Greetings from CO, USA. New bonsai - need advice

[GwenB]

Greeting bonsai nuts!

I received my first bonsai two weeks ago, while moving. I believe it is a juniper. I was told to keep the soil moist, so I have been watering daily or every other day as needed. I was also informed it needs 4 hours of direct sun - so it sits in my office window at work right now (it will eventually go home near a window that gets plenty of outside air). I noticed the side facing the window seems to be getting browning - I am hopeful I haven't killed the poor thing. It sits about 6-8inches from a window that gets full sun from 10am-1pm. Am I frying the poor thing? Please advise, I adore the little guy and really want to it to thrive. I've kept vines and an African violet alive and happy for years - but I know bonsai are more temperamental.

 

[LanceMac10]

needs to be outdoors......all the time.

 

[GwenB]

I'm a bit concerned with the limited amount of sun it is going to get on my balcony, as it has a roof and trees around it. Would filtered light be OK once I have it outside on my balcony?

 

[BrianBay9]

Giving someone their first bonsai while they're moving seems a bit cruel - so many things going on it's hard to pay attention to another thing. You will find that a juniper will not do well indoors without heroic efforts. Watering should definitely be on a "as needed" basis. Check the soil for moisture before watering. When you do water make sure you thoroughly wet the entire soil volume - until water is running out the the drain holes in the bottom. This tree will need as much light as you can give it. Even dappled shade outside is better than keeping it inside.

Bonsai are not necessarily more tempermental than African violets, but this one is a juniper and needs to be outside. A more appropriate choice for an indoor bonsai might be a ficus or a Schefflera. Don't be too discouraged if you do kill this juniper. We all killed trees when we started, and most of us still kill one occasionally.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[GwenB]

Giving someone their first bonsai while they're moving seems a bit cruel - so many things going on it's hard to pay attention to another thing. You will find that a juniper will not do well indoors without heroic efforts. Watering should definitely be on a "as needed" basis. Check the soil for moisture before watering. When you do water make sure you thoroughly wet the entire soil volume - until water is running out the the drain holes in the bottom. This tree will need as much light as you can give it. Even dappled shade outside is better than keeping it inside.

Bonsai are not necessarily more tempermental than African violets, but this one is a juniper and needs to be outside. A more appropriate choice for an indoor bonsai might be a ficus or a Schefflera. Don't be too discouraged if you do kill this juniper. We all killed trees when we started, and most of us still kill one occasionally.

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you! That's mostly why I kept it here at work so I knew I would be here to make sure its getting water and sun - albeit through a window. Now that I'm *mostly* acclimated I think I can bring it home. I was hesitant about keeping it outside due to it being pretty shaded on either balcony, but I'll find a good spot out there today and get a set-up going. Does that browning look indicative of dying?

I will also check out those indoor ones you mentioned! Thanks again.

 

[bonsaichile]

I'm a bit concerned with the limited amount of sun it is going to get on my balcony, as it has a roof and trees around it. Would filtered light be OK once I have it outside on my balcony?

No, it will not be. Filtered light is insufficient for trees. Even if it does not get direct sun for 6 hours a day, any juniper will be better outside.
Welcome to the hobby! I am in Denver. Where in CO are you?

 

[bonsaichile]

By filtered light, I meant filtered through a window! If the balcony is all you can give it, get it in the balcony. And maybe get a few maples, they need less direct sunlight amd should do ok in your balcony

 

[GwenB]

No, it will not be. Filtered light is insufficient for trees. Even if it does not get direct sun for 6 hours a day, any juniper will be better outside.
Welcome to the hobby! I am in Denver. Where in CO are you?

Good to know! Right now, granted its inside, it's getting a pretty good amount of light but I will definitely get it outside this week.

I too am in the Denver area.

 

[GSCarlson]

Welcome to Bnut!
Your most important lesson is to not over water. You have a small tree in a big pot, so it will stay wet for a long time. As far as light goes, next time you are in the mountains, notice all the junipers living happily in the shade on the forest floor.

 

[rockm]

Thank you! That's mostly why I kept it here at work so I knew I would be here to make sure its getting water and sun - albeit through a window. Now that I'm *mostly* acclimated I think I can bring it home. I was hesitant about keeping it outside due to it being pretty shaded on either balcony, but I'll find a good spot out there today and get a set-up going. Does that browning look indicative of dying?

I will also check out those indoor ones you mentioned! Thanks again.

