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In this page i will give you a little advice on tree care . Even though i have been growing bonsai with native trees ,mostly conifers i am not the know all end all expert on growing bonsai. I still kill a tree now and then  and i still learn something new all the time it is all part of the journey  So here is what works for me
All native trees including junipers are outdoor trees all year long . Bring them inside for any length of time and they will die. My native trees are placed in  the full sun  thats Maine sun not georgia sun . If you live in the south you may need to give them some shade.  As soon as my native trees are out of winter storage they get watered every sunny day . Because they are in smaller pots with fast draining soil they dry out fast.
  Spring time is new bud growth time and they need to be pinched back to keep the shape of the tree.  
I grow my natives in fast draining soil. It is 2 parts turface to 1 part ground up pine bark nuggets. You can add some organics to it such as compost or nice dark garden soil. Heres a tip .You can grow spruce,larch,fir,cedar,red maples, hornbeam, alders in regular nice dark garden soil, i did it for years
   

bud pruning 

winter storage

 You will need to root prune you trees when they start to get root bound every 2 to 4 years or if the tree starts 
lifting out ot the pot.
You will need to put your tree into winter storage i do mine around halloween. A good place to store them is in
an unheated building such as a garage or a shed. I water mine in the winter when we have a warm spell. Another  way to winter them is to take them out of the pot and plant them in the ground just like planting a geranium ,or you can place them on the ground an spread bark mulch around them but dont cover the trunk . You can also use a cold frame but dont cover it with glass or plastic because it will heat up in the sun and cook your trees. Trees dont need light in the winter. 
I dont fertilize my native trees in the spring untill after the new growth as set on so the needles and leaves will get to
large. You can use most any type of fertilizer such as miracle grow, jacks, or peters, and osmocote works good i fertilize every three weeks.

Tropicals
Tropicals like alot of sun so a south window is good if not a window that gets the most sun . I grow mine in a heated green house and they get watered every sunny day. You dont want to let them go bone dry for any length of time
Some people put their tropicals outside in the summer but i dont, no matter how carefull you are they get leaf burned frome the sun.  I fertilize my tropicals every three weeks or so. Some tropicals go dormant in the winter and you dont need to fertilize them untill they start to push new growth.

  So there you have it enjoy your bonsai adventure and dont give up.

 

the nursery is open whenever i am home i am retired and i live there so i am home alot  but it is best to text me to make sure i am there 

eccell  207 631 8989 a text is best

phone 207 469 2607

ahhh------bonsai  feel the calm

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