New to Bonsai Care

kowe · Fri Mar 25, 2005 5:58 pm

I have recently been given a Dwarf Juniper and am hoping some one can help me. Some of the branches have started to turn light brown, what does this mean? The rest of the tree looks green and healthy. I keep the bonsai inside in a well lit area. Help!

The Helpful Gardener · Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:32 pm

Single branch die back is either root damage or juniper twig blight (Phomopsis). Could be either in a new bonsai. That brown means the branch is dead already in most cases; start breaking of the tip where it is easily snapped off. If the heart wood is very dark, that's a sign of Phomopsis. Cut off the entire branch (throw it in the garbage or burn it), wiping your clippers with alcohol between cuts. See if there is enough tree to still make a go of it...

If the heartwood is pink, you're still good, but the tree's roots got damaged. Remove the crappy foliage, but leave the branch; you may well get back buds if the roots can catch up...

Either way it will be touchy, but I hope for your sake it was just bad potting and a little root damage. Phomopsis doesn't taker prisoners usually...

Scott

kowe · Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:27 pm

Thanks for the advice I have trimmed back the dead branches and the tree appears to be disease free, so I'm assuming it has root damage. What do I do now?

The Helpful Gardener · Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:49 pm

I would just keep the moisture even, and watch how it breaks; if the tips continue to brown it could still be phomopsis. If the new growth comes in and stays clean, then adding a rooting solution with napthalene acetic acid (NAA) will help develop that really fine root system that bonsai need. Master Nursery Garden Centers carry a great starter fertilizer called Master Start to use along with their rooting solution (RootMaster) that are a great combo for new bonsai; you can find the nearest Master Nursery Garden Center by going to [url]https://www.masternursery.com[/url] and following the prompts. I like most of their products better than the big name brands; usually cheaper AND better, but only available at Master Nursery Garden Centers...

Scott