Along a similar note, I have a San Jose Juniper that is most likely suffering a similar problem... Over watering due to poor potting medium. I've had this juniper for 3+ years in Florida and, it has grown surprisingly well in Miracle Grow Potting Soil. But, it sounds like this soil, that I have been using, is retaining too much moisture.

My question is, if I have recently repotted this juniper (within 3-4 months), would it be safe to repot in mid-summer and place it into aquarium rocks, perlite, and bark? Or should i ride it out for another year etc. and let the juniper stay where it is. I will take a pic of it and post it tonight. The tree still has lots of fresh green growth and decent back budding from mild pinching of buds. But, in comparison to a healthy juniper in a nursery it looks much less green and happy.

Repotting midsummer is tree-icide, wait til it's dormant in November.

wait what u mean i dont get the tree iced ? is it like frozen or something and wich november after this sumer or the one after the next summer the 2009 one

I mean that any tree that lives outdoors in the northern hemisphere goes dormant in winter (takes a long, cold rest to renew itself for spring) and stops growing. The 'stop' is gradual, from about Oct. through to late Jan/Feb., when it then begins the slow coming out of dormancy for spring (even if it still seems cold and snowy and all that depending how far north you are). By March, while many trees still seem to be frozen into the ground, the longer hours of daylight and slightly warmer temps have begun to wake the trees up. What you need to do in Nov. (NOT e.g. Sept. or something - the idea is not to keep the tree's soil from freezing) to help your tree get through the winter nicely is put the pot into one quite a bit larger, one that has its own drain holes (for melting snow, etc.) and fill the space between your pot and the large one with mulch to help keep the roots themselves from becoming TOO cold for too long, even if the soil around them is frozen. And if you let it snow on the tree it also helps to insulate it which is ok. And of course I mean the Nov. ('08) which is coming up... why would you think I meant '09?

i dont know im just like that . okay bt now since it dont snow basicaly at all in clifton do i still have to do the mulch thing or cani just leave it in the ground

Kostyantyn, I think Lucy's latest answer was directed to djjin14568 above. This November, after this summer.

As to your question about repotting - it means that Repotting in summer is tree-murder.

Josh

What I should also mention is that once the soil in the pot is frozen (goes hard) stop watering until it is completely thawed (unfrozen) in spring... maybe March sometime. Also, you may wonder about trees in Forida or Texas, but even if they don't actually freeze for more than a few nights over a few weeks, they still will be dormant and still need the 'outdoor' cycle of changes.

If the tree is in the ground (NO pot) then NO mulch of course. BTW, my answer was to Kost...

Sorry about that, I should have checked the time sig to see how recently you'd replied!

Carry on! ;)

I have one that's browning, but I have it in a proper soil mix, Water it generally, three times a week at most, and have it outside in full sun. What could be the problem? It's not a cheap tree, I got it from a member of my Bonsai group and it is 12 years old, I'm very worried.

Hi, well what I'm reading is a) good - as far the 'proper' (?) soil mix goes, but b) maybe not so good, because you're apparently watering it to a schedule, and that's a no-no as you really need to water only when it's necessary and with a juniper, depending on what that mix is and the pot itself, it may well be too often. Junipers grow naturally in high, windy, dry places where it may not rain for ages, and you have to learn to judge how often to water, and never just do it the way you would for a house plant. HOWever, if that's not the problem, have you checked for spider mites?

I haven't. What I mean is the I water when the soil is dry, so except of in the driest weather (which we have a ton of Humidity in NC) I would NEVER water it more than three times a week. Proper soil is well, exactly the soil conditions you have described above, more or less. I will check for spider mites but I don't think that's it. Thanks, and any more help would be fantastic!

Do you check below the surface to see if the mix is still moist, vs only on the surface?

most of the time, I don't wanna break any roots though. It's not so root bound that its a problem, but I'm gunna trim them in November [Better time you have in mind?]

Okay the leaves are now more yello than a light deadish brown, normally that would worry me but at least it's alive

If the foliage is green and soft, it's great, if it's brittle and hard in most places, the tree's been gone for a while (just slow to show it).

its brown and yellow slowly regaining some green, and more or less soft (not squishy or rotted)

still no real green. any thoughts?

