jzero29
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Posts: 10
Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: New York

juniper help?

I recieved a juniper as a gift in the mail and have been watering it every day. The other day I noticed a white powdery looking substance on the trunk of my tree slightly above a dark almost wet looking trunk. Is this a fungus? I have only owned the tree for two weeks and I have noticed it during the first week don't know if it was like that from start or not? Possible over watering? under watering? fungus? need advice.

JoeLewko
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Posts: 348
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:29 pm

I'm no expert, but if I had to guess, id say it is some sort of fungus. You said you are watering every day. this is too much. you shouldnt weater the bonsai unless it needs it. stick a toothpick into the dirt, and if it comes out with no dirt sticking to it, it doesnt need water. You could possibly be overwatering it, which could in turn promote fungal growth. I would try slowing down the watering, and seeing what happens. ill do a little research about what the problem could be, and let you know what I find. Also, you may not have the right type of soil for the bonsai.

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Jzero,

I know from another of your posts that you do not have a proper outdoor location to keep you trees. Junipers, as I mentioned, belong outside in a sunny location. Keeping a Juniper indoors is a recipe for failure. Beside that you are most probably providing way too much water, Junipers like to be kept on the dry side. Sorry, I know that this is not what you hoped to hear. Do some research on tropical species. A good book is "Bonsai in your home" by Paul Lesniewicz.

Norm

jzero29
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Posts: 10
Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: New York

I admitt I didn't feel ready to jump into bonsai, my girlfriend bought me the tree for my birthday even though I asked her not to. I had actually suggested maybe a cutting or seedling from nursery, so they are not expensive an casualty. I have ready that you should give the tree some time to adjust to it's new enviroment (after being shipped) before you put it outside, I have not even had the tree 2 weeks and the weather here has been heavy rain, thunderstorms and high winds. So I waited. While the has started to improve, I planned put plant outside and I noticed the white powdery substance on the trunk only. So I have delayed it's transfer to outside until I got proper advice. I am probably going to try and treat it w/anti fungus thing. Then I will move it outside after that, to hopefully the safest place I can. I have a back yard/parking lot type area w/10ft grass area stretching behind my building up against a fence. It has no gates or fences blocking the wandering public or sticky fingered neighbors of my building/block out. But it is all I have.

jzero29
Full Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: New York

The area which I had planned to keep the tree was is a proper place plenty of sun and a nice area to place the tree in one corner ther is a large tree that could provide shade for species requiring partial sun/some shade. It is just not a secure area and having that situation leaves them suseptable to theft or vandalism. For the most part I believe they will be okay. But I guess I'll find out. I think I'll make a small table for any tree's I get and keep it up against the fence. I hope to grow from seed or buy cheap cuttings or sapplings from nurseries. The brooklyn botanical garden isn't that far from my work and they sell cuttings or seedlings for about $10 each I could replant them and watch them grow for a while and then learn and gain experience trainning on cheaper trees it makes mistakes much easier to forgive.

JoeLewko
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Posts: 348
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:29 pm

even though you are fairly new to bonsai, if you do enough research, there are ways to raise a juniper indoors, but it could require a lot of work. It depends if you want to take the risk of leaving it outiside, or just try to care for it indoors. also as norm said inother posts, maybe get a tropical tree. I have a ficus benjamina, and I had it outside, but recently brought it in, because there has been too much rain, and it never had a chance to dry out( I live in new york also), and it seems to be doing ok. In fact it didnt start growing until I had brought it inside when I went on a three day vacation. so tropical trees are very well suited for indoors. But like I said, you can try to keep your juniper indoors, but you need to do a lot of research first.

jzero29
Full Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: New York

Thank you for your helpful advice. I am still reading and researching. I do however plan to place my juniper outside, I just wanted to get handle on the possible fungus first. The only thing that concerns me is the winter. I do not have a place where I can keep it cool enough for the juniper to go dormant in my apartment for the winter. It gets cold here during winter and had planned to put the bonsai into my garage after the first freeze, it is cold but above freezing, but there is no sunlight available in this location(for winter) The paper I recieved with plant says it doesn't need light during the winter, because it is dormant is that true? would my garage be a suitable winter location after the first freeze to allow my tree to remain healthy and ready to go in spring? By no light I mean absolutely no light, but temperature is about 35-50 degrees F.(which I figure is good enough to allow plant to become dormant for winter. But the total lack of anylight ,besides a light bulb, worries me. Any suggestions for winter time care of a juniper.



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