Should I keep fertilizing?

So I noticed that my shimpaku that I got this winter isn't putting out as much growth as it should.  I didnt repot it this spring because it had a lot of room still left in it's pot and I figured the bonsai guy I got it from new about good soil. I was wrong. The soil was complete crap and I just removed it from the pot, took all the crappy soil out (trying not to disturb the rootball) replacing it with really fast draining soil.  Now for the question, ive been giving it fertilizer every two weeks. Should I continue this or stop?

I'm assuming yu meant to write "trying NOT to disturb the rootball." Does that mean the rootball was left with all the junk soil on it? If so, and if you packed that good soil in around the tree, you need to be very careful when you water that the water doesn't totally bypass the roots and just run through the new, free-draining soil.

If you washed the soil out of the rootball, that means you did "disturb" it -- especially if you were careful about working the new soil into the rootball, and you need to keep the tree in a protected area for a while. (This wasn't the best time of year to do that, and if you are anywhere near as hot as we are here . . .)

Now to your question. Yes you can fertilize as you have been doing -- with maybe a half-strength does the first time, then full strength in subsequent 2-week doses.

Thanks Jim. I left the junk soil in it. It drains alright because of how many roots are in the rootball. Should I try to aerate the rootball with a chop stick?

Might help.

I did a similar potting last year on my shimpaku, and I think that I had rot this last fall from the mucky soil holding too much water. I gave it a proper repot this year and it seems to have gotten healthier.

hi,
chances are you won't fertilise this year - the tree was not thriving and has been repotted - no fertiliser is needed until you actually see strong healthy growth resume - only then does the tree need additional feeding. mist the foliage, keep away from intense sunlight..that is pretty much all a juniper will need while recovering

cheers Marcus