Yes, post a picture. The doctor needs to see the patient...

Josh

This is all very useful information. I've been working on my juniper bonsai for a while now and had some of the same questions. Thank you all for the helpful information.

Junipers however, are very adaptable plants. They will aclimatize to a variety of conditions, Lucy however, is dead on in most of her information.

I will take this a little further:
Good bonsai soil, for almost any tree, is loose and can be fairly coarse. The two main reasons a tree is repotted are, becoming rootbound--which can cause a multitude of problems and the degredation of the soil mix which will cause the pot to begin to stop draining well. Yes there are other reasons as well as everyone knows.

If the soil mix is right, when it's soaking wet, you should be able to close you fist around it--hold it tight for about 30 seconds then open your hand. It should fall apart. If the pot and the soil are right you should be able to literally pour water on it, the water should percolate right through.
This is why you can water every day and should.

Yes, you check the soil moisture by really sticking your finger into it, much better than just guessing or using some kind of an insturment. Bonsai is a very tactile thing. You actually do things like touch the tree and the soil...oh my!!

The answers to the two other questions are the ones we've all learned over time:
Prune: when the shears are sharp.
Re-pot: when you have the time.
Yes it's normally better in the early spring but, I have done it in 100 degree weather. How you treat it after makes the difference.

okay so my mom got me a venus flytrap wich i asked her for like 5 months and basicaly i have no idea how to take care of it. on the back of the container ting it has writen that i have to keep it moist and to rop out the black ones like the dead heads, i dont trust it so help me here are some pics and help tell me anything that would be usfull information for me.

{{gwi:8059}}

Kosta - post this on the House Plants forum of GW and start a NEW thread - this one's OLD and it's for bonsai, not fly-eating plants!

Hi everyone,

I live In Vancouver, Canada and I have bought my Shimpaku juniper from my local bonsai nursery (Sunny Bonsai). I have been reading about the "bark test" where you scratch the bark and if it's green then it's alive, but my bonsai's bottom quarter of the the trunk is white when I scratched it while the the upper half is still green , but a light green. The foliage seems OK to me; it's not exactly soft nor is it hard, so I would say its in between?There are some dead foliage, but it's very very minor (probably about 2-3 tiny pieces). A tiny bit of the foliage does fall of when I touch it hard but it's very few, and most stay intact. I water it when it feels dry (I use the finger method, so no watering routine). The soil is good soil for evergreens, so it should be fine. I Keep it outdoors all the time on my patio, but it gets very very hot sometimes. Is it because of the hot/weather (It's around 97 F for the past two weeks) thats causing it to die? Is this bark test really valid?

Oh and the foliage is green; it doesnt "look" dead or anything. There really is no signs of death other then the bark test. But I've heard that sometimes Junipers takes up to 6 weeks to show death? I really don't want this to die. I've spent nearly $400 dollars on this baby.

Dave

I hope that you all can give me some input about my Juniper Bonsai that I have received this past Christmas as a gift from my sister. I usually water it 1-2 times per week and I keep it in my window that gets extreme direct sunlight to it. Just recently with all of this cold weather my window sillhas been getting probably a cold little draft. Well it looked fine last week then when I was watering it today, well the pines were hard as can be and fell off when I touch them. They were so hard to the touch that they would actually stick in my hand instead of falling down. The appearance however is a light green with a touch of yellow. Please help me by giving me some input and advice if it is not a goner.

By the time a juniper gets to that point, it's usually long past viable. ;-(

You don't say where you live, so I can't guess at what type of over-wintering would be appropriate for your little bonsai juniper, but they honestly don't like being indoors at all. They want (need) to be cold all winter long - like buried in the ground outdoors (the pot) and mulched if it gets really cold where you are, or in an unheated garage ........ I'm really sorry that, from the sound if it, your plant might be gone, but you can always try another. Please don't give up - with a little effort, you can learn to be proficient at tending a variety of trees in little pots.