Inside has even less light than filtered shade outdoors. Junipers will not survive long inside because of a lack of light and other factors. I'd also include overwatering as another primary weapon that first time bonsai owners kill junipers with.

This tree is already showing some signs it's going to head south and soon--the brownish foliage isn't good. the soil looks compacted and soggy.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@GwenB

Hi Gwen

As you read up on bonsai, your tree is Juniper procumbens. Most will tell you it is an outdoor tree, and indeed it is. It will tolerate a Colorado winter in Denver or Boulder with no trouble. Higher elevations than Boulder might be a problem for Juniper procumbens, but it is indeed quite hardy. BrianBay has offered good advice.

However it sounds like you are an apartment dweller without the ability to grow this outdoors. The good news is that Juniper procumbens is the only juniper that has been shown to survive entirely indoors. It is considered a somewhat difficult species to keep happy as an indoor houseplant, but it can be done. BrianBay is right, heroic efforts, are required to keep it happy indoors. Remember in choosing between your balcony or your windowsill, a pane of glass cuts out at least 40% of the light. Double pane with inert gas sealed windows can block 60% or more of available sun, so even though the direct sun from your window looks bright it has been significantly reduced by the glass. Direct sun on the windowsill is about the same as bright shade on the balcony. I would keep the tree on the balcony through the summer, bring it in late autumn for the winter. It is difficult to winter a tree on a balcony, so bringing it in for winter might be best.

Yes the browning is not a good sign. Junipers can take a long time between an event, and the plant responding to the event. If at the grower's place the nursery or retail store allowed the juniper to dry out severely enough to kill it, the foliage won't change color, or dry out for a couple months, even though the plant is technically dead. This means if you only recently got the tree, and it suddenly dies, you might not have been the one to kill it. THis makes it difficult learning how to keep junipers happy as you don't get immediate feedback on how you are doing. An african violet will wilt, letting you know it is time to water, you water, it perks up fine, no problem. A juniper won't display any sign it needs water until it is way too late to save it. Gets tricky. You always need to use your fingers or a wooden skewer to keep track of when it needs water.

 

[GwenB]

Inside has even less light than filtered shade outdoors. Junipers will not survive long inside because of a lack of light and other factors. I'd also include overwatering as another primary weapon that first time bonsai owners kill junipers with.

This tree is already showing some signs it's going to head south and soon--the brownish foliage isn't good. the soil looks compacted and soggy.

I was wondering about the watering; the fellow that sold it said to water every single day to keep the soil wet - but the more I thought about the juniper in CO and NM, the more I have questioned it. The soil is indeed very compacted, would you suggest "tilling" it a little? I am not familiar with how compact the soil should be.

 

[GwenB]

@GwenB

Hi Gwen

As you read up on bonsai, your tree is Juniper procumbens. Most will tell you it is an outdoor tree, and indeed it is. It will tolerate a Colorado winter in Denver or Boulder with no trouble. Higher elevations than Boulder might be a problem for Juniper procumbens, but it is indeed quite hardy. BrianBay has offered good advice.

However it sounds like you are an apartment dweller without the ability to grow this outdoors. The good news is that Juniper procumbens is the only juniper that has been shown to survive entirely indoors. It is considered a somewhat difficult species to keep happy as an indoor houseplant, but it can be done. BrianBay is right, heroic efforts, are required to keep it happy indoors. Remember in choosing between your balcony or your windowsill, a pane of glass cuts out at least 40% of the light. Double pane with inert gas sealed windows can block 60% or more of available sun, so even though the direct sun from your window looks bright it has been significantly reduced by the glass. Direct sun on the windowsill is about the same as bright shade on the balcony. I would keep the tree on the balcony through the summer, bring it in late autumn for the winter. It is difficult to winter a tree on a balcony, so bringing it in for winter might be best.

Yes the browning is not a good sign. Junipers can take a long time between an event, and the plant responding to the event. If at the grower's place the nursery or retail store allowed the juniper to dry out severely enough to kill it, the foliage won't change color, or dry out for a couple months, even though the plant is technically dead. This means if you only recently got the tree, and it suddenly dies, you might not have been the one to kill it. THis makes it difficult learning how to keep junipers happy as you don't get immediate feedback on how you are doing. An african violet will wilt, letting you know it is time to water, you water, it perks up fine, no problem. A juniper won't display any sign it needs water until it is way too late to save it. Gets tricky. You always need to use your fingers or a wooden skewer to keep track of when it needs water.

