How to bring back a dead Juniper

[Paradox]

@SouthernMaple

I am sorry but I think this one is a goner. If you really want to try and revive it, if there is any hope at all, right now you need to do nothing to it but water it when it needs it.
I would place it in a spot where it can get morning sun and shade in the afternoon. It will let you know in a few weeks if its going to make it.
Dont be discouraged if it does, just get another tree for yourself and try again.

I am very sorry to hear about your troubles and I am very glad to hear that bonsai has been such a positive experience for you.
Try not to let the bad things get you down too much. They are temporary. Get up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

As for your brother..... you may think he would be good at doing bonsai. However, if he really doesnt have the interest nor the desire to care for a tree's needs, trying to force him into having interest in it is going to result in nothing but frustration for you as you watch him kill tree after tree. It really has to be something he wants to do, not something you want him to do. Enjoy it for yourself and share your love of it by showing your trees to your brother so he can admire them.

Good luck. Keep looking forward and dont give up.

 

[Mikecheck123]

So I bought my brother a Juniper this Xmas, he wanted a tree that was low maintenance, I thought since he had a full time gardner and his grounds looked nice that just maybe he would get into Bonsai and like it, I bought him a book, a beautiful tree some wire, soil, the whole nine yards. Well after visiting him this weekend I got him a less expensive tropical and swapped it out for the Juniper. It looks to be dead and a waste of time but I am going to try and bring it back, Anyone have any serious suggestions other than lighting it on fire?
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It's pretty easy once you get the time machine workin.

 

[Rivian]

Its unwise to gift responsibilities to people if youre not certain theyll like it.

Bonsai seems pretty close to the top of the list as to what NOT to gift in hopes of fostering interest.

 

[penumbra]

You just can't lead most people to bonsai, my wife is one of them.
You can only teach a love of bonsai, or any plant culture, by example.

 

[Carol 83]

my wife is one of them.

As is my husband. However, he is becoming more tolerant. He went up to change the furnace filter and didn't comment on the box sitting on the attic steps from my latest purchase.

 

[Paradox]

As is my husband. However, he is becoming more tolerant. He went up to change the furnace filter and didn't comment on the box sitting on the attic steps from my latest purchase.

Yea my husband isnt into the hobby either. He has helped me move trees when there was going to be a unexpected freeze or there was one that I couldn't move myself.
He doesnt really pay much attention to them at all but tolerates my taking over a good portion of the garage in the winter to keep some of them or my tubs of soil or whatever else I have in there. Also the water bill is significantly higher than if I didnt have 50+ trees in the back yard that get watered every day in the summer.
He knows I get enjoyment out of them.

 

[Vance Wood]

hes not that type of person. His accomplishments far outweigh anything I could ever do. I kind of think he killed it on purpose to make me sad.

No, no one is that mean his own family. These Junipers are very easy to kill. Your mistake was assuming these trees to be low maintenance.

 

[Carol 83]

Yea my husband isnt into the hobby either. He has helped me move trees when there was going to be a unexpected freeze or there was one that I couldn't move myself.
He doesnt really pay much attention to them at all but tolerates my taking over a good portion of the garage in the winter to keep some of them or my tubs of soil or whatever else I have in there. Also the water bill is significantly higher than if I didnt have 50+ trees in the back yard that get watered every day in the summer.
He knows I get enjoyment out of them.

I think they are growing on him a little. Last year he did warn me when the temps were taking a dive, that I better bring them in and he helped me get my lights set up. But that doesn't stop him from complaining when they are inside about leaves falling etc. Baby steps I guess. I have reminded him I could have a lot worse/more expensive hobbies..........

 

[penumbra]

I have reminded him I could have a lot worse/more expensive hobbies..........

I tell my wife that at least it keeps me off the streets looking for trouble.

 

[Paradox]

I tell my wife that at least it keeps me off the streets looking for trouble.

Definitely worse things we could be doing

 

[SouthernMaple]

Its unwise to gift responsibilities to people if youre not certain theyll like it.

in my defense he told me he wanted to get into it , he likes all my bonsai related posts on instagram. And his orchids always look nice, but orchids are pretty low maintenance.

 

[Carol 83]

in my defense he told me he wanted to get into it , he likes all my bonsai related posts on instagram. And his orchids always look nice, but orchids are pretty low maintenance.

Then that's a shame, you tried to get him started in the hobby and he let the tree decline so badly. Not your fault if he expressed interest, you were trying to help.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Worse comes to worst, it can always be spray painted black like my dead Scots pine and made into a bookend or something.

 

[SouthernMaple]

A shame. Looks like it was a nice tree.
I have one that is taking the same path.
oh well. Lots more trees out there.
As @Ruve mentioned, I would be curious to see if ‘Peter Chan’s famous moss trick’ would have any chance.

it worked on a maple I had under 3 black walnut trees 2 summers ago, My roommate also didn't water it for 10 days in july heat, when I got back I slip potted it into spagnum and akadama and that september it was flush with leaves. Maples though are different. If it dies it gives me a reason to buy another, but I really like that nebari.

 

[NamesakE]

, I have done it with maples with ease,

Any chance you have posts on how you did that? : ) I have a sugar maple that I root pruned and repotted in akadama and it looks like it might not make it.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Any chance you have posts on how you did that? : ) I have a sugar maple that I root pruned and repotted in akadama and it looks like it might not make it.

that was before I started taking pictures and shooting video of my stuff, and before i started posting on here. I would watch peterr chans video on it, but I take all the wire off the roots and pull the tree out of the soil enough so I can get under them with some wet spagnum moss, then Iay the tree back on the wet moss and put more around the root base, i then cover it back up with more already used soil in your case the akadama. And lightly rewire the tree into the pot. I then repot the following year no matter what and remove the moss but I don't cut back any roots and essentially slip pot it back into a slightly larger pot.

 

[Bolero]

Southern Maple sorry to hear the Juniper are dying or are by now dead, judging by your pictures they were excellent Juniper, either Nana's or Shimpaku's with outstanding Trunks, trim off the twiggy branches and save the rest of the trunks, buy some Shimpaku seedlings and larger incorporating them into the now dead trunks in some artistic display of Landscape Bonsai, would make an interesting project assuming you have a bit of artistic talent in yourself.....
Having overcome all your self admitted failures or difficulties in life this should be a No Brainer for a guy like you...
Wishing you well...
Bolero

 

[NamesakE]

that was before I started taking pictures and shooting video of my stuff, and before i started posting on here. I would watch peterr chans video on it, but I take all the wire off the roots and pull the tree out of the soil enough so I can get under them with some wet spagnum moss, then Iay the tree back on the wet moss and put more around the root base, i then cover it back up with more already used soil in your case the akadama. And lightly rewire the tree into the pot. I then repot the following year no matter what and remove the moss but I don't cut back any roots and essentially slip pot it back into a slightly larger pot.

Awesome! Thanks southernmaple. My plan was to keep it above a container of heated water and hope the extra humidity and heat helped things along. The leaves that just broke look like they're going to go. Anyways thanks for the help!

 

[BonjourBonsai]

He also flies to Japan on his private jet twice a year for business

Get him to take you with him and buy him a new one there!