JUNIPER BONSAI BRITTLE AND DRY??

[s27art]

HI NEW TO THIS . HI TO EVEYONE! I GOT A JUNIPER BONSAI KIT FOR VALENTINES DAY. I DID AS I WAS TOLD ROOT PRUNE, PLANTED IT IN IT"S POT. I EVEN PRUNED SOME OF THE BRANCHES TO SHAPE IT. I DID NOT GET THE HUMIDITY TRAY FOR TWO WEEKS LATER FROM THE WEBSITE. I MISTED IT 2X A DAY AND KEPT IT INDOORS ON A WINDOWSILL IN MY KITCHEN. THOUGHT I WAS DOING GREAT! UNTIL I NOTICED THE THE NEEDLES ARE DRY AND BRITTLE WHEN I CALLED THE PERSON ,GREENBOX
TO TELL HIM ABOUT IT . HE TOLD ME THAT THE HEATED HOUSE IS NOT GOOD FOR THE PLANT! NOW YOU TELL ME!! SO I PUT IT IN MY HEATED
GARAGE THAT HAS TO LARGE WINDOWS AND DOSENT GET OVER 45 INSIDE. IS IT TO LATE? SHOULD I REQUST A REPLACMENT? I WASNT TOLD THAT I SHOULDN't KEEP IT INDOORS. I FEEL SO BAD ABOUT THIS SINCE IT WAS A GIFT TO ME . I GROW MANY PLANTS AND FLOWERS AND DO VERY WELL. BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. 49 HERE. I LIVE ON LONGISLAND NEW YORK! thanks for your hepl!!!PS. I ONLY WATERD WHEN THE SOIL SEENED DRY THE GUY I GOT IT FROM TOLD ME TO KEEP THE TRAY FULL WITH WATER,BUT ISNT THE PLANT GOING TO SUCK UP TO MUCH WATER??

[rainbowgardener]

You keep the humidity tray full of water, because the plant does not sit IN the water. You should have pebbles or something in the tray, so the pot/ plant sit just above the water and just get some of the water vapor rising up off it.

Junipers do not do well indoors and do eventually die, no matter what else you do, if kept indoors. But from Valentine's Day to now is fast for it to have died, unless you were doing something else wrong. Letting it dry out A LITTLE between waterings is good, not for all the soil to get totally dry. And when you do water, it should be thoroughly, so all the soil is well moistened again.

If you didn't do anything (else) wrong, it's possible the tree wasn't healthy when you got it.

But if your tree is brittle and dry, it is probably too late for it. Junipers tend to die in slow motion, from the inside out. By the time you are seeing a significant problem, it is often too late to save it.

[koiboy01]

Hi,
below is your qoute.
HI TO EVEYONE! I GOT A JUNIPER BONSAI KIT FOR VALENTINES DAY. I DID AS I WAS TOLD ROOT PRUNE, PLANTED IT IN IT"S POT. I EVEN PRUNED SOME OF THE BRANCHES
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Root prune, prune the branches all that is too soon for a new plant, you also got very bad advice if you was told to keep it inside. as you say the needles have gone dry and brittle it does not sound good, I would place it outside in a shady and wind free place an just hope for the best.
koiboy01

[s27art]

Hi everyone, thanks for the great replays! sence then i have got a replacement junipe
bonsai.I don't want to make the same mistake again so i have it in my heated garage that doesnt get over 45 by a window with a humidity tray.I havent done anything with it yet.
what is the next step that I should do?I would like to transplant it in a bonsai's pot
doI wait untll i shape it,wire ect?
should i let it get use to it's new envirment?
any advice would be greaty helpful
thanks for your help
Stephen

[LexStarwalker]

Hi Stephen,

I'm new to bonsai myself and not an expert, so I'll leave most of your questions for the experts on here.

However, everything I have read and seen says juniper needs to be outside always. It needs to feel the change of seasons (temperature, light) so that it can go dormant in the winter.