sad little tree

cheridar

I also have a dying bonsai. *To answer your questions:

I received a Juniper bonsai as a gift in March 2001. *It was sent from an 800-flowers type company so I guess you can say it's a mallsai. *When it arrived it was green and healthy. From the soil surface to the tallest branch it stands 6 inches and it's about 8 inches wide. I believe I first noticed the damage over one month ago. *I water frequently enough to keep the soil moist. *I fill the sink with enough water to almost reach the top of the pot and soak the tree for about 5 minutes. *For awhile, I thought I was overwatering because a fine layer of mold or fungus was growing on the surface of the soil so I cut back on the watering a bit. *I live in Corvallis, Oregon in a small apartment with no yard so I keep my plant indoors on a bookshelf near a west facing window. *I do keep the plant outdoors on the weekends during the day for some direct sunlight. *The soil does not have an odor. *I have not repotted the bonsai but I've checked the roots and they don't appear to need it yet. *The tree is only about 3 years old. *The older growth began to turn brown, the needles became very stiff, and the branches would fall off easily if the plant was bumped or touched. *It appeared to be drying out but I never let the soil dry out. *The tree does continue to get new, soft green growth at the tips, but it turns a wilty, grey-green color soon afterwards. *When I first noticed the damage, I did not see any pests. *A couple of days ago, *I spotted very small (less than 1 mm) yellowish-tan wormlike insects crawling on the surface of the soil. *I considered applying an insecticide with pyrethrins but thought I should ask first. *I pruned off essentially all of the foliage because it fell off anyway when I touched it. *(I hope that won't make it worse!) *I thought perhaps pruning would force some new growth to occur below the damaged areas. *I don't know what to do next and I hope you can help! Sorry, but I can't send a picture.

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Dr.Bonsai

Hi Cheridar,

The wormlike creatures you've seen in the soil of your plant are probably the larvae of some bug. It may or may not be related to the condition of your tree.
[*]Try the mite test first:

Put a white sheet of paper under a branch and flick it with your fingertips. See if you see some small black specks fall onto the paper. If you smear them with a fingertip, you could see telltale reddish streaks that indicate your tree might be infested with mites. If this is the case you will want to apply an insecticide.

Mite infestations are rarely fatal outdoors, but in the confined area of an apartment, the mites have no where to go and tend to stay put.
[*]Watering

Push a length of broken chopstick into the soil and leave it there. Check the chopstick each day by pulling it out and checking for dampness. This will act as a dipstick to tell you when to water. If the stick appears wet, don't water.

Watering by immersion is fine. It's also a good idea to flush the soil occasionally with clear water.

Happy growing!

Dr.Bonsai