I received a beautiful Green Mound Juniper in February as a gift. It is dark green and lush. Obviously, it had not been allowed to go dormant over the winter months as it should since it is an outdoor bonsai. What should I do, this late in the dormant season, to insure my new bonsai gets back on seasonal track, and survives/thrives? Thank you.

Just a question. Why is it obviously that it has not been alowed to go dormant? Do you know something you do not tell us that makes it obvious to you but not to us?

Green and lush in february would be a sign to me that it has gone dormant. But a photo would help. Some information about your location, climate and current conditions is also necessary to help.

As I stated in my original request for help, I received this bonsai as a gift this February, on the 6th to be exact, and it was not in a dormant state. It must have been purchased from a nursery and that nursery did not treat it like an outdoor bonsai. It is such and green right now when it should be in it's dormancy. 
My question is, what do I do with it in order to get it back into its normal, four season, cycle? It should be dormant now and it is not. What can I do with it?
Thank you for any assistance you can offer to help me and my new Green Mound Juniper bonsai.

Lawrence

My location is upset New York. The bonsai was just taken out of its transport packaging and watered. It is indoors right now. If it were in true dormancy, superior "leaves" of the plant would be brown, while the inferior "leaves" would be still green. The entire plant is deep green, instead. I don't know why it was not allowed to go dormant as it was not in my possession at the beginning of the winter season.

The plant needles will not always be brown, you need to get it outside now, you seem to have the wrong idea of dormancy, all of my Junipers are still green. Unless it came from a warm part of the country to a cold pat there is no reason for it not to be dormant. 

I don't know where the bonsai came from within the country, warm or cold, to my cold climate.  

My bonsai is in porcelain-like container. When you say I need to get it outside now, please explain. It is 26 degrees here with heavy snow. Should I put it outside, container and all? Should it be planted in the ground? Should I just bury the planter to keep the roots at underground temperature? Does it need to stay outside day and night, or should I bring it in at night when the temperatures have plunged into single digits lately.

I'm new to bonsai plants and am basing my idea of dormancy on a research, videos,  and pictures. I appreciate any help you can offer and any detailed explanation you can give me for "getting it outside now". I don't want to damage the roots for the upcoming Spring growth.

Thank you.

26 degrees is not cold. That is warmer than an average swedish summer day

I would definetely advice to move it outdoors emedantly. Livingroom conditions is lethal to junipers. Not many days has passed since you recieved it. Most likelly not enough to break its dormancy.

If you want us to try to be more specific about the dormancy question you can always add a photo as requested before .

If it was my tree, I would put it in 5 degree overwintering room (that means slightly above frost for almost everyone except americans and a people from a few very small countries) until frost nights is over. Just in case it has broken dormancy. But not everyone have that setup.

I do not have that 5 degree setup. So, I should just put it outside in the original container and leave it there day and night for the rest of our New York State winter? Does it need covering? Watering? Will sunshine break dormancy? You described what you would do with your setup, but I have an entirely different situation. Please tell me what to do given my circumstances.

If you look at this web site under species you will find details about Junipers. 

So I stay firm on what I previously wrote:

"I would definetely advice to move it outdoors emedantly. Livingroom conditions is lethal to junipers. Not many days has passed since you recieved it. Most likelly not enough to break its dormancy."

I do not know anything about new york winters. If you are more precise about what that means I may need to adapt my answer.

I keep all my junipers in an unheated greenhouse in the winter. So they do not get any natural preciptation. When it freezes, I do not water, it is just not possible nor needed. But I put some snow on top of the soil if there are any snow. It will melt and water the tree when it can utilize the water. This winter it has been extremelly mild, so I have been giving them a small drink every two weeks. However in most climates with trees outdoors, they do good on natural preciptation and will not need you giving any water until spring.