hello everyone,
my wife bought me this plant for christmas, I believe its a japnese juniper not 100%. It was kept in a heated nursery. I want to repot it and clean it up but i dont want to be to traumatic. I live in ohio and its currently below freezing. its in a dirt substrate mix with moss on the base. its by a window with good light and i have a led grow light. exactly what is this tree? should i keep it outside after this spring (assuming its to traumatic to go from warm to cold this time of year)? can i repot it and trim it now or should i wait until spring? any help would be appreciated, dont want this to die becuase of stupidity, thanks in advance...

Hi, yes, it's a Juniper and if you keep it inside, in a heated room, it will surely die.

Put it in a unheated but well-lit room (such as a conservatory) until temps are below freezing and then move it outside as soon as you can.

I think I see some pebbles on top of the substrate: remove them soon as they don't help to estimate when it needs to be watered.

Do NOT repot or trim it at all for this year, you first need to learn to keep it alive.

Good luck and let us know!

The species is most likelly juniperus procumbens "nana". I have understood that these are sold by milions in USA in non specialiced garden centers. In Europe I have never seen them sold as bonsai ever. We buy cheap garden materials and make them bonsai ourselves. The benefit is except for less money spent is that we get materials kept in correct conditions prior to sale.

like outside snow, ice, and wind or would it be better in my unattached unheated still freezing garage? my gargae has no light but ive managed to get a dwarf spruce alive for a couple of years in there. I just make sure to being it outside the the temps go above 35F

You have two threads and I think I answered that question in the other one.

Snow and ice only occures below freezing. If your tree hasn't experienced the seasonal changes of authum it cannot take frost conditions. You need to keep it just above freezing and move it outdoors once risk of frost is over.

thank you. and yes i was trying to delete one. when I did it, I didnt realize that it went to approval before it was posted. I thought I made a mistake and didnt actually hit submit