My bonsai looks sick?
Question:i have a juniper bonsia tree. usually during the school year i keep it indoors in a window sill in my dorm and it looked quite healthy. however, during the summer months i have to move home and i am essentially forced to keep the plant outside. i keep it in the shade and water it regularly. however, recently i noticed that the older leaves have become much darker (not their usual healthy color) and a fair number of the little "branchlets" that are entirely composed of leaves have turned brown. im not sure what is going on. i pruned it recently. However, i immediately covered the cuts with prune sealant. i dont know if it is the hot houston weather doing it or what but i cant think of anything else to clue you in. can anyone help me?
Answers:
The key to your bonsai's illness is that it was kept inside. It is an OUTDOOR tree, and usually will only last about 6 months when kept indoors. It's too bad that there are unscrupulous and greedy people selling bonsai. You're welcome to read more about INDOOR vs. OUTDOOR trees on the Bonsai Care page of my site:
http://www.american-bonsai.com . If you wish a complete care instruction sheet for junipers, send me an email at
wchoat@american-bonsai.com . By the way, to see if you can bring your tree back to life, take it out of the pot and plant it in the ground, like a flower bed, on the east side of your house. That is about the only hope for it now.
Go to BonsaiSite.com to their forum and ask the experts there what is wrong. They know a lot about Junipers.
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