Well, Junipers are outdoor trees, so bringing them inside for the winter will, in fact, kill them. They need that cold winter to go dormant. Since they're potted and have no access to the groundwater, you'll need to protect them from the wind in the winter and give them a good soak every now and again. If they get buried in snow, all the better.
All bonsai are best when styled...if done right it can help strengthen them as plants (keeps them from getting root-bound, etc). Junipers shouldn't be "cut" with shears, though - when defoliating they should be pinched with fingers...cutting them will cause the tips of the needles/scales to turn brown and die, whereas pincing them will remove entire scales at a time. I've learned this one the ahrd way - I have a very nicely-styled juniper with a halo of dead brown foliage. Heh. Pinching will also release more of the scent you like too.
Some people have a slight allergy to juniper sap, so if you're one of those people, wear gloves or you'll get itchy.
Easy rule for watering a juniper - is the soil drying? Then give it a good watering. Don't let it stand in a puddle, and it should be fine. Bonsai soil drains fast. Usually watering once a day, maybe twice if it's really hot or dry, should be sufficient. Fertilize maybe once every two weeks. A commercial fertilizer like Miracid will work fine, but any organic would be okay. In and approaching the winter, though, don't fertilize unless you have a low-nitrogen fertilizer, like a cactus fertilizer. Nitrogen will encourage growth, which you don't want it to do before it goes dormant.
All bonsai are best when styled...if done right it can help strengthen them as plants (keeps them from getting root-bound, etc). Junipers shouldn't be "cut" with shears, though - when defoliating they should be pinched with fingers...cutting them will cause the tips of the needles/scales to turn brown and die, whereas pincing them will remove entire scales at a time. I've learned this one the ahrd way - I have a very nicely-styled juniper with a halo of dead brown foliage. Heh. Pinching will also release more of the scent you like too.
Some people have a slight allergy to juniper sap, so if you're one of those people, wear gloves or you'll get itchy.
Easy rule for watering a juniper - is the soil drying? Then give it a good watering. Don't let it stand in a puddle, and it should be fine. Bonsai soil drains fast. Usually watering once a day, maybe twice if it's really hot or dry, should be sufficient. Fertilize maybe once every two weeks. A commercial fertilizer like Miracid will work fine, but any organic would be okay. In and approaching the winter, though, don't fertilize unless you have a low-nitrogen fertilizer, like a cactus fertilizer. Nitrogen will encourage growth, which you don't want it to do before it goes dormant.
Good luck!
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