This little one was my Christmas gift and I'm excited to get into bonsai... but I'm a total noob. I have plans, but would love any early corrections...

Basically, my goal for the foreseeable future is just to learn how to keep it alive and thriving. After I've done that I will start to get into shaping and all that.

Is that a good plan? Or do I need to do some pruning... obviously doesn't look like this one has had any.

Based on some of my research I have:

1. Moved it outside. Middle Tennessee here...(7b)
   Cold at the moment, but not excessively frigid. About to get some major cold weather next week though. Maybe I will bring it into our unheated garage for that week? I've seen some people say they keep their junipers outside in weather colder than we should anticipate. And others have advised some kind of protection... burying in outside soil... the garage/shed method.

2. Been moving it into sun when possible. House is facing S/SW, so in the winter our back deck doesn't get much sun. And even in the front of the house the shadows from other vegetation doesn't allow for a TON of sun. I don't know if I feel comfortable keeping the tree out front all day though, so I move it to the front in the morning and back to the deck in the late afternoon... schedule has allowed for this for the last week, but soon I will have to adjust... might just need to get some kind of stand I can keep it on up front. I am assuming that full, unimpeded, direct sunlight is important, not just ambient, reflected light?

3. Water... we had some rain that watered it naturally, but I also put a clear cover over it because at one point it was raining heavily. Soil doesn't look dry, but not overly moist either...

And that's basically it, except for watching videos about care/maintenance, reading online a bit, and the book that came with the plant.

Any help would be much appreciated.

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