Ive basically asked because it has really blown up in size every year since I repotted it. I dont want it to get out of control and look like an octopus, yet I have no real knowledge on how to properly care for a bonsai! I dont know what to expect or do with it.

Wow! I had no idea that leaving them outside was an option! Thats what I get for only consulting the few brief google excursions I have went on to educate myself. Even in early spring and late fall I carry it in and out every night to avoid frost. The knowledge I had read said that anything under freezing is hard on them! Do you know why they dont fare well indoors? Is it humidity? lighting? Just curious! Thanks again for all of the amazing input!!!

Mainly because junipers needs winter dormancy for long run health. Day/night swings and seasonal swings is necessary.This is the first ever I have seen a juniper doing well in indoor conditions most of them die first winter.

The very best way to overwinter junipers is outdoors protected from wind and let it be covered in snow when awailable.

However, if the tree havent experienced authum and got prepared for winter I dont think it is good to exposé it to frost in mid winter.

I actually would have a hard time putting it outside at this point. I spend way more time on and with the plant during the winter. Misting it multiple times a day most of the time. I'll consider it next winter if it's what's best for the plant; however, my misting and humidification monitoring has given me something to do lol. I've been remote since the pandemic hit.

I spent almost a grand on a humidifier...I hope that has made the difference. I wonder what harm I've done by not exposing it to seasonal swings. Itld really suck to have this guy die in a spring for no reason.

Can I stop the length of the limbs in a healthy way?

"Stop the leangth of the limbs, do you mean make them shorter

There are two ways, eigther wire and make them more compact by adding mowement or simply prune. Both of them can be done without risking the health of the tree too much, but will affect thickening of the trunk.

Your juniper looks in good care also good growth in the last years.

Take your time with pruning.

- Don't remove inner foillage, you can shorten it, but you might need it in future. If you do remove it, you might end up with a 'pom pom bonsai'.
- Always leave some foillage on a branch, as junipers don't backbud.
- Pluck foilage pointing downwards.

- How much foilage to remove; You have seen the growth speed over the years, and how fast the trunk tickens. If you want a bigger bonsai, just prune the longer shoots a bit back.
If you want it to be around this size, you can remove some more. Be aware that if you remove for example 1/3 of foilage, remember how long that took for the juniper to grow. Because you will set it back a year or so, before reaching this size again.

I can not say how thankful I am for the help I've received here. It's been amazing. Tropfrog and rorror you guys are great! I wish you both the very best as you deserve it! Thanks guys!

If it were mine - if - I would think strongly about chopping off the cascading part on the left and cutting back the part above that just a little bit. But, it's your tree, not mine, and you should develop your idea of the tree.

BTW, this is an international forum and many don't know how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius. It common to write temperatures as -20F/-28C, so it is not confused with the substantially warmer -4F/-20C.

all the conifers and deciduous trees spend their time outside, except in very cold weather, cold greenhouse, garage or even heated veranda, halfway through the tropics that we come in because of frost and that we resort when the cold has passed