Sick Juniper

[Maurice]

Hi,

I am new to Bonsai and was given a tree earlier this year. All was going well but about 2 months ago I noticed the leaf color was losing it's gloss and discoloration was begining in areas of the tree.
The tree is watered twice a week and once a month I give it a soak. It is fertilised with fish emulsion once every two months.
The tree looks like it is dying and I can not seem to turn this around.
I have attached a couple of pics and would appreciate some advice.

Regards

[Jamie]

mate, its a bit hard to see pics with the size of them, if you could get some bigger pics we will be able to try and help somewhat more

[whereswally007]

His right you need better pics

[LLK]

Yes, bigger pictures would help to get an idea of what is wrong with this tree. In the meantime I've enlarged the 3d photo by 300% and one can vaguely see the brown areas of foliage. A pity, because this was a nice bonsai, not your average mallsai. Maurice, you are in the tropics and I believe that this juniper is probably a J. procumbens, or do you have a label that states its name? Just in case, can someone from N. Queensland let us know how this species grows in their area? Anyway, the discoloration could be due to overwatering and consequent root rot, or it could be a fungus infection of the foliage. The best thing would be to take this tree to a bonsai nursery or to a bonsai club member with experience. Maurice, bonsai don't get watered at fixed intervals, but according to the amount they need. We keep them just moist, not wet, and when they show signs of ill health, we stop the fertilising.
That's it for a start.

Lisa

[Maurice]

Hi all,

Thanks for your reply, sorry sized the pics too small. I have attached some new ones hope these are better.

Regads

[Dumper]

umm.

the bark looks very dry. when u said u water twice a week. how did u water it? mist for a few sec? or shower for a few minute?

maybe shower it for a few minute and during this time of year u have to water at least once a day

the pebbles on it look like it's still glued. try to break them apart. the glue will stop water from going into the soil.

soaking it..? i do it once a year. just to fill up the air pockets.

[Maurice]

Thanks for the advice. I shower the tree for a minute or so. I usually check the soil before hand and it does not seem dry or parched.
The tree had scale problem early in the year and I treated this with a scale treatment which removed the scale. The tree improved and started to re shoot but a couple of months ago it started looking sick again. The scale is gone but it appears it has never realy recovered.

[Taffy]

Maurice, what treatment did you use for the scale - White oil, Pest oil or something else?

[Mitchell]

I've checked in over the last fews days, still not sure I have any advice. My gut feeling is that it is already too late, due to the look of the shriveling trunk.

Not that I am suggesting you do this, but I would remove all foliage that has browned, leave all that is green. The plant is drying out and that is going to continue, if you don't find the problem within days, it has a creeping nature and will keep progressing.


What Tman maybe suggesting is that, if you saturate a plant in oil you can suffocate it by blocking the pores on the leaves.



I would give the pot a bit of a tap, and try and slip it out. I'm guessing either totally root bound and holding water or what's more likely, is that it wasn't draining and the roots have rotted. In that case the plant will probably just pull out of the pot.


After I'd cut back hard, I'd either plant it out in the garden or in a big styro box.

By the way this is exactly how my first Juni turned out, browned off for "no" reason, I blame myself, not that this is the same scenario.
Oh.... This isn't your first Juniper is it? You are aware of the toll you must pay, before starting the journey? It's one good Bonsai to the bonsai gods before you even start, so don't feel bad.




For now I would get rid of the dead branchlets, as they are only going to restrict the light to what good foliage is left. You should be clearing out all those dead bits this time of year anyway. Secondly I would be getting it out of that pot now. I would say it has about another week left in it, to solve the problem before it gives up the ghost.

Sorry, like I said I have been holding off, as my opinion is not good of it. Try looking outside hoping your$300 Squamata doesn't cark it, mine was touch and go a couple of months back.

[Gerard]

This tree appears to have some sick parts and other very healthy areas, this suggests to me that the roots may have been damaged.
Perhaps rot, perhaps broken if the tree was not stable in the pot.
These problems are often not apparent until the weather starts to warm up, branches which are effectively already dead do not brown off until they dry out at this time of year.
Mites is another possibility but I think more likely root damage.

[cuwire]

Hey Maurice

Held of until more experienced Bonsaiers said as I wished to.
I have just pulled a yellowing/browning Juniper out of its bonsai pot as the first shot to look for a problem.
As a newbee I had nothing to loose with a $25 Juniper.
Found one big problem immediately - caked soil (from the bonsai mix) around all sides of the pot and across the bottom of the pot and a tight root mass that could not penetrate the caked soil.
I would say this was a watering and particularly soaking problem (soaking over the rim of the pot) I never really knew if it needed water or not so I reckon I watered badly.
Now its in a big training pot one that I can easily poke a finger down to get an idea of the moisture content.
I gave the plant a good ruffle up and all the yellow and brown dropped off I have healthy new shoots on all main branches.

I don't know if your problem will be the same as mine and if you want to learn on the job - think about getting it out of the pot and give us a pic if possible before re-potting (keep the roots wet while adjusting your camera).

Hope yours and mine recover but if not we will be the smarter for it.

Cheers David