bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - URGENT-Juniper Care-URGENT

mkingiii,

I have several junipers, and from the sound of your description, I would say that your tree has a case of spider mites. There are several things you can do to get rid of them. In my case, I use a mild soapy solution, made by mixing 1 Tsp liquid dish soap to 1 gallon of water. I then spray the tree with this solution once or twice a day until the problem goes away. I make sure NOT to douse the tree with this solution, and to keep as much of it out of the soil as possible. My last experience with this bug took me about two weeks to finally run them off. If this sounds too "homemade" for your tastes, then you can get a mild insecticide at your local department store and follow its directions for application.

Hving said that, let me stress to you the importance of owning a good bonsai book. Since you have had one of your trees for about a year, then you should really consider the idea of learning how to properly care for it. There are several good beginner books on the market, and I believe that most of them will touch on the basics of soil, pests, repotting, and various species care information.

One more thing...do you have a picture of your trees? Pictures are much more helpful than written descriptions when asking for help. With that in mind, from your description, it sounds like one of your trees may already be dead. A crispy, brown juniper is often a sign that the tree has been dead for some time. Junipers tend to die and remain green for a while, so that you think that they are still alive. By the time they start turning brown, it is WAY too late to save them. Of course, without a pic, we cannot tell the true status of your tree, and it may still be alive.

Anyway, I hope this helps you a bit. Good luck, and welcome to BonsaiTalk!

Regards,
John

23-Mar-2005	#2
jloeschner Archbonsaist in training Join Date: Aug-2004 Location: Wynne Country: United States USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: 8 Posts: 479	mkingiii, I have several junipers, and from the sound of your description, I would say that your tree has a case of spider mites. There are several things you can do to get rid of them. In my case, I use a mild soapy solution, made by mixing 1 Tsp liquid dish soap to 1 gallon of water. I then spray the tree with this solution once or twice a day until the problem goes away. I make sure NOT to douse the tree with this solution, and to keep as much of it out of the soil as possible. My last experience with this bug took me about two weeks to finally run them off. If this sounds too "homemade" for your tastes, then you can get a mild insecticide at your local department store and follow its directions for application. Hving said that, let me stress to you the importance of owning a good bonsai book. Since you have had one of your trees for about a year, then you should really consider the idea of learning how to properly care for it. There are several good beginner books on the market, and I believe that most of them will touch on the basics of soil, pests, repotting, and various species care information. One more thing...do you have a picture of your trees? Pictures are much more helpful than written descriptions when asking for help. With that in mind, from your description, it sounds like one of your trees may already be dead. A crispy, brown juniper is often a sign that the tree has been dead for some time. Junipers tend to die and remain green for a while, so that you think that they are still alive. By the time they start turning brown, it is WAY too late to save them. Of course, without a pic, we cannot tell the true status of your tree, and it may still be alive. Anyway, I hope this helps you a bit. Good luck, and welcome to BonsaiTalk! Regards, John __________________ Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. QUI ME AMAT, AMAT ET CANEM MEAM