Dear community members,
Sorry for such a dramatic entry into the forums. I have a Juniper Bonsai plant and despite all my effort it is turning dry. The plant has literally become dry and the leaves drop dead. The plant is well exposed to sun and kept at room temperature. The pot drains well. I even mist my bonsai 3 times a day but to no vail. Please help me to save this gift from my dear mother.
An anxious Bonsai roukee.
Vsuri,
Welcome to the forums. I am sorry to hear it is under such unfortunate circumstances that you have found us.
From the way that your post is worded...
Despite the misconceptions many new bonsai enthusiasts come to us with, trees are outdoor plants. Bonsai are first and foremost trees and therefore are more happy outside. There are some trees that adapt to indoor life, however, junipers are not one. Junipers fare very poorly indoors and many owners do not realize this until it is too late.
Due to the fact that your juniper is already drying out and losing needles, I hate to say it may already be dead. Junipers are notorious for not giving much outward sign of being unhappy until they are already drying and browning and dead.
One way to check whether this is the case would be to scratch through the bark on a inconspicuous place and see if the layer beneath the bark is still green. If it is, your tree is still alive and may be able to be saved. If it is already brown underneath the bark, your tree is most likely dead.
What part of the world are you located? I am curious as to whether it is a temperate enough area to move your tree outside at this time.
Welcome to the forums. I am sorry to hear it is under such unfortunate circumstances that you have found us.
From the way that your post is worded...
...I gather that your juniper is being kept indoors.The plant is well exposed to sun and kept at room temperature.
Despite the misconceptions many new bonsai enthusiasts come to us with, trees are outdoor plants. Bonsai are first and foremost trees and therefore are more happy outside. There are some trees that adapt to indoor life, however, junipers are not one. Junipers fare very poorly indoors and many owners do not realize this until it is too late.
Due to the fact that your juniper is already drying out and losing needles, I hate to say it may already be dead. Junipers are notorious for not giving much outward sign of being unhappy until they are already drying and browning and dead.
One way to check whether this is the case would be to scratch through the bark on a inconspicuous place and see if the layer beneath the bark is still green. If it is, your tree is still alive and may be able to be saved. If it is already brown underneath the bark, your tree is most likely dead.
What part of the world are you located? I am curious as to whether it is a temperate enough area to move your tree outside at this time.