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9-Aug-2007
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#1 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
Join Date: Sep-2006
Location: Marquette, Michigan (Upper Peninsula)
Country: USA
USDA Zone: 4b
Posts: 37
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Juniper, is is dying?
Here is my juniper, i thought i had been doing well with the watering and whatnot. it is in full sun from sunrise till noon, then shaded for the remainder of the day. is it dead/dying?
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Juniper, is is dying? |
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10-Aug-2007
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#2 |
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Bonsai Master in Training
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You want to give it full sun all day long. Or as much as possible. To me it doesn't look that bad, in fact the brown needles may just be older needles dropping. if it is dying you don't have to worry. With junipers, by the time you discover it is dying, it will have already been dead for some time.
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"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it" -Winston Churchill |
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14-Aug-2007
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#3 |
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bonsaiTALK Master Chief
Join Date: Mar-2006
Location: West Springfield Massachusetts
Country: USA
USDA Zone: zone 5
Posts: 1,187
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Are these photos the side awy from the sun?? The foliage is fairly heavy, the foliage needs sun to prosper. What is your training approach, are you pinching the tips a lot? Pruning may be more in line with what this tree needs.
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If at first you don't succeed -- skydiving is not for you. Always remember that you're unique -- just like everyone else Enjoy this day. Bill |
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14-Aug-2007
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#4 |
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bend me twist me
 
Join Date: Jul-2006
Location: melbourne
Country: australia
Posts: 1,716
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agreed bill a good thinning out is in order here, you can pinch all you like but unless you let some air and light in the interior will continue to die back. this does not mean the tree will die. all day sun it will love. if you're worried about middle day sun on some days fair enough otherwise the rest of the afternoon is good.
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Antonio . . . ------------------------------------ |
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14-Aug-2007
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#5 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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There are four possibilities. One: Too much water. Two: Not enough water. Three: Problems one and two are usually traceable back to a soil that is too dense. Usually too much water will give you a lot of yellow needles and not enough water will give you brown. It is normal for old needles to brown off on the inside of the tree as the branch becomes lignified (woody) and gains girth.
It is also possible you have red spider mites. Get a piece of white paper and a magnifying glass. Put the paper under the branches and tap on the branches with the flat of your hand. If you see a lot of dust on the paper look at it with the magnifying glass and see if the dust moves around and looks red. If this happens you have spider mites. They can decimate a tree quite quickly if left untreated. Spray with an insecticide recommended for this problem.
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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa |
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14-Aug-2007
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#6 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
Join Date: Sep-2006
Location: Marquette, Michigan (Upper Peninsula)
Country: USA
USDA Zone: 4b
Posts: 37
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my approach is i am trying to get the tree to thicken up and just grow as much as possible. i have not been pruning much at all, is this a bad idea? i appreciate all the help possible.
i rotate the tree every few days and it gets sun from morning till noon, then it is in the shade. i might water too much, but like i said, i am very new so too much is quite a subjective term.  here are a couple more pictures, i think they are clearer. |
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16-Aug-2007
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#8 |
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bonsaiTALK Journeyman
Join Date: Sep-2006
Location: Marquette, Michigan (Upper Peninsula)
Country: USA
USDA Zone: 4b
Posts: 37
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it is planted in a combination of oil dry, lava rock and a small amount of pine bark.
The guy i bought the plant from (he travels up to my area from Dallas every summer) was just in town and told me to put potting soil in the bottom 1/2 of the pot, so i have recently done that (contrary to what most pple would say on this forum im sure). but i bought the plant from him last summer and he has some VERY nice looking junipers and elms, so im sure he knows what he is talking about.... any other suggestions? i am going out of town for the weekend, so we will see how this guy is doing when i get back... |
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16-Aug-2007
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#9 | |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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Quote:
That may be true, but he lives in Dallas and you live in Michigan; Dallas, hot, dry, Michigan not so hot (no pun intended), not so dry. Oil dry; not the best possible material for calcined clay, it tends to break down too fast. You could have a sever drainage problem, and I emphasize "could have" a drainage problem.
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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa |
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16-Aug-2007
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#10 |
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Intermediate
Join Date: Jun-2002
Location: Hudson, FL
Country: USA
Posts: 426
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dying juniper...
It doesn't look like it's too far gone but if you have a juniper that is shaded part of the day AND the foliage is too dense for lack of pinching or pruning, just those two problems alone create a situation that is ripe for disaster. Certain pests will thrive in these conditions. Spider mites just for starters. Get that tree out into full sun all day long if possible. Get into that foliage and thin it out a bit so that air and sunlight can get in there. I would spray it just to be on the safe side....something that kills mites amoung other pests. Some folks spray as needed but I am a firm believer in prevention.
As for the soil, I did a test with the "stay dry" stuff. I put some in a small amount of water to see how long it would take to break down....it only took a little over a day. If you can't find a kiln fired clay product to use in your soil, use the very small river rock from a garden shop or stone center.... It generally runs about $8 for a fifty pound bag and comes in several sizes. Get the smallest size...about the size of two pinheads, and use that. Now is not the optimum time to repot so hopefully if you give it more sun, thin the foliage out and spray it, you can hold off until the right time for repotting in your area. Early spring. Good luck with your tree. |
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