I received a Japenese Juniper bonsai tree as a gift. I understand that I need to keep it outside, but I've also learned about the dangers of overwatering. I took it to a local bonsai nursery and the gentleman told me the soil is a little dense and I need to be particularly careful about this (but he recommended not to change the soil until at least March).

I live in Seattle, and wonder if leaving it outside with all the rain is going to be a problem? The only areas I could put it where it's somewhat protected from rain would be in total shade, and I also know these bonsai are supposed to get a lot of sun (any sun at all is difficult in Seattle in the winter).

The area I have it now is against the Eastern wall of my house, which gets a lot of morning light but that's it, will this be enough (it can get hot here, 80s or even occasionally 90 or so in August this would protect it from mid-day & hot afternoon sun)? This is where most of my garden and my patio is and is where I spend time when I'm outside during fairer weather.

Products like these are commercially interesting as essentially, it is just a young plant. The grower did not have to invest much time in it. Just cut off some of the lower twigs, put it in a pot and sell a plant with a value of a few bucks as a bonsai.

I have seen worse though.

Too much water is not great - but so far all my junipers handle it well. Of course they are in well draining soil.

Temperatures above 80 will quickly kill it. It will wven kill humans.

Kat64,

Welcome to the forum.
I see no problems at all.
If it is outside, with good drainig soil and no midday/ afternoon direct sun in August, it will like a little rain, wind and cold, as well as the sun.
I live in Brazil and there are plenty of junipers living happily outside in our summers, hotter than Seattle for sure.

according to the literature that came with the plant it is 10-12 years old. So I guess depends on your definition of "young"

Thanks. Unfortunately we go through a dry period in the summers, sometimes no rain at all for 4 weeks or more. I will be too be vigilant at those times. No, I'm mostly concerned with winters here they are so wet.

Kat64 wrote:

according to the literature that came with the plant it is 10-12 years old. So I guess depends on your definition of "young"

This is irrelevant. Junipers can live centuries; in fact, I've seen bonsai junipers in Japan with more than 400 years old. Alive and well.
So, even if the literature says "10/12" years, it is still very young.
And...
Many times these young trees are grafted, air layered, or a cutting is taken from an older tree, and the commercial nurseries put on the label the age of the...
Mother tree.
Not saying this is the case here, but it happens.

Kat64 wrote:

according to the literature that came with the plant it is 10-12 years old. So I guess depends on your definition of "young"

It is a few years old top

Kat64 wrote:

according to the literature that came with the plant it is 10-12 years old. So I guess depends on your definition of "young"

12 years would be very young for a bonsai - but I doubt that that is correct. 5 - 7 years max.

i live in southern California, i have a black mesh tarp (can purchase at any hardware store) over my junipers basically partial shad but still lets some sun light in and they do just fine even with the 100+*F heat we get in summer, also protects it from direct rain.

since nobody has addressed my question about being exposed to winter rains here in Seattle, does that mean this won't be a problem (it won't be too wet)?