- The ideal candidate for bonsai design
- In what and where to plant?
- Don't forget the care
- Cutting and wiring correctly needs to be learned
Whether it's getting fresh air outdoors or greening the office or living room indoors - the creeping juniper is perfect for bonsai design! But what advantages does it have, how and where is it planted and what care does it need as a bonsai?
Creeping juniper is ideal as a bonsai
The ideal candidate for bonsai design
The following points speak for the creeping juniper as a bonsai:
- extremely well tolerated by cuts
- tolerates pruning all year round
- slow growth (3 to 7 cm per year)
- undemanding
- evergreen
- easy-care
- decorative, edible berries
- easy to propagate from cuttings
- good frost hardy
In what and where to plant?
The creeping juniper can be planted perfectly in a bonsai pot. It is ideal if you have the opportunity to put it outside. There he gets a lot of light. A lot of light means that it develops more needles and, as a result, also gets a thicker trunk. Suitable locations are on the terrace and garden terrace, on the balcony and in front of the house entrance.
Don't forget the care
The soil in the bonsai pot should not dry out. Otherwise the roots will dry up and the plant will die. It is best to protect the creeping juniper from the sweltering midday heat in summer. If it is hot and dry, you can spray or shower it with lime-free water. Otherwise its soil is easy to keep moist.
Fertilizing is less important for the creeping juniper. You can use conventional liquid fertilizer or special fertilizers for juniper. Dose the fertilizer sparingly! The liquid fertilizer is added to the irrigation water, which should preferably be lime-free or rainwater (to avoid lime stains). Fertilize from February to October and ideally with an organic fertilizer.
Cutting and wiring correctly needs to be learned
This is to be considered when cutting and wiring:
- Keep growth dense and compact
- pluck new shoots (May to September)
- Thin out the branches every 2 years
- Wrap branches, twigs and trunks with aluminum wire depending on the desired shape
- Remove the wire in mid-May
tips
Every 4 to 5 years it is advisable to transplant the creeping juniper when the pot has become too small. Before transplanting, cut back the roots for better branching!