Dying white pine bonsai. Please help!

[Ella]

Hi everyone, I am really worried. I bought this white pine bonsai online (cant even find now which website) as a Christmas present for my husband. It arrived at mid December, when I got it out of the box, needles looked very dry and easily brealing off. But initially I thought it suffered a bit by being in the box for delivery. SoI looked wet on arrival. We placed it on the windowsill in the landing where lower temperatures for winter and loads of light. I was hoping it will start recover but it seems to be getting worse, needless getting more dry and dropping off. I attached few photos. I just don't know what to do, don't want to wait and discover that it is too late to do anything. Please help me to save this bonsai. Thank you in advance

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Could you share your location?

 

[Adair M]

Old needles turning brown and falling off is normal. But a pine will not live indoors.

Do you have a balcony that gets direct sun? If you do, it should be placed there. If not, well, you will soon have a dead tree.

 

[just.wing.it]

Need outdoors!

 

[Giga]

dead very soon, bonsai is not an indoor activity for future reference

 

[Zach Smith]

That pine was DOA. Not that it would have lived indoors, but you should contact the seller in case they're reputable and will provide a refund.

 

[clive bennett]

First chase your seller, it isnt dead yet but looks very week. Check that when watered the excess drains through quickly, if not find a chop stick and gently work several holes through the soil and out of any drainage holes in the base of the pot.
Put the tree outside, it needs the cold of winter and dry hot air typical of a house will kill it.If you are placing it on a balcony attach it to something heavy to stop it blowing over. Look for a sunny out of the wind spot unless you are in a hot climate in which case semi shade will be better for now.Old needles will die go brown and fall of that is nothing to worry about. It looks to have a 50 ; 50 chance os servival

 

[M. Frary]

I agree with Zach. The tree is on its way out.
And also to everyone telling him to put it outside,it depends on where it came from and where it is now. If it came from a warmer location than where the new owner lives it might not be good to shock it by shoving it outside.
We deal with this question every year during winter on this site. People get trees in the middle of winter,usually gifted,and want advice on what to do. More often than not these people are new to bonsai. They all of a sudden have this unlooked for gift and sometimes burdensome gift. No one wants a gift to fail. Now they are knee deep into a hobby they may or may not want.

 

[petegreg]

...and fill the gaps with soil, please.

 

[Ella]

Thank you everyone for reply, I will be putting it outside today. Only had it on landing while sorting out sheltered spot on balcony, on our landing conditions almost the same as outside, it is by the open window, temp same as outside, just protected from wind. Didn't think that it would affect tree that much coz it almost outside. Seller said tree was absolutely healthy when it was leaving him. But when it arrived needles felt very dry, sort of felt more like plastic, no bending, very hard to touch. I don't know if it's nomal for this tree. And literally next day saw browning needles. I live on the coast in North Wales. First year here, didn't know what to expect weather wise. Planned to keep some plants on the balcony but we had quite stormy weather and everything blowing away. Making some sort shelter today (first proper day off since Christmas) and will move tree there. I just hope it will recover. And again thanks for advise

 

[sorce]

almost outside

Akin to Almost eating for us....

....

Seller was not reputable.
No way in any hell that left healthy and arrived like this....even left to sit in heat, or in a box for a week.

No way in hell.

Be nice though! Tell him to ALMOST go Fu@k himself!

No worries. I got plans to build drones with air to ground missles to blow up white vans and kill that side of commercial "bonsai"!

We got you!

That sure aint no beginner pine! Even a healthy one!

Try Mugo Pine if you're North.

Time to out the seller!
Who was it?

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

I have had more than my share of JWP's go south like this. You are not going to save it. The needles that are still green look desiccated and shriveled, the others are brown. It does not really matter what was done wrong that is a moot point, the tree has gone beyond the tipping point. I have never in many years of growing bonsai seen one come back that looks like this .

 

[Ella]

All green needles looked like that on the arrival Does it mean it was already unhealthy on arrival?

 

[augustine]

Yes, it was dying when you rec'd it.

Start with an easier species. Japanese white pines are touchy even when healthy.

 

[Vance Wood]

Yes, it was dying when you rec'd it.

Start with an easier species. Japanese white pines are touchy even when healthy.

Absolutely, correct on all points. When I first started doing bonsai my most coveted tree was JWP, and I killed everyone I ran across for years. When I finally figured them out I lost interest in them. The are far too much trouble with too little bang for the buck. Sometimes you live in an area where they just wont grow.

 

[JosephCooper]

Try again with a more forgiving tree.

That pine is long gone.

Pines aren't very easy to take care of anyway.

Maybe try a Chinese Elm or Fukien tea?

Also don't order bonsai off the internet, it's too risky. Especially in winter.

Find something that grows in your climate.