Lobno
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:14 pm

Please help with identyfiying the species + tips please =)

Hi everyone,
I recently (3 days ago) got myself a bonsai
Please, tell me what species do I have, and if any1 could, give some basic/elementary tips on how to take care of him?
Like how much and how often should I water it, Should I start cutting something off? Should I somehow start modeling it? I also noticed, that below its crown, the little branches/twigs coniferous are starting to get brown and look a bit dry/adhere Is that normal?
The bonsai is staying inside the whole time, with practically no sunlight at all
what should I do and how should I start taking care of him?
Explanation or some links to my exact species would be very much appreciated!!
Waiting for your responses, here is the link to the photos
https://imageshack.us/g/694/dsc01915qf.jpg/

linlaoboo
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That's an outdoor tree, get it outside or it will die. Looks to my inexperienced eye it's already styled and if it were my tree I'd just maintain it by pinching off new shoots every once in a while.

kdodds
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It's a Juniper. Although not 100% positive, probably Juniperus procumbens "nana".

Basic tips: Get it outside. It's already dying (as evidenced by the browning near the interior) and will continue along that path if kept indoors. Let it dry almost completely between waterings, treating just short of being a cactus or succulent. Junipers respond to having their roots constantly in water by dying.

The tree is already stressed. You should almost never prune, chop, repot, or root prune a stressed tree. Don't do anything until the tree is healthy.

What you have now is a typical assembly line "mallsai". These trees are farmed in the earthto get the best growth possible, dug up, and root pruned to fit into the pot they're going to be sold in. They are then "styled", but only sometimes, into a uniform outline that follows their growth pattern naturally. In essence, they're hedges in pots, not bonsai. Where you go with this tree is up to you. If you like its current form, great, keep it. But keep it outside, where it has a chance of survival.

Are you kidding? Seriously? It's inside, and it has no light? And you expect it to live? Long term? Seriously? Did you never learn simple plant biology in school? Plants need light. Generally speaking, trees need more light than most. Get it outside and keep it there.

Lobno
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:14 pm

Thanks a lot for the answers
I moved the tree outside, and made a little roof and its shaded the whole time
The guy I bought it from, said to only keep it inside and away from the window... he was asian too and had a lot of other bonsai -.-...
I live in US/New york NY manhattan and can some1 explain why It needs to be outside?
The air inside my apartment is "better" because I have a running AC 80% of the time, and the air is not so dry and harsh as outside
Wont the temp 90-95+ with high humidity kill it ??
Should I beside watering it, sprinkle some water on it?
Is there a way to somehow SLOWLY acclimate it to being kept inside? Like buy some special lamps or something? or keep it near a window? or Most of the time open window? and what about winter?? Should it be ouside for snow and -10 C temp too??
Thanks again and waiting for more tips =)

linlaoboo
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Location: NJ

my guess is those vendors usually turn over the juniper before seeing it die. The ones they sell may already be dieing before they're sold or are in poor health. Most city dwellers look for indoor plants due to lack of outdoor space and if that's your case then look for a true indoor tree like the ficus although even ficus enjoy spending their growing season outdoors. This 100F heat in general is not good for plants or animals. Last summer a couple trees in my neighborhood didn't make it and this year some are getting scorched and dropping their leaves.

Most "trees" in nature don't grow indoors.

kdodds
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Location: Airmont, NY Zone 6/7

While it's scorching, like it is now (I'm not too far north of you, maybe an hour's ride), the shade will do it some good. Otherwise, Junipers are full sun trees. If you're in Manhattan proper, then you wouldn't really know, but your Juniper is the same species, could even be from the same farms, as the ones used for ground cover by homeowners and commercial landscapers as "ground cover". I say this because they're used as accents, more often than not, on wide open lawns or strip mall borders/edgings, where protection from teh sun is non-existent and, in the case of commercials, barely maintained.

The guy you bought it from likely imported it in mass quantities from Asia, or bought it from someone who did. It's doubtful he as any, not even one, of his own at home. Or, if he does, he rotates his stock through his home. Being Asian means nothing. Asians are no more born with a knowledge of bonsai than are Mexicans born with a knowledge of pinata making or Irish with distilling whiskey or Scots with playing the bagpipes.

Why does it need to be outside? It needs sun, light, lots of it. It needs humidity, more than your average home can provide, which is usually, especially with A/C and heating, drier than the Sahara. It needs air movement, which is virtually non-existent indoors.

Your indoor air may be "better" for you, but you're not a tree. Your air is actually drier and harsher inside than it is outside. Pollution is another story, but likely not an issue at all for your tree. J. procumbens, J. horizontalis, and other Junipers are used frequently all of the way down to zones 8-9, Florida, so no, 90º won't kill it.

You can mist it if you like, but in very high humidity, like we've been having, it's completely unnecessary. Maybe if you lived in the hot, dry heat of Arizona, Texas, etc., you might consider misting frequently, but not here.

There is absolutely no way a Juniper can be kept alive in your average home. You would need a greenhousem abd not just a mini-indoor greenhouse. The only "indoors" Junipers can tolerate are free-standign greenhouse structures, cold frames, etc.

Yes, it should stay outside for the winter, it NEEDS dormancy.

As linlaoboo suggested, if you want a tree inside, look into appropriate species. Ficus are a good start, and Baby Jade are virtually indestructible.

TomM
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Well said. I totally agree.
Junipers are born and bred to live outdoors. Hot or cold - it does not matter.
This is probably the biggest, most misunderstood, thing in the world of bonsai.
The sellers should know better. But they want to maximize sales. And many prospective buyers would shy away from an outdoor bonsai thinking they only want to have it in the house and treat it as a "pretty houseplant". Perhaps as a status symbol. It dies and they often turn away from bonsai - not realizing the nature of the problem.
NATURE and native environments play such a critical role in bonsai care. Not to say that it is totally natural to grow a tree in a small ceramic pot. But by giving the tree as close to its natural native-like environment (conditions such as very high light, humidity, air movement, temp variations, moisture and food) as possible it can be done - very successfully. Then adding artistic styling will give the little tree an aged, majestic, or 'survivor' appearance.
Healthy growth is the first thing to learn.

kdodds
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Location: Airmont, NY Zone 6/7

TomM wrote:This is probably the biggest, most misunderstood, thing in the world of bonsai.
That or Fukien Tea or Serissa make good first trees.

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rainbowgardener
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It was mentioned about needing cold for dormancy, but just to expand on that a little, since you asked about cold and snow. Yes, most junipers can tolerate temps down to like minus 30 d. F. Just as it "wants" to be outside in the summer getting sun and air, it "wants" to be outside in the winter, getting snow and a cold dormancy (rest period). Kept indoors in winter, it does not go dormant. It stays growing all through winter and the next summer and then it dies of exhaustion.

As everyone has said, it is an outdoor tree.



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