Saving My Juniper with a Repotting

Saving My Juniper with a Repotting

The Green Mound Juniper is the tree that comes to everybody’s mind when they think of a traditional bonsai. I received mine as a gift a few years back and sadly, have given it very minimal attention. Despite the lack of care, this bonsai has pushed on and has taken a special place amongst my collection. Today is the day I revive this Juniper with a repotting.

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Current Condition

The condition of this Juniper is pretty rough. The roots are exposed, scorched, broken, and dry. The canopy is half dead with a few new sprouts but lots of yellowing growth slowing getting larger. The placement for this tree has never been ideal. It has always been out in direct sunlight exposed to the heat and the cold. The original pot that this bonsai came in does the root ball no favors. It is extremely small and exposes almost all of the roots to the elements. Because this tree is always outside, I tend to forget about it from time to time. It’s sad to admit but this obviously adversely affects the tree in all aspects. Now that I am settled down in a nice spot and have plenty of optimal places for outdoor bonsai trees, it’s time to save my Juniper with a repotting!

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Juniper Repotting

Removing the tree

As you can see in the video, the root ball of this bonsai is extremely dry. I have been meaning to water this tree for a few days but I was saving that for when I did the repotting so I didn’t end up overwatering it. The wires holding the tree in place weren’t too difficult to remove and the tree came right out of the pot. The root ball of this tree is very compacted due to the tight space it had been in for the past few years. One of the main things I want to achieve with this repotting is wider root structure. I am hoping that by providing the roots a wide open area to grow in, they will spread out and provide a much sturdier foundation and grow deeper to collect more nutrients.

Setting up the Pot

I will be using wires in this repotting! I think this is the first repotting in the series that I will be using wire to hold the tree in place. So far, all the pots I’ve used haven’t allowed for wire use or the trees were just so small that they’d hold themselves in place. However, the compressed root ball on this Juniper requires some wire to hold it upright.

To get the wire in place, start by placing the mesh over the drainage holes. Feed the wire through the mesh and lay it off to each side of the pot. Then, start filling in the inorganic soil mixture. I am using a mix of 1/3 equal parts akadama, pumice, and black lava rock. Throw in some organic soil on top of the mix until you get to the level where you want to put the tree. Place the bonsai in the pot wherever you think looks best. For this repotting, either the center of the pot or slightly to one side of the pot looks the best so I will be placing it there. Next, fill in the rest of the pot with soil. Once the pot it topped off, pull two of the diagonal pieces of wire together and twist. Twist, twist, and twist some more. Once the wire is nice and tight, dig a small hole to place the wire in and cover it back up. That way you can tuck the wire right out of sight.

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Final Results and Considerations

This Juniper needed a repotting really badly. It has been on the verge of passing for quite a while now but it has managed to hang in there. For all that effort, I have to show it some love! I am really pleased with how this repotting went. It could have been a lot worse than it was given the awful original pot. The pot I chose for this bonsai used to house my Golden Gate Ficus tree. It worked wonders for that bonsai so I’m hoping it’ll have the same result with this tree.

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If you missed my last post about my Golden Gate Ficus cutting repotting you can find it here!