名媛直播

I just got a small juniper bonsai for Christmas, and I have read up on some training information but don't know where to start. It is ~5.5" tall and it seems to have already been trained in some way but I don't what stylistic intentions the person who trained it had. The main trunk has been bent over at the top to be totally horizontal and there is one main branch opposite the bend that was made. Where do I go from here? Do I wait for it do grow larger before I prune or wire?What possibilities does the bonsai have considering how it has already been trained? Could I turn it into an upright style? Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.
Junipers need to be kept outside. Spring is the time for pruning and wiring.
here's a link that will help you.
Good luck.

thanks!

Hi jtaylor,

Welcome to the forum...glad you could join us!

Yes, Junipers are an outdoor tree however, if the climate you live in is such that you have freezing temperatures and snow and, if your little Juniper has been kept in a relatively warm greenhouse or store up until now then placing your tree outside now would kill it. It has not been acclimatized for the winter's frigid conditions. The acclimatization period occurs throughout the autumn as temps gradually cool the tree slowly prepares itself for it's dormancy period during winter. Could you please share where abouts in the world you live and describe your climate...temperate, sub-tropical or tropical?

It is very important to research your tree thoroughly to learn where the tree originates...what climate it comes from; it's growth habits; and what specific needs this particular species requires in care and cultivation. This site, "the 名媛直播 Empire" has a lot of valuable information available for your perusal and is very user friendly. The link that Pinkham shared with you is also an excellent site and Wikipedia is another great site to find information.

Once we find out where and what type of climate you live in, it will be easier for the forum members to help you.

Thank you!
I'm in the East Bay right now (California) but I'm going to keep the tree up in Davis until the summer. I looked on the plant zone map and both places are classified as 9b and the key says it averages 25 to 30 F as a minimum. This seems about right, it has been close to freezing past couple of nights so I have put the tree inside my garage where it is cold but not freezing, and I have been keeping the tree outside during the day. I had heard about dormancy periods so I thought I wouldn't want to have the tree inside if the heater is on, how much do I actually have to worry about heat shock?