View Single Post
Old 18-Jul-2006   #1
bernini
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Jul-2006
Posts: 3
Send a message via AIM to bernini Click Here to Skype bernini
Question Juniper's not looking so hot. Or too hot?

I'm afraid this may sound a bit repetitive, but my mallai bonsai, which I purchased at the mall less than a year ago, appears to be in a state of emergency. Many of its branches have turned a deep greenish color. They are brittle and break off easily when I brush my finger across them. Some of the branches still look like they are alive though, and are green and soft to the touch. I tried doing the wick test, which yielded a dull green.
I repotted the bonsia in the winter before I realized it needed to be kept outside. By that point, the ground was frozen. New Hampshire winters are pretty extreme and although I know the juniper is a hardy plant, I didn't think it would be apt for the change from 68 to 70 degrees F to ten below, or for our extreme booger-freezing frost and three feet of snow.
Now I'm afraid I don't know the golden-mean between what is too much sunlight and what is not enough, nor the golden-mean between over watering it and under watering it. It's getting a few hours of sunlight each day, though is mainly in the shade, and I water it about 3 to 4 times a week. I believe the drainage is decent but I haven't checked the root system yet. I understand extreme heat is not a problem for bonsai, but is extreme humidity a problem? As bad as NH winters are, NH summers are worse.
Finally, I live in a dorm room over the school year and I'm not able to keep the bonsai outside, although I bring it home for a winter residence. My guess is that although the junipers are hardy, I have somehow managed to kill it. I have not given it any fertilizer because I read that I wouldn't be doing that until it got much bigger. In the whole, it doesn't look like it has grown since I bought it. Please tell me everything I did wrong, what I didn't do, what I should do, and so forth by whatever means possible. If there's a chance my juniper is still alive, there's no time to waste!
bernini is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Sponsor Message Juniper's not looking so hot. Or too hot?
Advertisement
Forum Sponsor