Sabina Juniper (Juniperus Savin) - Bonsai Care and Masintenance

General
The Sabina is a small hardy evergreen tree great for beginners and experienced collectors alike. An outdoor tree, it can be brought inside for 2-3 days at a time.

Unlike other Junipers, the Sabina retains its colour and does not change to purple-brown in the winter months.

 

Watering
Water well with a watering can or shower attachment for a hose. All our Bonsai pots have holes in their bases.

Water until it runs out through the holes when the surface of the soil is dry as it doesn’t like sitting in very wet soil. Overall, the Sabina is a sun loving, drought tolerant tree.

 

Fertilising

Fertilise from late winter through to mid autumn. Any general purpose fertiliser is fine.

 

Pruning
The Sabina is best pruned in late spring-early summer once the shoots have elongated, although major work is best done in late autumn after the second flush.

Tip: take a photo or 2 of your tree so you can refer back to it should the tree grow out of shape.

 

Light & Temperature

The Sabina loves a lot of direct sunlight. However, it’s best to move it into the shade on the hottest days of the year so the pot doesn’t overheat the roots

 

Pests

The Sabina is resilient to most pests as long as the tree is healthy. If there are signs that something is not quite right with the tree, a number of reputable organisations can diagnose the problem and provide solutions via Google and other search engines.

Repotting
Repot the Sabina every 3 years in late winter- early spring. Check the bottom of the pot to see if the tree is wired into the pot, if so, snip the wire so the tree can be removed from the pot.

Once the tree is out of the pot, tease the root mass and trim up to 30% off the roots and place in either a new pot or back into the existing pot.

Consider wiring the tree in place again, the wire will stop the tree falling out of the pot in strong winds as well as provide a sturdy environment for new root development.

 

We at Redgate Bonsai hope you get as much enjoyment from your tree as we do.