Medium Juniper Bonsai
R500
Medium · loves it outdoors
Care guide
- Species
- Juniperus chinensis (Juniper)
- Light
- Outdoor full to partial sun — minimum 4–6 hours direct daily. Morning sun is best in hot JHB summers; afternoon shade prevents heat stress. If kept indoors, brightest north-facing window only — no curtains, no tinted glass — rotate every few days. Low indoor light = weak growth and eventual death.
- Water
- Water only when the top layer starts to dry — never on a strict schedule. Soak thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes; never leave standing water in a tray. Junipers hate soggy soil more than slight dryness. Summer possibly daily in heat; winter much less.
- Soil
- Very free-draining mix; lots of aggregate.
- Feed
- Balanced feed monthly in growing season; ease off mid-winter. No fertiliser for roughly a month after repotting.
- Where
- Outdoor year-round in JHB — very hardy through cold, wind, and heat. Never bring indoors for more than a couple of days; dry indoor air weakens junipers quickly.
- Notes
- Pinch finger-and-thumb — never scissors on the foliage (browns the tips). Repot every 2–3 years in early spring; trim roots no more than 30%, then shade for 2–3 weeks. Stress signals (yellowing or dull foliage, crispy tips, sudden needle drop) often appear weeks after the damage — prevention is key.
