Time to start learning how to wire and care for them!
this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2023
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FYI you can also edit your original post to upload photos afterwards (I've done that several times).
At this point I've given up even spending time on my trees until I figure out how to keep them alive for several years. I thought I had it down -- I have a collection of junipers I've dug up around my yard and have had potted for almost three years now. Then this Spring, I'm not quite sure what happened, but I lost two of the largest trees. My best guess is that we had a comparatively huge amount of rain this year, and the posts were sitting in dirt where they may not have been able to drain properly. I have them all sitting on wood planks now so we'll see how that goes, but the rest of them all seem to be healthy.
You definitely want to experiment with some that you're not too invested in, though. Turns out caring for these small beauties can be really tricky.
Good to know, thank you!
I almost bought a juniper, I loved the look of it, but I was worried about how it would last through the winter in our yard as a beginner, and it was about 5x the price. I ended up going with these guys because 1) they're indoor, so he told me they're fine on my deck, and once the temperature starts to drop I can bring them inside, 2) he said they're harder to kill, and 3) they were on sale for $30 each, down from $120, so I won't be heartbroken if I kill them lol.
Yikes they wanted $120 for those guys originally? You would probably be better off going to a place that sells shrubs for your yard. We have places here that sell small items like that in one gallon pots for around $10 to $20 each (you can find great sales at the end of Summer). You get something that has a few years of growth but hasn't been styled at all by anyone, so you have a clean slate to work with. I've gotten a couple like that where I could see the hint of a bonsai style among all the branches, so I brought them home, did some minor trimming, then set them aside for the Winter. One died and one survived, I might go back again this year to see if I can find others. Plus once again, at the much lower cost you don't have to worry about some plants dying while you learn how to take care of them.
That's a great idea, I'm gonna try that! I did want something established to start with, which is why I went with a guy locally, but I wouldn't mind trying something like that. Like you said, the price is right lol