Chinese Juniper Seedling Prices Per Plant, Differences from Chinese Arborvitae, and Bonsai Care

Chinese juniper, also called spiny juniper, juniper, gui, or guibai, is an evergreen tree; the branchlets bearing scale-like leaves are round or nearly square. It is used for hedges and street trees, and can also serve as material for stump bonsai and bonsai.So how much does a Chinese juniper seedling cost per plant? What is the difference from Chinese arborvitae? How should bonsai be cared for?

How much does a Chinese juniper seedling cost per plant?

The following prices were compiled by Tuliu.com and are for reference only:

What is the difference between Chinese juniper and Chinese arborvitae?

1. Chinese juniper has both needle-like leaves and scale-like leaves, while Chinese arborvitae has only scale-like leaves.

2. In appearance, Chinese juniper is long and spire-shaped, while Chinese arborvitae is cone-shaped.

3. The branches of Chinese juniper spread evenly in all directions, while the branches of Chinese arborvitae are almost flat in one plane.

4. The seed cones of Chinese juniper are relatively large and round, while the seed cones of Chinese arborvitae have 4 pairs of cone scales and open completely when mature.

How should Chinese juniper bonsai be cared for?

Chinese juniper has a graceful tree form, with twisted trunk and branches like a roaming dragon, clustered branches and leaves, and foliage like a jade canopy, giving a majestic and remarkable presence; a single tree can form a landscape. Old stump specimens of Chinese juniper can live for several hundred years, with an antique, picture-like elegance, gnarled trunks and curved branches, ancient and robust, evergreen in all four seasons, and suitable for viewing all year round.

Chinese juniper is a sun-loving plant and a light-demanding tree species, relatively shade-tolerant. It prefers a cool and warm climate. It is vigorous, deep-rooted, and also has well-developed lateral roots. The trunk is upright, making it very suitable for planting in courtyards or cultivating into valuable bonsai. The care methods are as follows:

1. Chinese juniper is drought-tolerant and dislikes waterlogging. Do not keep it too wet when watering; do not water when dry, and follow the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry between waterings. During the plum rain season, make sure water does not accumulate in the pot. In high summer temperatures, water in the morning and evening, just keeping the potting soil moist; frequent misting of the leaves can keep the foliage emerald green.

2. Stump specimens of Chinese juniper should not be fertilized too much, to avoid excessive growth that affects the beauty of the tree shape. Each spring from March to May, apply dilute decomposed cake fertilizer water or organic fertilizer 2-3 times, and in autumn apply it 1-2 times, to keep the branches and leaves fresh green and dense and the growth robust.

3. For Chinese juniper bonsai, pinching is the main method; for excessive growth shoots, you can tip them, cutting off the top tips to encourage side branches. During the vigorous growth period, especially pay attention to timely pinching and tipping to keep the crown dense and the form beautiful.

4. Stump specimens of Chinese juniper grow slowly, so they can be repotted once every 3-4 years, preferably during the cool plum rain season. Chinese juniper likes moist but well-drained soil. When repotting, an appropriate portion of old roots can be removed, half of the old soil replaced, and fertile, loose sandy potting soil used to promote new root growth and development. For tall, deep pots, pay attention to placing coarse sand and broken tiles at the bottom as a drainage layer to facilitate drainage. Before transplanting large trees, the roots must be cut; during transplanting, the crown should maintain its original sunny and shady sides, and late autumn to early spring is best, as the survival rate of high-temperature transplanting is low.

5. In winter, after the plant enters dormancy or semi-dormancy, cut off weak, diseased, pest-damaged, dead, and overly dense branches.