Help! juniper bonsai

[yoshi]

Hi
I received this juniper bonsai as a gift. I live in zone 7b NYC and I've kept it outside to get sunlight for 5-6 hours a day. Sometimes in the windy nights i bring it back outside but keep it by the window so it's not too hot. I water fully 1-2x a week and mist every day. The branches are now starting to get very prickly and brittle and fall at the slightest touch. The inside of the bark is still bright green so I'm hopeful?

I don't know what I'm doing wrong and would really appreciate some guidance. I've attached photos for reference. The before photo was just 3 weeks ago.

 

[bwaynef]

It needs to be outdoors for 18-19 hours more a day.

 

[yoshi]

It needs to be outdoors for 18-19 hours more a day.

is it able to withstand night cold winds? also, do you think it needs to be repotted seeing as how the roots are peeking out of the soil

 

[bwaynef]

I'm not convinced what is visible in soil.JPG is roots. I suspect its weeds. Regardless, snipping them off (if they don't pull easily) will cause no harm to the tree. All of my trees are outdoors, including pronanas. We didn't have an awful winter, but got down to ~ 15°F this winter and all my junipers are pushing new growth this spring. If you'd like to dig further about it going outdoors: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/

 

[yoshi]

I'm not convinced what is visible in soil.JPG is roots. I suspect its weeds. Regardless, snipping them off (if they don't pull easily) will cause no harm to the tree. All of my trees are outdoors, including pronanas. We didn't have an awful winter, but got down to ~ 15°F this winter and all my junipers are pushing new growth this spring. If you'd like to dig further about it going outdoors: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/why-you-cannot-keep-bonsai-trees-indoors.66924/

Oh ok thanks! This was super helpful!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think this is a case of the grey death: a juniper drying out from the indoor environment.
It's either dead or barely alive, and is has a slim chance of making it.

Repotting in this state is out of the question and it seems that the previous owner didn't chopstick the soil well, judging from the exposed roots and the fact that the whole base is exposed. That is something to worry about in 2 years if(!) it lives and recovers.

The best course of action is to put it outdoors and keep it there, and go to a garden center and buy a couple 15 dollar procumbens nanas to make up for any loss. Do keep on watering as required, for that slim chance it pulls through.

Juniper cambium can stay green for about a year after the foliage is gone, but it doesn't mean anything other than the roots still being alive.
Over time whatever is alive will grow, whatever is already dead will turn sand colored. That's the grey death, there is almost no turning back from it.

If it was just dropping branches, they would go brown and the chances of the plant surviving would be higher.

Junipers need outdoor environments because otherwise their stomata (breathing holes) don't function well and they empty themselves like untied balloons. Since there is no daily shutting down of the system, it essentially runs on fumes and doesn't have the energy and lack the returning sap flow to break down and process valueable molecules in the foliage. Which is why they stay greenish and seem to just turn paler and crispy.
This is a general rule for all conifers.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think this is a case of the grey death: a juniper drying out from the indoor environment.
It's either dead or barely alive, and is has a slim chance of making it.

Repotting in this state is out of the question and it seems that the previous owner didn't chopstick the soil well, judging from the exposed roots and the fact that the whole base is exposed. That is something to worry about in 2 years if(!) it lives and recovers.

The best course of action is to put it outdoors and keep it there, and go to a garden center and buy a couple 15 dollar procumbens nanas to make up for any loss. Do keep on watering as required, for that slim chance it pulls through.

Juniper cambium can stay green for about a year after the foliage is gone, but it doesn't mean anything other than the roots still being alive.
Over time whatever foliage is alive will grow, whatever is already dead will turn sand colored. That's the grey death, there is almost no turning back from it.

If it was just dropping branches, they would go brown and the chances of the plant surviving would be higher.

Junipers need outdoor environments because otherwise their stomata (breathing holes) don't function well and they empty themselves like untied balloons. Since there is no daily shutting down of the system, it essentially runs on fumes and doesn't have the energy and lack the returning sap flow to break down and process valueable molecules in the foliage. Which is why they stay greenish and seem to just turn paler and crispy.
This is a general rule for all conifers

Edit: I tried to edit but I double posted, sorry.

 

[yoshi]

I think this is a case of the grey death: a juniper drying out from the indoor environment.
It's either dead or barely alive, and is has a slim chance of making it.

Repotting in this state is out of the question and it seems that the previous owner didn't chopstick the soil well, judging from the exposed roots and the fact that the whole base is exposed. That is something to worry about in 2 years if(!) it lives and recovers.

The best course of action is to put it outdoors and keep it there, and go to a garden center and buy a couple 15 dollar procumbens nanas to make up for any loss. Do keep on watering as required, for that slim chance it pulls through.

Juniper cambium can stay green for about a year after the foliage is gone, but it doesn't mean anything other than the roots still being alive.
Over time whatever is alive will grow, whatever is already dead will turn sand colored. That's the grey death, there is almost no turning back from it.

If it was just dropping branches, they would go brown and the chances of the plant surviving would be higher.

Junipers need outdoor environments because otherwise their stomata (breathing holes) don't function well and they empty themselves like untied balloons. Since there is no daily shutting down of the system, it essentially runs on fumes and doesn't have the energy and lack the returning sap flow to break down and process valueable molecules in the foliage. Which is why they stay greenish and seem to just turn paler and crispy.
This is a general rule for all conifers.

Thanks for the response, I'd never heard of the grey death seeing as how this is my first.
This is a procumbens nana, so you suggest I get more of the same type?
I'll keep it outside 24/7 and hope for the best, but besides that, is there anything else I can do to revive it?

 

[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

Thanks for the response, I'd never heard of the grey death seeing as how this is my first.
This is a procumbens nana, so you suggest I get more of the same type?
I'll keep it outside 24/7 and hope for the best, but besides that, is there anything else I can do to revive it?

just keep it outdoors all the time and make sure it is watered when it needs to be, not on a schedule, and that's about all you can do. stick a skewer or a chopstick in the pot, use that like a dipstick to check if the soil is moist

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

This is a procumbens nana, so you suggest I get more of the same type?

Yes. Just because this one is dying doesn't mean you should stop doing bonsai.
We all killed a bunch of trees when we started. The next one you get will do a 100% better, because now you learned something new!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

One issue to consider when keeping it outside is to keep it out of windy areas. Wind will dry out the foliage and can kill a tree as fast as keeping it inside.

 

[River's Edge]

is it able to withstand night cold winds? also, do you think it needs to be repotted seeing as how the roots are peeking out of the soil

It appears to have been repotted already given the contrast between the first picture and the subsequent pictures showing what appears to be exposed roots and gravelly substrate that was not present in the first picture. Likely contributing to the situation.