Al

bought my juniper summer 2YRs ago staid outdoors was fine till about march this year, started seeing some brown, been on covered deck, put in brightsun 1 day got sunburned, took to bonsai nursery repotted,watering 2 to 3 times a week getting browner all the time what to do, please help its 16YRS old bought from old korean man who does nothing but bonsai soil should be right

PEOPLE! Junipers are not house plants. They will not survive indoors. And yes they can be repotted in summer. Junipers have TWO growing seasons. One spurt in spring and another in early fall. Once temps get up into the 80's, daily watering becomes necessary no matter what the humidity of the air, that is if you have them in the right potting mix to start with. It's all about drainage. You want a bonsai mix that drains quickly. Even if it means watering sometimes twice a day during hot weather.

I just bought a Juniper bonsai about two months ago and it is dying, the leaves are slowly getting brown. I do know for a fact that I have been watering it too much and am now watering it less. It lives indoors in a window right now and I was wondering what to do because I live in Arizona at 7000 ft above sea level and I am a little worried to put my bonsai outside because of how close that would put it to the sun. Should I moving outside anyways? or just water it less? The instructions say to have it in direct sun and filtered afternoon sun, they also say that if you live in a desert you should keep the plant inside during the day and outside at night, if that helps.

My Bonsai has never been outside since I got her in May. She sits in an indirect light corner in my bedroom near an open windowl. She has grown well and getting fluffy. Then I went away for a week and she was dry and to touch needles and some branches popped off. Her limbs are still flexiable midway. The tip popped off today and more branches. I have to leave again for a week and need to prevent further damage. I soaked her today and have been spraying her daily. What should I do before leaving in 2 days? HELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP!

im a newbie regarding bonsai... i just bought mine last 2 weeks ago.. im in Los Angeles CA and i would like to know how often should i water my plant?! and i believe misting the leaves every other day is good?! and about our temperature here in Los Angeles get atleast 50 degree fahrenheit. so should i leave it outside my balcony or bring it inside my apartment at night?! please help me... and should i give them a fertilizer this month?! if yes how often?! and last thing 2 weeks ago it has moss but right now its dried so how would i grow the moss back?? PLEASEEE HELPPPPP MEEEEEE!!

I recently purchased a small Juniper bonsai (About a week ago) I have been placing it on my balcony which receives direct sunlight until about 11am and then indirect sunlight the rest of the day. I live in south Florida where is is very humid. My question is should I re-pot the juniper in new soil. From what I have read they normally sell these bonsai in poor soil (Water retaining peat) that holds to much water and can cause the plant to die. I have been keeping a close eye on the plant and noticed that the very tips of some of the foliage are brown (very small piece at the ends nothing easily seen). My questions are will I have problems with this juniper given the placement on the balcony that i described? Should i change the soil to something more permeable? and lastly should I prune these very small browning areas off? How can i mimic a dormancy period because the winters here rarely fall below 60 degrees and i have read that dormancy is crucial for bonsai survival. also i received fertilizer with the plant. should i fertilize immediately or wait a month. and how often should i re-fertilize. Thank you

To Kogski - without knowing what kind of tree or shrub it is, I can't possibly help... sorry!

Alexrd - How often does it get watered and how much - that's probably the most important thing... browning in a juniper can certainly mean it's being watered too often, and is on it's way out. Brown near the lower trunk is just shedding of old needles, but at the tips is not a good sign... is the foliage still soft and pliable, or has it gone stiff? Stiff is bad... but don't prune anything right now. You can't really mimic dormancy unfortunately... watering less often right now could help, but depending on other factors, your tree may not be long for this world... get back with answers please.

This post was edited by moochinka on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 22:29

I watered it once since I purchased it using the bottom watering or soaking method at opposed to the top watering method. I have only had it for a week. The branches are all still soft and pliable. Could the browning be a result of shipping? Do you recommend changing the soil. I have attached a picture of the browning that I am talking about.

Also is my region going to be a problem. temperatures in the summer can go as high as 100 degrees F. and our winters are very mild rarely under 60 degrees. given these environmental conditions what are you recommendations for making my bonsai not only survive but thrive. Here is a picture of my plants soil.

Hi, if the pebbles on top go all the way through, the mix is very good. And I don't really see any brown at the tips to speak of, nothing like what I expected, which is good! Water when most of the mix is dry, it can take a bit of 'too much' dryness than it can too much wetness, and you have a lot of humidity there relative to the high, dry places it's native to. In summer, keep it out of the 90-100 F. heat at midday for a few hours, but also use something light colored to shield the pot so roots don't cook. No one can predict the future, but you might just be ok... it's so early after all since getting the tree - come back in a few months to let us know how it's doing.

