I have a juniper bonsai that has survived 40 years of neglect. After giving proper substrate and lots of sunshine for the last 6 months, I think I’ve killed it by over watering. Any advice out there to revive it or am I too late? Thanks Wellington, New Zealand
Is my Juniper on the way out?
- Thread starter AngeloNZ
- Start date
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
New growth looks a bit yellow to me, but that can have a bunch of causes. If they were a couple more tints towards green I would judge them as healthy growing tips.
Why do you suspect over watering?
Procumbens are pretty tough but the sparse nature of yours makes me wonder if it ever was in better health.
Why do you suspect over watering?
Procumbens are pretty tough but the sparse nature of yours makes me wonder if it ever was in better health.
Though it is fall here and junipers can turn a little yellow, this one the tips are turning yellow, not the undergrowth. Also there appears no green cadmium after a few scratch tests. I’ve only just slip potted it into a large plastic colander (pond basket) for better aeration. The roots though intact were a dark brown colour, they should be white.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Is there a bug in the second picture of the hole in the bark? If so, it's a borer and you need to kill it.
I agree the color is off. With it being fall where you are and the tree heading into dormancy, not sure there is alot you can do until spring besides make sure it gets enough but not too much water.
what kind of soil has it been in?
Once it starts waking up in spring, I would feed it monthly
I agree the color is off. With it being fall where you are and the tree heading into dormancy, not sure there is alot you can do until spring besides make sure it gets enough but not too much water.
what kind of soil has it been in?
Once it starts waking up in spring, I would feed it monthly
bwaynef
Masterpiece
Juniper roots are often red/brown. If you suspect you over watered, tilt the pot and leave it that way for a day before tilting it the other way for a day.
They are a red brown, good to know - thanks
I don't think it's dead, but it is unhappy. Have you been feeding it at all? I once bought an old nursery juniper that was very root bound and yellow in color. I babied it for a year, poking a few aeration holes into the packed soil and giving iron supplement to improve soil PH because our water is very alkaline. It eventually greened up. Took about two years. Then I repotted it.
Tilting the pot is also a good idea. Feeding it some very weak supplements could help. Make small gentle changes, nothing that will shock it, and give it time to get healthy. In my experience, the green cambium on a juniper is impossible to find with a scratch test. I wouldn't bother, and it might do more harm if the live vein gets damaged. That white underlayer is normal.
Tilting the pot is also a good idea. Feeding it some very weak supplements could help. Make small gentle changes, nothing that will shock it, and give it time to get healthy. In my experience, the green cambium on a juniper is impossible to find with a scratch test. I wouldn't bother, and it might do more harm if the live vein gets damaged. That white underlayer is normal.
