Is my tree dead?

[Andrew R.]

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to bonsai and have some questions regarding my tree. I have a juniper, I believe. I was out of town last week and when I left for vacation my tree seemed perfectly healthy and green. I've had the tree for about four years and it's been pretty hardy and not too fussy at all in that time. I usually give it a bit of water everyday but have gone days without watering it before and it was perfectly fine. I've also left it just sitting where it always sits in my apartment for beyond a week and it has been fine those times too. However, when I came home yesterday after being gone for five days I discovered my tree to be a mostly brownish/gray color, with some vibrant green near the extremities, and the trunk seems to be fine though. I'll post some pics here. I live in Chicago, where it's been cold, and I'm wondering if the radiators blasting for days really dried it out or something. My other plants don't look to happy either. I guess I'm wondering whether or not my tree is dead and if it is not, what to do. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Dav4]

It's dead. Honestly, I'm surprised it lasted that long inside. That's pretty amazing.

 

[clive bennett]

Well Junipers are outside plants, indoors there is insufficient light and home heating dries the air too much and add that to 5 days no water seems unlikely it will survive wet thew leaves and soak the soil place outside and hope for the best, it might live

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Well... it is either totally or mostly dead, but you didn't need us to tell you that

Can you share with us a picture of your soil? Sometimes you can keep a bonsai alive and happy for several years... but there are problems that are developing in the soil, or in lack of repotting, that turns a slightly stressful incident into a tree-killer.

Usually it would take weeks for a juniper to die, dry out, and turn brown like that. It almost looks burnt.

 

[Micci]

Cut it down to the green and create a shohin out of it!!

 

[Victorim]

Create a shohin out of it?!! Its dead mate... Pushing up the daises. Has ceased to be. It`s passed on. It is.. a dead juniper.

@Andrew R. , Try another bud. But outdoors if its a Juniper. If indoor is the only option grab a Chinese Elm

 

[Potawatomi13]

Green foliage still exists. Still a chance of survival. Hopefully lesson learned.

 

[M. Frary]

Green foliage still exists. Still a chance of survival. Hopefully lesson learned.

Never seen a dead juniper before?

 

[sorce]

Never seen a dead juniper before?

Lol yeah!

You can run a lighter quickly under it and turn it green again!
That's how they usually come at the store....regreened! Sometimes painted!

Monday? Shit!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[JoeH]

dead dead deadsky

 

[StoneCloud]

I'm still grasping 4 years indoors!

 

[Micci]

I myself recently had a elm go through some shock during its repot , in weeks he dropped pretty much all the leaves,and was so dehydrated everyone told me at the workshop to toss it but sensei said never give up you never know.....guess what?! This is what going on now!

 

[leatherback]

but sensei said never give up you never know

But. Ehm. Yeah. Erh.. A juniper ain't no elm matey!

 

[leatherback]

Considering there are a few branches with fresh foliage at the bottom, you may be lucky enough to keep that. I have seen trees that looked like 80% had died. And they did manage to recover. However, normally it is assumed that removing half or mor of the foliage would put a juniper in severe distress, with the risk of dying. If you look at this plant, you cannot have any mistakes or it is gone. I am not sure I would take the effort. I would probably place it in the garden and hope, while seeing it slowly die off fully..

 

[Andrew R.]

Hey thanks everyone for the thoughts!

 

[JosephCooper]

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to bonsai and have some questions regarding my tree. I have a juniper, I believe. I was out of town last week and when I left for vacation my tree seemed perfectly healthy and green. I've had the tree for about four years and it's been pretty hardy and not too fussy at all in that time. I usually give it a bit of water everyday but have gone days without watering it before and it was perfectly fine. I've also left it just sitting where it always sits in my apartment for beyond a week and it has been fine those times too. However, when I came home yesterday after being gone for five days I discovered my tree to be a mostly brownish/gray color, with some vibrant green near the extremities, and the trunk seems to be fine though. I'll post some pics here. I live in Chicago, where it's been cold, and I'm wondering if the radiators blasting for days really dried it out or something. My other plants don't look to happy either. I guess I'm wondering whether or not my tree is dead and if it is not, what to do. Thanks in advance for any help.

I am amazed you even kept a juniper indoors for that long.

However, it's very dead...

 

[Micci]

Give it sun, buy a grow light for it if you olan on doin indoors, dont give up on it!!