Dying Bonsai - Juniper
My plant has what looks like a brown/gray cob web over parts of it and one small area has black on the branch. The Juniper is dying fast, what can I do to save it. I water it twice a week with tap water. In fact I spray the tree with the same, I also put it outside on the weekend.
-
Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
pasta27,
Unfortunately this is the the almost inevitable fate of Junipers that are kept indoors. This forum is littered with the corpses of Junipers that were purchased on a whim or given as gifts. Vendors make it seem that keeping these trees is simply a matter of watering. The truth is that Junipers are one of the worst choices for indoor bonsai. They can look good while they are slowly dying, just like a Christmas tree. By the time they are dry and brown they are already in distress.
If the weather is OK to keep it outside on the weekends there is no reason to keep bringing it inside. Unless your water is very high in Chlorine I doubt that there is an issue there. The webs sound like Spider Mites, which like a warm dry environment such as your home. Getting it outside and continued misting will help to keep them in check.
If the tree does not recover don't give up, start again but don't buy a Juniper already in a bonsai pot. If you want a Juniper go to an actual nursery and purchase a healthy one gallon, or larger, shrub and prune it yourself. You will get more tree for your money and learn a little about shaping a bonsai in the process. If you wish to grow inside there are other, more appropriate, species.
Norm
Unfortunately this is the the almost inevitable fate of Junipers that are kept indoors. This forum is littered with the corpses of Junipers that were purchased on a whim or given as gifts. Vendors make it seem that keeping these trees is simply a matter of watering. The truth is that Junipers are one of the worst choices for indoor bonsai. They can look good while they are slowly dying, just like a Christmas tree. By the time they are dry and brown they are already in distress.
If the weather is OK to keep it outside on the weekends there is no reason to keep bringing it inside. Unless your water is very high in Chlorine I doubt that there is an issue there. The webs sound like Spider Mites, which like a warm dry environment such as your home. Getting it outside and continued misting will help to keep them in check.
If the tree does not recover don't give up, start again but don't buy a Juniper already in a bonsai pot. If you want a Juniper go to an actual nursery and purchase a healthy one gallon, or larger, shrub and prune it yourself. You will get more tree for your money and learn a little about shaping a bonsai in the process. If you wish to grow inside there are other, more appropriate, species.
Norm