overzealous expert may have killed my tree.

[icewind]

HELP!!
I let an "expert" trim my bonsai , he told me that it was in the wrong pot and he would fix it for me. {The tree is a juniper of some kind} But any way he returned it, a week later and its yellow to brown in some places. He said he trimed the roots and the top because it was overgrown and to full for a bonsai ! Now its been a week and he came buy to see it and said oooppps i'll bring you another one ! The tree is not dead, i believe it could be brought back , there is still some green and it looks like maybe some new growth. any help would be wonderful.

[ynot]

Icewind,

Welcome,

HELP!!
I let an "expert" trim my bonzi , he told me that it was in the wrong pot and he would fix it for me. {The tree is a juniper of some kind} But any way he returned it, a week later and its yellow to brown in some places. He said he trimed the roots and the top because it was overgrown and to full for a bonzi !

Did he use scissors to prune it? As this will cause browning but is not usually fatal. Junipers are pruned by pinching. Please post pictures as it is extremely difficult to offer any advice sight unseen.

Now its been a week and he came buy to see it and said oooppps I'll bring you another one ! The tree is not dead, I believe it could be brought back , there is still some green and it looks like maybe some new growth. any help would be wonderful.

Again, Pictures please.

See this thread for tips on taking pictures that will help us effectively help you: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... php?t=3557

Please add your location to your profile.

Consider: Before you go running down your particular 'expert' you might want to start spelling 'Bonsai' correctly you know. .. Anyway there may be more factors to consider other than simply the pruning it was given.
You have given us no idea of how long you have had it, or the care it has received.

IE:Did this tree spend the winter outside? As it should have being a temperate evergreen [If it is a Juniper].

ynot

[icewind]

Thanks for the response, i've had the tree about five yrs. watering daily, with no ill effects, and yes its been outside all year. pics. are coming just about to upload. no i would not call myself an expert.

[ynot]

Thanks for the response, I've had the tree about five yrs. watering daily, with no ill effects, and yes its been outside all year. pics. are coming just about to upload. no I would not call myself an expert.

:?..I did not refer to your expertise at all, I only referred to your alleged 'expert' that pruned ,

Again: Was it pruned with scissors or pinched?

Watering daily?... You have well draining soil I take it? .

ynot

[icewind]

I' m not sure if he cut or pinched i'll have to ask next time i yell at him, all he said is he trimmed it. The soil drains well, i water and the water runs out,

[ynot]

I' m not sure if he cut or pinched I'll have to ask next time I yell at him, all he said is he trimmed it. The soil drains well, I water and the water runs out,

Is your tree brown all over? or just at the tips where it was pruned?

The watering sounds good .

What is your location? If your having problems with uploading the pictures see here: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... php?t=3724

ynot

[JoeLewko]

i think i'll have to agree with ynot, and say we need so see pictures before we can offer any further insight, but when pics go up, i'll try to do what i can

[icewind]

ok here is the first pic<a href="http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hpim0600ji0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/3571/hpim0600ji0.th.jpg" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" border="0"/></a>

hope this works never done this before

[ynot]

ok here is the first pic<a href="http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hpim0600ji0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/3571/hpim0600ji0.th.jpg" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" border="0"/></a>

hope this works never done this before

Nope, Didn't work.

Just use the "edit" button in the upper right hand corner of your post just previous to mine to change your post.

After you have made the changes required, You can use the button marked "preview" that is adjacent to the "submit" button to see if all is as you want it- Before it posts.

good luck

ynot

[icewind]

I think this worked, I'm in the southwest u.s.a , Hot & dry

[ynot]

icewind,

Thanks for hanging in there with the pictures .

How recent are these pictures?

Today? Recent? or before it was pruned?

ynot

[icewind]

These pictures are of the tree today

[ynot]

Ok,

Since this is it after the pruning I certainly wouldn't be worried about the amount of foliage left, There's plenty.

I am looking at the soil in the pictures and there appears to be two different colors of soil going on there, Is that right? Looking at the soil near the base I am a bit concerned as you said you water daily and to me this seems a bit excessive. [But again I don't know your location so I have no idea of your weather]

Is the very granular looking stuff a top dressing and the actual soil is different? Is that accurate? or is the granular the entire contents of the pot?

The color does not look great, Does it get good light? Is the foliage stiff and crispy, or flexible?

Have you scratched it to insure it is still alive?

It looked fine before it was gone, Right? Do you have any pictures for comparison?

Trying to help..
ynot

[icewind]

Yes the soil is two different types , the soil close to the tree is what it came in orig. , the other soil is what he used to fill the new pot when he trimmed it. we are in arizona and its on the east side of the house, so it gets morning sun most of the day but no afternoon heat. the foilage is crispy in some places, flexible in others, it was alot greener before he took it and fixed it. no i haven't scraped it to see if it's still alive, just assumed it still was i don't want to hurt it anymore, how do it scratch it properly.

[JoeLewko]

Yes the soil is two different types , the soil close to the tree is what it came in orig. , the other soil is what he used to fill the new pot when he trimmed it. we are in arizona and its on the east side of the house, so it gets morning sun most of the day but no afternoon heat. the foilage is crispy in some places, flexible in others, it was alot greener before he took it and fixed it. no I haven't scraped it to see if it's still alive, just assumed it still was I don't want to hurt it anymore, how do it scratch it properly.

Use a fingernail to scratch a small area of the bark off. this doesn't harm the tree, i have done it many times, and my tress haven't died form it yet Since you said the foliage is dry and crispy in some areas and not in others, your tree may have some dead branches, so i would do the test on the main trunk, as well as some of the other branches, just so you can get an idea of what's alive an what's not. If the cambium layer under the bark is green, the tree is still alive, if it's brown, then it's dead.