Possible Disease / Jupiner Procumbens

BonsaiSeed

Help!

My bonsai's needles are wilting and turning tan and are dying falling off. I had to bring the tree in a little early this year as we had bad weather. I also repotted this year, but I had used regular potting soil like a dumb guy (I was trying to make a nice medium). I also put a rock right underneath the main root mass (as I was trying to achieve root growing out of soil look. I suspect it is causing some issues with root and moisture absorption. This in combination with the lighting in my room seems to be causing the problem. I am going to get a nice relfector lamp with a grow bulb aside from my 1000 lumens 60 watt bulb, and add an additional 800 lumens with that. Will this burn the tree. The light is about 2.5 ft. from the tree so both lamps should be fine to illuminate it from each side. It's also placed on a windowsil that's allow some adequeate sunlight to enter. I wish the window was bigger but its probably the safest place for the tree.

I also didn't trim the tree before fall hit. I intended to, but as I saw that the leaves were drying out a bit (yellowing and not that beautiful full green color) I was worried if I was pruning or trimming to much during this disorder that I could damage the tree. The year before this was perfect. The tree is strong and its trunk is thick and it tends to grow very vivaciously out towards the tip (it's bend, and not standing upright). It's so vivacious in fact, I am worried that rock and soil stunted the root a tad bit under what it should have been this year.

I also noticed a yellowish color around the somwhat normal appearing mildew (usually white around the trunk) which tends to be because of the yearly build up of fertilizer. I have never noticed a yellow before, but it does not appear puffy or moldy. When I first bought the tree the mildew made me nervous but the tree was growing so fast and strong, I deemed it normal. I also had taken the tree back out for some fresh air as the weather was up and down for awhile, but noticed that in that little time, a tiny spider or two made some pretty thick wispy web in the dryed out or now dying needles. I let the spider stay because I dont want to kill the spider for making a home in my beautiful tree, but now I read that these creatures can carry diseases.

The tip of the main branch is still very very green and vivacious like normal and last year (almost to the point making it a funny looking tree with a big fuzzy green branch that looks heavier that the rest of the tree (although the stems are nice and juicy unlike the branches). The tree also still smells wonderful and appears to be healthy in certain areas.

This is what I did, and I hope I didn't do anything to stupid before asking but it seemed logical (and I read this as well). Since the needles were so thick and had been growing so well and dense, I pruned a lot of the unnecessary splices and socal "messy looking" (look someone who doesn't comb their hair). in order to allow the tree to breathe and get sunlight to all of its limbs. I know however that pruning is stressful on the tree, but it was pretty congested so I took it easy on cutting any limbs (there were one or two sections that seemed ok to take off). The tree is very bare now in comparison, but many of the needles were falling off by themselves and to the mere touch of them. This was very disappointing. So I took the tree back outside for some air and I dipped the roots in water to make sure that the tree did have some moisture (as it was very dry looking). The tray doesn't have much water at the bottom, so I know that this can cause problems being so wet.

So, what should I do? Do I have a disease? What is that yellowing around the base? I also used some raffia this year to tie the root mass to the pot, and I was told to let this rot, but could this rotting cause problems? The raffia is now blackish and soil soaked and melts when you move your finger over it so I dont think it has anything to do with the problem, but I could be wrong. I also read an article on blight diseases that can effect my species. I am aware that fungicide can make things worse for an unhealthy tree. I dont think I want to put a lot of chemicals on it, even though the tree seems strong and will also be repotted into super special medium this next year (again dumb idea on my part - it was sand, soil, and stream rocks on top (baked in the oven of coarse to kill bacteria)). Should I buy some fungicide? What should I do? If this appears to be a serious problem and could kill the tree, please let me know and I will post pictures and break out the emergency services on this tree. Again the main branch is a beautiful healthy green, but much off the other areas are wilted and discolored.

Please help! Thanks!

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Cathie

Don't know where to start. I think your nice spider may be a spider mite (it is really almost invisible?) and may have a few friends. They will kill your tree if you allow them to stay there and need to be dealt with (they're not real spiders). Your tree should live outdoors year round, depending on where you live (where please?) as it was never meant to live indoors like a house plant. You could have it closer to the lights without a problem. Fungicide is intended to cure sick plants, not make them worse, and from the sound of your raffia, you may have rotted roots (junipers need sandy, gritty, non-peaty soil that's allowed to dry to some extent between waterings). Blight affects things like fruit tree orchards, not little juniper bonsai, at least not the first thing you should be worried about. Anything you cut/pruned will be stressful to the tree at this time, as it's programmed to be going dormant, not to respond to pruning with new growth. What's an unnecessary splice? BTW, just for the record, vivacious is what a cute bubbly energetic young girl is, not a juniper :-)!

