains, but it does get cold here at night down in the 20°F a few weeks a year and sometimes lower. Days can range from 30-70 even in January. I realize I took the clones late in year probably but I just got my first Bonsai Tree(a Juniper Procumbens) as a gift in May so that is when I got the Bonsai "bug" in me. The juniper cuttings are a different species than my bonsai, they are maybe shimpaku they have a lot of scale like foiliage. The Hinoki Cypress cuttings I took from a shrub/tree about 5.5 feet tall. For now I just want to know what I should do with the cuttings now that they are rooted. The Junipers will need to grow a good bit before I could really do anything with them. Now the Hinoki are both larger cuttings. I possibly could begin to prune off some the inner foliage and shape them but I think I should wait til spring and also make sure they are firmly rooted in place. I would like them to grow as well of course but I took larger cuttings from them on purpose to see if it work and I could start with something larger.

Any help would be appreciated greatly. I will also have some quest about my actual Juniper bonsai if you can call it that. As I have had some problems with it sadly. But I will make a new thread for that.

@Akiyama i live in the area as well. Your plants should be fine. I have left my plants out for five years and no harm done. We have to worry about the cold spring nights that sometimes gets into the low 30’s with our deciduous trees that have already budded out. Destroys the new foliage. And unless you have some nice refined trees in bonsai soil would it be worth a cold shelter etc. Plant city bonsai has shimpaku and itoigawa reasonably priced. I have some and have had successfully rooted them. I just took like 15 itoigawa cuttings last weekend. I found summer is good to take juniper cuttings. But have heard of a lot of success from fall cuttings on junipers. I have had success with both times. Not so much spring or winter.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

I miss Georgia!

Pics!

Sorce

 

[Akiyama]

I keep my cuttings in the original soil for a year or more. They keep rooting while they're in there and they can use the energy gained in such soils to grow tall and wide.

I do keep them outside and in the ground because I don't like winter protection; in the long run it's going to cost me pots and my back, and a lot of effort by hauling them around.. Not to forget that if I miss a watering, it'll be for nothing. Outdoors that isn't much of an issue.
If my cuttings don't make it as cuttings, they wouldn't make it as bonsai. So it's a system that filters out the weak.
I see the benefits of winter protection, but I prefer the benefits to my own well being and relaxation.

It's unlikely that you have shimpaku growing in your yard for years. Because they're very uncommon in the nursery trade.

It looks like shimpaku more anything else to me. I could be very wrong, but its a very large sort of circular hedge. I'll post some pics of the clones. They are in pots. And have been from the start in just regular store bought potting soil. They were just experiments really. Only 2 out of 6 made it this far. Honestly one is looking a little rough this morning. The Hinoki clones have some brown tips they are in pots and that same potting soil but I know Hinoki foliage does that. It isn't that I'm attached to any of them. I'm just trying to learn and experiment with cloning/propagating/cuttings(what is the preferred term here btw). Now I actually have a Juniper procumbus in a bonsai pot, that I think is about two years old. It was doing really well all summer and then a few branches at the tip of the tree(or top really but it has trunk that bends approximately 90 degrees)and I had to cut the top/tip back a good bit, now one more small branch is doing the same thing. I'm worried about that tree. Even though they are not expensive. Anyway that is a different topic. Back to the cuttings they were really just experminents but one thing I like about the two junipers that rooted is that they are growing upward, just the way I set them in the pot. Were as the mother hedge I took them from the branches only really run side to side. I ultimately want on that has a juniper that is growing more upward that horizontally or cascading. I really eventually want to make something that looks something like the old evergreens in Japan where the branches twist out from the main truck in different directions and then have large pads of foliage at the ends but with a lot a space between foliage pads. So that's why I wanted things growing upright for. I also thought it would be a good idea to simply let them grow in the larger pot for a while so they could simply grow thick and hardy and give me something to work with if they survive. Your saying you take the cuttings and put them in the ground soil though? I am very new bonsai and I don't know what I'm doing at all really. I have a great deal of experience with indoor horticulture that gained over about 10 years beginning in my college years, but that was vastly different. I'll leave at that. I didn't really think of putting the cuttings in the ground. Plus we have red clay dirt, obviously plants grow in it but, it isn't like nice fertile Great Lakes area topsoil. I didn't think it would be suitable for cuttings. I have three different types of Japanese maple trees not bonsai. I would like to try taking cuttings from these. One in particular is a really unique "waterfall" maple(that is what people call it around here I guess). Has really skinny leaves and has stayed only about 3' in height. I have never seen one like it anyone else yard. So I'd like to try that, i just get the feeling deciduous trees are harder, both get to root and then to keep them alive long enough to start growing into its own tree with a trunk.

 

[leatherback]

please share pictures. I leave cuttings (rooted and non rooted) of juniper outside yearround. Last year that meant -15C for maybe 2 weeks. No problem.

 

[HoneyHornet]

It's a good start cuttings are rooting good job

 

[Akiyama]

I intend to. I've just been busy at work the past couple days and haven't had a chance to take any. But I will post some pics. I also have to take some of my actual potted bonsai, so I can set up a new thread asking what is wrong with it as well. So pics will be coming this weekend.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard

Some good replies here.

imho I would at least protect first year cuttings from the wind and freezing temperatures. Since you are trying to raise cuttings for the first time, it would be nice to have something left next year to work with.

There is always the ole survival of the fittest method.…. that’s apprpriate when you are experienced and awash with bonsai and seedlings. @Wires_Guy_wires makes a great point about having a process of selection where only the fittest cuttings once you get some experience.

btw: Please double click your icon and enter your approximate location and USDA hardiness zone. It makes it easy for other folks to tailor their advice to you, without having to pick it out of the thread.

again, Welcome Aboard!
DSD sends