What to do for a Bonsai in Spring?

bonsai beginner · Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:10 am

well, ive kept my bonsai alive over the winter. yay! but now I don't know what to do. is it time for me to start cutting and shaping, do I need to repot, change the soil, feed, or anything else? any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

oh, I almost forgot. there is sometimes a little cluster (only 2 or 3 needles) of brown needles at the end of a branch. is this something I need to worry about?

thanks again.

The Helpful Gardener · Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:23 pm

What kind of tree? Could be an issue but I can't say without info. A picture would really help further the discussion...

HG

bonsai beginner · Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:12 am

oops. I have a juniper (not sure exactly which kind). I must have accidentally erased that part of my post.

I will try and borrow a friends digital camera tomorrow, but I don't have a site I can put it on, so ill have to get a photobucket....

sorry again.

The Helpful Gardener · Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:21 am

S'allright...

Could be juniper twig blight (Phomopsis) so I would trim that end off (sterilizing the cutters with alcohol between cuts). Perhaps a spritz of neem oil as well...

Scott

bonsai beginner · Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:46 pm

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h14/bonsai123/bonsaipictures010.jpg

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h14/bonsai123/bonsaipictures009.jpg

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h14/bonsai123/bonsaipictures008.jpg

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h14/bonsai123/bonsaipictures007.jpg

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h14/bonsai123/bonsaipictures006.jpg

sorry its taken so long, I couldnt get a camera, but here they are.

The Helpful Gardener · Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:19 am

Looks like you did your pruning with shears on those browning branch tips; junipers appreciate finger tip pruning while the growth is still soft. Not a problem...

It IS congested and will need a lot of foliage reduction and some outdoor time this spring. Prune to get air flow and light into the tree (use the pruners as we are going after some older wood) and finger tip from that point to get tight dense pads on the branches instead of a big ball of foliage...

HG