2 sea green juniperus chinensis

[Eckhoffw]

hello.
I have these two junipers. A couple of my first purchases with bonsai in mind. Just want to get these on here to document their time.
I found later that these are not very desirable as bonsai. I’ve seen many of scraggly examples, and learning/seeing why that the case.
This one has been with my in-laws for almost 2 yrs. and is looking off.
Bright green yellow foliage with- what looks like die back.
Any help? I was thinking malnourished.

Thank you.

 

[Schmikah]

hello.
I have these two junipers. A couple of my first purchases with bonsai in mind. Just want to get these on here to document their time.
I found later that these are not very desirable as bonsai. I’ve seen many of scraggly examples, and learning/seeing why that the case.View attachment 340280
This one has been with my in-laws for almost 2 yrs. and is looking off.
Bright green yellow foliage with- what looks like die back.
Any help? I was thinking malnourished.
View attachment 340281View attachment 340282View attachment 340283View attachment 340285
Thank you.

I'll pass this off to the more experienced, but it looks like it might be a lack of light. Could be light coupled with some other issues, but the pattern seems to fit the tree shedding needles that are not the most photosynthetically efficient.

Edit: I see this same thing happening in landscape junipers around my neighborhood often. There is a thin layer of foliage right at the tip, and everything below that dies out. Conversely, my ERC that sits in full sun has foliage that I can't even pass my fingers through.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

At lower temperatures, most junipers can go golden brown. So a discoloration could be caused by regular processes.
Since the tips are still a vivid green, I think that it's probably temperature related; scale foliage changes color later than juvenile foliage.

Feeding now would do no harm, but it also wouldn't do much good since the tree is hardly taking up anything. I'd ride it out until spring and see what happens.

 

[Schmikah]

At lower temperatures, most junipers can go golden brown. So a discoloration could be caused by regular processes.
Since the tips are still a vivid green, I think that it's probably temperature related; scale foliage changes color later than juvenile foliage.

Feeding now would do no harm, but it also wouldn't do much good since the tree is hardly taking up anything. I'd ride it out until spring and see what happens.

On that note, Bonsai Mirai has a "Mondays at Mirai", i think its the latest one, where Ryan talks about this and shows a couple of trees. I think you are probably right now that I saw that video.

 

[Eckhoffw]

At lower temperatures, most junipers can go golden brown. So a discoloration could be caused by regular processes.
Since the tips are still a vivid green, I think that it's probably temperature related; scale foliage changes color later than juvenile foliage.

Feeding now would do no harm, but it also wouldn't do much good since the tree is hardly taking up anything. I'd ride it out until spring and see what happens.

Thanks for your help.
I was thinking about this, would the fact that it was kept on a second story deck -without any real wind break- factor into its state?. I know it got loads of sun, but perhaps the elements have worn it some.
P. S. Ive wintered it for them.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Really cool shedding of bark going on with this one.

 

[Paradox]

Really cool shedding of bark going on with this one.

Uh...thats usually not a good sign. Where have you been keeping this tree over the winter?

 

[Eckhoffw]

Uh...thats usually not a good sign. Where have you been keeping this tree over the winter?

Uh oh.
It’s been In a regulated cold frame/ foam box for the winter.
however, this plant has looked “off” since I got it back from my parents last fall. - they had it on their deck the last 2 summers.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I’m thinking some kind of deficiency.
I will repot and fertilize in a month.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Young pfizers/media can have smooth bark for a couple years, and it can flake off just like this when transitioning to a more adult type of bark. That's just veins consolidating.
To me it looks perfectly normal.

Still, the old foliage on your tree seems to be dying at a faster rate than I have experienced in my own plants. Something's fishy, but only a little bit.

I would personally hold off on the repot and see what it does this spring. Could very well be some cold damage, or some winter related stuff.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Young pfizers/media can have smooth bark for a couple years, and it can flake off just like this when transitioning to a more adult type of bark. That's just veins consolidating.
To me it looks perfectly normal.

Still, the old foliage on your tree seems to be dying at a faster rate than I have experienced in my own plants. Something's fishy, but only a little bit.

I would personally hold off on the repot and see what it does this spring. Could very well be some cold damage, or some winter related stuff.

Thank you very much for your advice!
The weird part is, this tree looked like this pre-winter. Any thoughts?

 

[Lazylightningny]

I've had a couple of sea greens that I've been fighting with for years. They tend to throw out long leggy runners.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Junipers don't like to be repotted very often. If your media is free draining (it looks free draining) you don't need to repot. I try to repot junipers no more than once every 3 to 10 years. Older trees less often. Younger trees maybe every 3 years. Yearly repotting can be a stressor for the tree, which when combined with exuberant styling, can result in fatality. You are in Minnesota, junipers are not as vigorous as they are when grown in California. So take it easy on your tree. Don't repot like it was growing in California.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Thank you very much for your advice!
The weird part is, this tree looked like this pre-winter. Any thoughts?

The variety is juniperus pfizeriana 'sea green'. Which is sold here under the name mint julep I believe - or at least the cultivare is pretty comparable. They are naturally a more yellow color or brighter green.

If it wasn't in the best shape when you got it, and you repotted it, then it might just be some left over strain that it's restoring as we speak. It can be like that with junipers.
The winter glow can last a while if they're having a slow start. That's why I agree with Leo to just wait it out a little and see how it does. If it performs bad in spring, then there's plenty of time to take another look. I see no signs that need action right now.
When a plant is in a bad shape, we have two choices: act now and fix it, or wait it out and see if it's some leftover damage from the actions we performed in the past.
The former might do more harm than good, especially in junipers that can take a whole year to show signs of improvement. I have a thread on some zombie pfizer junipers somewhere, and I acted too soon, pushing it to the verge of dying. I managed to save it, but it slowed down restoration for another year. I simply made the wrong choice. So I'm kind of a fan of waiting it out a little longer nowadays.

They say that junipers can die and take a month to show the signs of death, but if you keep an eye out for the foliage tips, foliage color (if it goes dull/matte all of a sudden, that's a sign there's something fishy) and even branch wrinkles, then you can probably take the right action multiple weeks before it's too late. Plenty of time to take it easy and relax.

 

[sorce]

If the entire soil is so large. I reckon they are too dry.

Seems rooty.

Sorce

 

[Eckhoffw]

Thanks for your advice guys!
I will just let it be, and keep watering on point.
I’m not all that attached to this plant, but It is one of my first purchases, so I wouldn’t mind if It kept on kicking’! This will be season 3 in this container.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I might say, best this tree has looked. Still super skinny base. you think all those trunks would help thicken it? Nah.

 

[Pitoon]

I might say, best this tree has looked. Still super skinny base. you think all those trunks would help thicken it? Nah.
View attachment 390150

If you want it to thicken up, plant it in the ground and don't prune it. Leaving it in that pot will hold it back.

 

[Pitoon]

@Eckhoffw I have four 'Sea Green' junipers in 5gal nursery pots. They've been in those pots for several years now and have thickened up quite a bit from when I bought them. However I have not done any pruning on them above or below. They have the nicest lime-green color I think of all the junipers available. The down side about them is that they are leggy.

 

[Eckhoffw]

If you want it to thicken up, plant it in the ground and don't prune it. Leaving it in that pot will hold it back.

Yes. I’m finding that may be the case with many of my plants. Moving soon to a house with more yard, so yeah, will be putting many in the ground.