New to Bonsai.. Is my Juniper dying?

[Gnome]

Ken,

Yes you have styling options. Through wiring and/or pruning you can change the shape of your tree. It might be best to wait until next year though. This will give the plant some time to recover and you some time to consider your options.

Norm

[ynot]

I would like to take the juniper that I have and start making it go upright. do you think that is possible?

Ken

Sure, Given enough time .

As Gnome points out: 'Now' is not the time to be initiating this.

Now is the time to be formulating your plan on how to get it where you want it to be.

ynot

[kenb]

i have been looking at upright junipers and i think i like the style better then the cascade or wind swept look.. i think that i will wire it up in the spring after i repot it in a bigger and more shallow pot.

that is if i don't kill the poor thing

[kenb]

just a quick ?

i know that it can take a few months before a dying juniper will show signs of it.. is it safe to say that mine is going to be ok? from the first pictures i posted, i removed all the brown needles by pinching them off. i only water it when it is almost dried out. full sun most of the day.. that said.. i have no more brown needles and it is still dark green.

i would figure that if it were going to die it would show signs of it by now.. wouldn't you?

[alexinoklahoma]

It probably is going to be OK overall eventually - but until you see *new* growth, nothing is assured basically. Once 'healed', they're pretty tough with full hot sun (unless winter, of course) and non-soggy waterings/soil, etc.

I would not try to do *too* much bending of trunk/branches as you *might* cause little micro-fractures of sap-carrying structures, or open tiny holes or cracks within bark, or such type injuries that will leave you scratching your head as to what the heck happened to stuff distal to that bend. You might get more browning needles (or entire branchings!) when you least need/want them from such un-visible trauma. Junipers can be slower to get back on the happy-trail than other species, IME.

Non-stressful, or minimally-so, bendings held in place (wired or whatever) can be done over longer periods to let the tissues stretch and accomodate their new requirements that new positions place upon life-support structures. The more hurried you are, the more worried you are -> basic rule number 3 of bonsai, I guess

Alex

[Alissamae323]

I just joined the site, and this thread helped so much.
I'm in the exact same boat. I just got my bonsai as a gift and there's some brown needles as well. I'm not even sure what species mine is, but it looks like the one you pictured.
You just pinched off the brown needles and the bonsai began to look healthier?

Thanks!

Never mind. Didn't see the second page when I posted this...