Hi! I got a bonsai tree last year as a gift and for a year it was doing great! But now it’s starting to lose its green color and branches are dry and turning brown. I’m not 100% sure what type it is, I think maybe juniper. But I’m looking for advice on what to do and if it’s possible to save it. I think I might have been under watering it as I have been traveling a lot and I was relying on someone else to care for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated, it is a very sentimental gift and I would be sad if it died
Need advice please!
- Thread starter Sonnyb
- Start date
BonsaiManic
Shohin
Lots of questions to answer yours. Where are you? You can add that general information to your profile. Do you have pictures? What kind of care are you providing (fertilizer, water, soil, indoor or outdoor, etc.)?
Very few trees can survive indoors, and I can't think of any conifer species.
Pictures and location would be the biggest help to answer your questions.
Very few trees can survive indoors, and I can't think of any conifer species.
Pictures and location would be the biggest help to answer your questions.
I’m in north Texas, it’s soooo hot here so I didn’t think it would survive outside so it is outside for a couple hours a day and inside a lot of the time in a south facing window. The soil, I’m not sure about as it is still in the soil it was given to me in. I fertilize it with the food that was also bought from the same place, once every 6 months. Also have been using tap water that let sit for a few days before I use because we can have hard water here. Typically watering every 2-3 days but last month it probably was once a week. This week I have been putting it outside for about 4-5 hours and then bringing it in cause I was worried about the heat
ShadyStump
Imperial Masterpiece
Even junipers need a winter nap. Unless it's a fully tropical species, assume it needs a winter dormancy period. If a tree doesn't get one it usually will steadily fade and die within a year, maybe 2 if your lucky. A couple months of routine lows around 40F will do.
And there's hardly a tree out there that doesn't do better outdoors in general. You'll have better luck adjusting care to compensate for your climate than trying to force the issue indoors.
There are exceptions, but this isn't one of them. Most of us have tried and failed ourselves, so don't feel too bad.
There's still a little bit of lively green on there, so if you move it outdoors now into a shady spot it might survive, then you can restyle it at a later time. Don't hold your breath, though.
And there's hardly a tree out there that doesn't do better outdoors in general. You'll have better luck adjusting care to compensate for your climate than trying to force the issue indoors.
There are exceptions, but this isn't one of them. Most of us have tried and failed ourselves, so don't feel too bad.
There's still a little bit of lively green on there, so if you move it outdoors now into a shady spot it might survive, then you can restyle it at a later time. Don't hold your breath, though.
eugenev2
Shohin
That's one unhappy tree.
When you say it gets really hot, what temperatures are we talking here? As i leave mine out the whole day in 38C/100F without any issues.
That being said, you mentioned you have hard water issues, which could be part of the problem. I would suggest removing fertilizer as you might have a salt build up which the fertilizer is not going to help, make a plan to improve the water quality for it, testing the water would be the best option to see the exact requirements, but using RO water wouldn't hurt.
Watering every 2 to 3 days, could point to a possible issue as well, but generally junipers like to be on the dryer side. How do you check that the tree requires water?
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