This is super helpful, I guess I never really thought about the amount of rays that I don't perceive that are filtered by the light. I am going to monitor the balcony this weekend to see where the best spot would be outside, hopefully there is one spot that gets a little more light. I am outside of Denver, but not quite at Boulder elevations.

Do you think the amount of browning it has so far is "beyond the point of no return"? The green is still supple feeling and not "cripsy" so I was hopeful it has only just started to feel the impact.

 

[GwenB]

Welcome to Bnut!
Your most important lesson is to not over water. You have a small tree in a big pot, so it will stay wet for a long time. As far as light goes, next time you are in the mountains, notice all the junipers living happily in the shade on the forest floor.

I didn't even think about the space in its pot until you said it. Thank you!

 

[coltranem]

This is super helpful, I guess I never really thought about the amount of rays that I don't perceive that are filtered by the light. I am going to monitor the balcony this weekend to see where the best spot would be outside, hopefully there is one spot that gets a little more light. I am outside of Denver, but not quite at Boulder elevations.

Do you think the amount of browning it has so far is "beyond the point of no return"? The green is still supple feeling and not "cripsy" so I was hopeful it has only just started to feel the impact.

The reasons things look bright inside because our pupils adapt to the ambient conditions. So our eyes are not good judges for brightness.

@Leo in N E Illinois are you saying precumbens do not need a winter dormant period?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@GwenB - branches that are supple and green, (not crispy) are probably fine, this is a good sign. You might be okay. It is difficult to diagnose from photos.

@coltranem - yes, I am saying Juniper procumbens can tolerate a very minimal change in temperatures. There is an article on the ABS website by ???? name escapes me, but it is about bonsai under lights. He grows his trees in a basement, under ordinary T-12 fluorescent shop lights. He uses a number of tricks. Long day length to compensate for the less than full sun light, 18 hour days. Being in Michigan the ambient temperature of the basement growing area is cooler in winter, but no cooler than the 50's F. I believe for 12 weeks in winter he shortens daylength to 10 hours per day to signal winter. He keeps his procumbens there under light 365 days a year and his small size junipers are nice enough that they look appropriate in local and state wide bonsai shows. He is now in his 80's years old, and does not exhibit very often anymore. Still haven't remembered his name. Someone will chime in. Point is, it is not just me saying this. Juniper procumbens is probably the only juniper you can do this to. Others need more sun to stay healthy or need a sharper, colder winter rest. Juniper is not ''easy'' under lights. Ficus is easy under lights.

 

[CWTurner]

Don't worry if it dies. You can "create" another just like it in 30 minutes.
And this time of year, you can do it for $1-$3 as box stores reduce their stock.
If you can't do outdoors, then definitely get a tropical.
CW

 

[M. Frary]

Still haven't remembered his name. Someone will chime in

Jack Wilkie I think Leo.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Your most important lesson is to not over water.

OR underwater.

 

[rockm]

@GwenB - branches that are supple and green, (not crispy) are probably fine, this is a good sign. You might be okay. It is difficult to diagnose from photos.

@coltranem - yes, I am saying Juniper procumbens can tolerate a very minimal change in temperatures. There is an article on the ABS website by ???? name escapes me, but it is about bonsai under lights. He grows his trees in a basement, under ordinary T-12 fluorescent shop lights. He uses a number of tricks. Long day length to compensate for the less than full sun light, 18 hour days. Being in Michigan the ambient temperature of the basement growing area is cooler in winter, but no cooler than the 50's F. I believe for 12 weeks in winter he shortens daylength to 10 hours per day to signal winter. He keeps his procumbens there under light 365 days a year and his small size junipers are nice enough that they look appropriate in local and state wide bonsai shows. He is now in his 80's years old, and does not exhibit very often anymore. Still haven't remembered his name. Someone will chime in. Point is, it is not just me saying this. Juniper procumbens is probably the only juniper you can do this to. Others need more sun to stay healthy or need a sharper, colder winter rest. Juniper is not ''easy'' under lights. Ficus is easy under lights.

I highly doubt a new owner of their first bonsai is going to get a juniper to survive a winter indoors. The individual you are talking about in Michigan, if I remember correctly, initially killed more than a few trees when he started out...

low light, and humidity and hit and miss care which beginners provide will all add up to a very weak or dead bonsai by January.

I'm not being a pessimist, just trying to be realistic. The added lights, care (particularly watering) skills required to pull indoor junipers off successfully have to be acquired. The lighting systems can be purchased, but knowing how to care for the tree can't be bought.

The tree will fare far better outside on the balcony than inside for the winter.