BonsaiSeed

The mites or spiders are gone, and I cleaned the tree of its web. Is it just mites or certain spiders that will kill the tree and why?

I bought the tree from an indoor nursury, and havn't had it outside during extensive winter times. I was under the impression that anything under 20 degrees is to cold for the tree and will kill it. I was also told that allowing the tree to be outside for a few frosts is ok, but still shouldn't be subjected to drastic temparatures. I live in Milwaukee, WI, so we do get cold weather and plenty of icy snow until February. The tree was outside last night and is frozen solid now (as there was another ridiculious temperature drop). I did bring the tree in, as I was told it would be below 20 degrees, or around I should say.

I wont be pruning anything more during this time, just cleared its huge mass of needles to allow light and air to circulate. It was pretty congested though I miss seeing it full and messy. I am hoping to see an improvement of the needle strength after it makes amense with its new situation.

Also, how often should I fertilize and with what ratio. I usually have been using 20-20-20 and 7-8-9 (both diluted of coarse) in increments of 2 the stronger fertilizer and then 1 of the weaker stuff to avoid burning in spring in summer. The tree responds immensly. As we enter into the winter stages I have read mixed things about feeding. What would you suggest and also being in its current state the way it is.

I was looking at some fungicide/insecticide/miticide combo at steins the other day, and it said it could be used for shrubs, but I couldnt find anything specifically for trees, just other house plants and roses. Also since the mites and insects seise to exist (as it appears with no webs) I figured this might harm the plant after having pruned it. I could buy some and dilute it with water similar to the fertilizer? It said to use caution to not burn the tree, but with all due respect to your last post about it supposed to help the tree. NOTHING SHOULD BURN A TREE. Obviously. Any suggestions?

FYI:

vi·va·cious (v-vshs, v-) KEY

ADJECTIVE:

Full of animation and spirit; lively
____

Also, I think you meant "young woman", not "young girl". :-)

pup

Juniper procumbens are susceptible to a fungus called PHOMA. It causes the new growth to distort it will not kill the plant. It will make it ugly also it does weaken the plant so that it is then mite infestation is a problem. the solution is a copper base fungaside. In Australia Mancozeb+ is a good one to use. In the U.S.of A .Iam not sure may be some of the other senior members can help.

Pup

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Advanced begginner


Heatzone USA9/10
Aus 3/4

BonsaiSeed

Also, I was thinking about a nice landscape for my tree as of next year. I was wondering about repotting "rules". I know your supposed to repot every few years or more, but If I repot into the a pot with roughly the same size just in another shape will this suffice? The tree was repotted into a larger pot (1 inch on all dimensions) this last spring, so next year same time is one year. I would like to make the bonsai trunk longer and want the roots to become thicker so they stick out of the ground. Should I repot in a deep slim container to achieve this? I would then be repotting it back into a shallow tray in a few years to exuviate that nice root mass - "out of earth".

Like I was saying earlier I have a rock underneath the root now in attempts to get the roots to grow outwards instead of balling under the tree, but the main branch is out of porportion and is longer than the trunk is tall until it bows. (you can probably see that in my picture). I would like to mellow it out in proportion. I guess I could rebend the bend to be higher, but it has been growing nicely as is.

Cathie

Putting your tree outside with no acclimatization for a couple of weeks (outside in the day, in at night) or protection in e.g. a larger pot/box with mulch around it, was not a great idea, but taking it in again today once frozen solid, was not necessarily the answer either. I seriously urge you to get some books and start reading. You're trying to learn bonsai on an instant basis, and it doesn't work. Internet 'tips' won't give you any real basis for growing things properly or even styling them - you need a solid foundation on which to make good decisions and understand why they're made, both for your environment and for different trees. Repotting is done for various reasons, again something you should learn more about, not guess at, and once you understand it better, your trees will have a chance to thrive. Have a good look at www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles (and the rest of the site) for a lot of basic, easy to understand information.

BonsaiSeed

My bonsai is tiny, this talk about mulch during winter and putting it into the ground seems weird. It's just a tiny tree.

kragmire

You will not be able to keep many bonsai without overwintering them outside. Think of oak and maple saplings in the wild that are not as big as matchsticks - and yet they survive. Most oaks and maples NEED a cold season in order to survive; if you do not allow them to rest between seasons they will eventually weaken and die. Even living in Southern California (where it never freezes) my bonsai trees go through the seasons. Some drop leaves, and some are evergreen, but ALL slow down in the winter, and then burst forth with new growth in the spring.

BonsaiSeed

How do you overwinter your bonsai?

Are you saying I should take it outside dispite the drastic temps? Below 20.