Thanks for the advice. What should I do about winter and dormancy period? should i just keep it outside? I have read that people place them in the refrigerator for a couple of months to mimic winter and initiate the dormancy period before spring

You can't do anything about dormancy where you are except to lessen (by a fair amount) the frequency (not necessarily amt) of watering from now thru Jan/Feb. depending on how your tree appears to react. I don't recommend the fridge (or freezer!) because even very experienced growers have trouble regulating moisture, mold, etc. After all, junipers do grow in the SW at times, so heat alone isn't the only factor.

I have a San Jose Juniper which I planted in ground about 3mths ago, I live in NC at the coast with sandy soil and zone 8. I mixed the soil with black cow compost, I fertilized it wk ago thinking might would help, I even sprayed it with insecticidal soap, part of green is brown, Ive been searching answers, when I first planted watered not much, then I asked advice frim nurser she said soak with water daily. Please help...are they Dead??

Hi... cow compost? Noooo, not a good idea. And compounding it with fertilizer did not help... altogether too strong and unnecessary. Junipers like dry, sandy mixes (as they're from dry sandy places in the western mts) and can't be grown like tomatoes. Soaking daily with water is a huge no-no and whether that or the cow stuff is responsible, I wouldn't put a lot of stock (no pun etc...) in it surviving. If the foliage has gone hard and brittle, it's gone.

I just checked, they're not brittle, majority of plant si green. So what should I do. ..leave them alone or dig them up and replant?? Do you fertilize them any...if so, explain how, when what kind??

Hi - bad time of year to dig up anything, but if as you say they're ok after all, why rock the boat now? Just use a fertilizer meant for conifers (but follow pkge info re size of plant - you don't want to kill it with a dose meant for a 20' tree) once in Oct. - from the sound of it no more is needed before then and you shouldn't give more after that til next spring. And you shouldn't have to water them ever. Not unless they're in a pot.

So no fertilize til next spring, and no water ( unless really bad drought) Ever?? What kind of fertilize?? Im sorry for all questions, I dont have green thumb and Ive planted all these beautiful plants in my yard and learning how to tend to them!! I have Sea Green Junipers and Emerald Green Spiral Aborvitaes, could you help me with them?? So far they're looking good!! Everyone has to learn from mistakes!! Thank you

Please read what I wrote. Carefully. I said not to fertilize til Oct., but in fact you could do some in mid Aug.... then Oct., but after that, do none til Spring.

I recently got a Juniper and it was doing quite well until now. I water it when the soil feels dry, keep it ouside (I live in Montreal, Canada). The temperature dropped recently ( from 25° Celsius to around 15° now) and suddenly the needles of my bonsai became significantly paler. Some of the needles seem brittle but most of them feel just a little dry. I'm not sure whether this is normal because of it entering dormancy period or if there's something wrong. The scratch test reveals a green trunk. Thanks for the advice . Here's a reference photo if that helps

You can be certain it's not a current temperature issue, but it COULD be an issue related to high root temps in August that caused the death of a lot or all of the roots. If the plant dried out completely for a time, that would be a likely candidate, but most often this condition is related to over-watering. If all the foliage is dry, it's almost certainly on the way down the drain, but you can monitor your watering closely, being careful to water only when the plant is ALMOST but not quite completely dry, and keep your fingers crossed.

Al

Alright. It rained quite a bit for a few days so I guess thats what happened. I will repot it as well into better soil. Thank you for the advice!

Great advice here! Thank you to the experts! I have the browning needles problem with a green mound juniper I received for Christmas. It's from bonzaioutlet.com. It appears to be in dirt with little green balls on top. It's wired into the pot so I can't get it out to check what's on the bottom unless I cut the wire. It's in a humidity tray with stones and I mist it daily. It's in a sunny south facing window. I have a feeling from reading this thread that I am over-watering it so I threw out the stones (gonna get new ones) and fertilized it with the stuff (fish based) it came with. It has some new growth so I think it's able to be saved.... tell me what I should do? Thanks you guys! I live in Virginia in an apartment so I can't plant it outside.