Is My Juniper Freezing To Death

[Zathura]

Hopefully you can see the colors alright, the lighting was awful. The foliage is turning brown but doesn't seem dry. (The yellow is just variegation, nothing to worry about) I got this and two boxwoods at the beginning of September and (because I'm new and impatient), did heavy pruning (including roots) and repotting etc. Wondering if this is normal and if so, what I should do to maximize it's chances of surviving the winter in a pot (I'm in zone 7B).

I can easily bring it in for this winter if I need to and just let it go fully dormant next winter once it's stronger.

 

[PA_Penjing]

freezing to death in zone 7b? probably not. A lot of junipers will get a blue/purple cast over the winter. I personally only see it with native ERC but I've sen youtube folks with purple shimpakus. You're probably fine

 

[PA_Penjing]

Though on second glance it does not look very happy. If you bent it up pretty good this fall it should be kept out of freezing temps til spring

 

[BonsaiSniper]

This is most likely because of the winter cold, it will probably change back to green in the spring. This usually happens on my trees when there is a freeze.

 

[Zathura]

Though on second glance it does not look very happy. If you bent it up pretty good this fall it should be kept out of freezing temps til spring

I assume missing a single dormancy period either way won't hurt it in the long-term. Would it be fine in a bright window or should I put it under lights if I bring it in?

 

[BonsaiSniper]

I would just leave it out, maybe a little mulch or pine needles around the bottom of the pot. What is your inside arrangement?

 

[Zathura]

I would just leave it out, maybe a little mulch or pine needles around the bottom of the pot. What is your inside arrangement?

I have a lighted space (small) but could fit another couple plants if need be. Otherwise it's just a bright corner of my living room, lol.

I was planning on leaving it out (though I should probably find a more sheltered spot), but I'm worried that I did too much work on it too late in the season.

 

[PA_Penjing]

Time will tell, definitely don't put it in your living room though.

 

[Zathura]

Time will tell, definitely don't put it in your living room though.

Why? (Genuinely need to know, so I know what to avoid)

 

[sorce]

If from that yellow it goes to that light brown, it's probably dying, those parts anyway.
I've only seen yellow ones that yellow and not through winter.

My horizontalis goes purple, and the shimpaku bronze.


Just on the ground for winter.


Sorce

 

[Zathura]

@ Sorce

The yellow is natural variegation of the cultivar.

 

[PA_Penjing]

Why?

The air indoors is much drier than outside. The amount of sunlight is greatly reduced. But probably the most important part, is the trees need dormancy. Skipping one year of winter may not kill it, but it would weaken the tree and set you up for some potentially sad spring growth. On top of the fact that trees seem to have some amount of "memory" when it comes to climate. Meaning that spending this winter at 68 degrees won't do the tree any favors next winter at 20 degrees. Still dry air also sets the stage for spider mites, which can be a problem for junipers. When in doubt I keep my trees colder rather than warmer, but that's not nessecarily the correct thing to do either. Just my preference based on my history

 

[Zathura]

The air indoors is much drier than outside. The amount of sunlight is greatly reduced. But probably the most important part, is the trees need dormancy. Skipping one year of winter may not kill it, but it would weaken the tree and set you up for some potentially sad spring growth. On top of the fact that trees seem to have some amount of "memory" when it comes to climate. Meaning that spending this winter at 68 degrees won't do the tree any favors next winter at 20 degrees. Still dry air also sets the stage for spider mites, which can be a problem for junipers. When in doubt I keep my trees colder rather than warmer, but that's not nessecarily the correct thing to do either. Just my preference based on my history

Gotcha. I'll find a more sheltered place for it outside (though it may not get much light that way either), and keep an eye on it. If it looks like it's drying out I'll consider doing something else.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Purple is pretty common in needle junipers in winter.
However, it's also common if there's damaged tissue or an inhibited sap flow. So checking for damage and wire cutting into the tissue is part of the diagnostics run. If everything is OK, then it's likely a cold response.

 

[leatherback]

It looks pretty normal to me.

A tree I picked up at the Trophy last winter:



And a few months later in summer:

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I live in zone 7B and no way is your juniper freezing to death. Heck, I haven't even brought my tropicals indoors yet (though I don't know where in Zone 7B you live). Whether or not it is dying due to root work in September is a different question - and one that isn't going to be answered until the spring.

Trees go into and come out of dormancy very slowly. It is far better to provide a stable, sheltered environment for your tree than to try to micromanage temperature swings. If you are that worried, you can place your tree on the ground, mulch around the pot, and shelter it from the wind, all of which will increase stability. Bringing a juniper indoors just introduces a host of other issues that may be worse than your concern about temp.

 

[HorseloverFat]

My squamata and communis (both needle junis) turn purple at more sudden freezes.. no call for alarm..

(Did you know that the OLDER brother in Zathura is the YOUNGER brother in RV? ...RIP Robbin Williams)

 

[HorseloverFat]

Heck, I haven't even brought my tropicals indoors yet

What a difference three climate zones makes. My hands are still freezing from my 20 foot walk from the car.

 

[leatherback]

So yeah, I wrote in the wrong thread.

Sorry. My hands are frweezing and I selected the wrong tab.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

With junipers, most normally do not prune the roots, and prune the foliage heavily in the same year. Doing too much at the wrong time of year is very likely to result in a dead tree.

In general, heavy pruning is done sometime between early summer and middle or end of summer. Not usually done in autumn.

In general, for junipers, we do no pruning for at least 4 months before repotting. And no pruning for a year or more after repotting. This is "conservative" the more experience you have with aftercare the more you may be able to get away with. But especially for those new to bonsai, separating different activities helps with long term survival. "One major insult per year" is the adage thrown around to get the over enthusiastic to "slow their roll".

Deciduous and broadleaf evergreens we can repot and prune on the same day. But with conifers in general we separate by a year or more repotting from heavy pruning. Death is the consequence of too much work at the wrong time.

Most people repot junipers in late spring, after all the deciduous trees have been repotted. Depending on local climate, repotting of junipers in late summer is also possible. Autumn and early winter repotting is not recommended except maybe in southern California, where they really don't have a winter.

Most juniper species sold in North America are winter hardy through zone 5. Winter in zone 7b should be a trivial matter. I do fear the color change you are seeing is the result of heavy root pruning in autumn. Parts of the juniper may survive, maybe yes, maybe no. In spring, if even small parts of it green up, the tree will have survived your repotting.