whats best

[Gunstock]

I need some help guys. What's the best fert/food for procumbens nana? I moved it out in the sun for a week and then moved it back in the shade and it looked ok so I did some pruning 2 days ago and it still looks ok but not improving like I hoped. (I thought the blue/green hues would come back)I'm hoping it just needs more time. It's in a fresh pot of bonsai soil and I was told it has time released fertilizer also.
And I made a raft graft from the same tree and it looks terrible. It wasn't ready for the sun I think, anyway it looks dead but the needles are soft and still green but look dehydrated, and branchs look really brittle and honestly it looks dormant, maybe burned from too much sun?
I put it close to a steam room and artificial light for a day and some needles started to get fat again and after removal to shade they dehydrated again, the soil is soaked with plenty of water. The best thing I can think of at this point is adding to the dyna gro nutrients, some fish fertilizer and natural lighting? Is that stuff (fish fertilizer) any good ? Would using 2 fertilizers be overkill for a small juvenile procumbens raft?
I have been using dyna gro 7-9-5 micro nutrients for months but it doesn't seem to be doing much for them anymore.

 

[Dav4]

I need some help guys. What's the best fert/food for procumbens nana? I moved it out in the sun for a week and then moved it back in the shade and it looked ok so I did some pruning 2 days ago and it still looks ok but not improving like I hoped. (I thought the blue/green hues would come back)I'm hoping it just needs more time. It's in a fresh pot of bonsai soil and I was told it has time released fertilizer also.
And I made a raft graft from the same tree and it looks terrible. It wasn't ready for the sun I think, anyway it looks dead but the needles are soft and still green but look dehydrated, and branchs look really brittle and honestly it looks dormant, maybe burned from too much sun?
I put it close to a steam room and artificial light for a day and some needles started to get fat again and after removal to shade they dehydrated again, the soil is soaked with plenty of water. The best thing I can think of at this point is adding to the dyna gro nutrients, some fish fertilizer and natural lighting? Is that stuff (fish fertilizer) any good ? Would using 2 fertilizers be overkill for a small juvenile procumbens raft?
I have been using dyna gro 7-9-5 micro nutrients for months but it doesn't seem to be doing much for them anymore.

I doubt you've got a fert issue...we need pics. By the way, it needs to be in full sun all summer long, graft or no graft.

 

[Gunstock]

Plants around here need protecting from the sun. It's like Arizona sun in Massachusetts.Well they have been in the sun all summer...This is how it looked 2 months ago.

Raft

 

[DougB]

And no ferts if not healthy. Find out what is going on first.

 

[Gunstock]

These photos aren't the best! How do you like my Chicken?Rooster?Cock?

 

[Gunstock]

How it looks today, after a graft, and it ain't tooo bad.. potential for a Jin or two. It's my first one so what did anyone expect.?

 

[Adair M]

sorry, updating my post... You posted more pictures...

How did you make the raft? Are there any roots?

 

[Gunstock]

Why ;the f*&^ does everyone think things grow in the dark and keep reminding me about it?

 

[Gunstock]

And no ferts if not healthy. Find out what is going on first.

What?

 

[sorce]

Sounds bad....

Looks like a bit too much a trauma at once...

Nice cock!

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

Plants around here need protecting from the sun. It's like Arizona sun in Massachusetts.Well they have been in the sun all summer...This is how it looked 2 months ago.
View attachment 110622
Raft

Whoa...

That's a first!

You really believe that "plants around here need protection from the sun"? In Massachusetts???

A sun loving tree like a juniper? Junipers grow in the desert, dude!

If anything, you're killing it with too much fertilizer, too much water, and too little sun!

 

[Gunstock]

sorry, updating my post... You posted more pictures...

How did you make the raft? Are there any roots?

Yeah there are roots, it was grafted for 45 days an then chopped for over a month and still or had photosynthesis potential.
The direct sun around here did it in.
The humidity and artificial lights did have a positive effect so maybe I'll put it back there, but natural light is supposed to be better.

 

[Gunstock]

Whoa...

That's a first!

You really believe that "plants around here need protection from the sun"? In Massachusetts???

A sun loving tree like a juniper? Junipers grow in the desert, dude!

If anything, you're killing it with too much fertilizer, too much water, and too little sun!

dude look at the results of too much sun exposure that i'm showing ya.

 

[Dav4]

Dude, it's not the sun. You've got a root issue, I suspect, from too much water. It's real hard to tell from the blurry pics whether your foliage is normal or not, but the soil looks sodden to me. Junipers love full sun in most of North America...assuming their roots are healthy. Weak roots will interfere with transpiration and make it appear that the foliage is drying out due to too much sun/heat. When noobs see this, they instantly think the tree needs more water...this just make s the issue worse.

 

[Dav4]

Plants around here need protecting from the sun. It's like Arizona sun in Massachusetts.Well they have been in the sun all summer...This is how it looked 2 months ago.
View attachment 110622
Raft

I did the bonsai thing in MA for over a decade...never had a juniper suffer from full sun. Had plenty suffer from overwatering, at least in the beginning.

 

[michaelj]

I don't understand that you mean by "it was grafted for 45 days an then chopped for over a month". Are you referring to ground layering off a raft? If so, 45 days is a really short time to wait before severing the raft. You say there are roots, but were there a lot?

And I agree with previous posters. There is no such thing as too much sun for a juniper. They thrive in the harsher heat and sun, as long as they are in the right soil. Your soil looks a bit too rich and soggy, which is not ideal for a nana.

 

[rockm]

dude look at the results of too much sun exposure that i'm showing ya.

Dude, that AIN'T too much sun exposure. It's soggy soil and overcare on your part.

I've lived in Mass. and Ariz. Let's just say, sitting in August sun in Massachusetts for a couple of hours will give you a sunburn. In Arizona it can kill you. Junipers are rampant in Arizona. They grow on almost every hillside near I 17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. They get a lot of sun...

Your problem is too much water, too much fertilizer and not listening...

 

[YukiShiro]

Plants around here need protecting from the sun. It's like Arizona sun in Massachusetts.Well they have been in the sun all summer...This is how it looked 2 months ago.
View attachment 110622
Raft

What you see here is a plant actually growing IN THE SUN. those light green at the ends are new growth that shows it is actually recovering from indoor abuse. Then you went on and pruned off it's attempt at recovering and then made a raft. I do not understand what you mean by this "it was grafted for 45 days an then chopped for over a month and still or had photosynthesis potential" ? please explain.

I live in Africa and the sun is very harsh here...junipers need full sun and fast draining soil to reach full growth potential

good luck dude

best regards
Herman

 

[Gunstock]

So how can I tell when it does need water?

 

[rockm]

When the soil is dry. Simple answer. Watering is the toughest part of bonsai. It has a very steep learning curve. Do a search on "how to water" here. See what comes up.

Beginners like to "do" something to their trees, mistaking action for knowledge. Watering on a set schedule is exactly the wrong way to water. Keeping a tree inside is another. The combination is a killer.

Your soil is too heavy also. Needs to be better draining.