my bonsai that my daughter gave me--6 years old ---seems to be dead. i keep hoping it perks up but it is brown and dead looking--maybe the bonsai is not for me
sad to say
Is it an evergreen?
Don't give up on bonsai just because of this planolinda, I was "taken in" years ago by a roadside stand selling junipers as bonsai. The rocks had been glued on top of the soil and I thought it should be in the house over winter ....... NOT!! The threads on this forum are full of helpful information about bonsai. There are few evergreens that should not be left outside in the winter. Check out some of the other possibilities if you're really interested in bonsai.
yes an evergreen--thanks for the encouragement --
Have you had it for 6 years or is it just 6 years old?
Junipers are outside plants unfortunately and many die because people are told they can keep them indoors. :-(
Is the soil dry?
panolinda, is your daughter 6 years old or the tree? Many people are told the tree is a certain age, and it may well be, but it was probably planted a couple of weeks before you bought it. Many junipers are potted this way, and is still in shock when it was bought. It will stay green a couple of weeks after it dies, so you don't realize it until it is too late to save it. Junipers tend to also die because of overwatering as well as being brought inside. They also can get an infestation of spider mites that will kill the tree without you realizing it. Don't give up, just because of this one tree. Was it in a plastic training pot or a ceramic pot?
not the daughter-she bought the tree from parking lot set up--little tag said juniper 6 years old---i did keep it outdoors and not in too much sun but not total shade either--our winter was mild so don't think cold temps killed it--i think the pot might be plastic that looks kind of ceramic like--i will check in morning--you are helping me to think maybe i didn't "kill" it--i wasn't great about always checking the soil but it hasn't been all that dry for a while now (weather wise i mean) thanks for all your information too
If the pot was plastic (looks like bonsai style pot) then the plant was in a training pot and not established for very long. My son did the same thing last year, (bought two junipers from a van on the side of the road) was told the age of the trees to be 25 years old and even sold him special food for the plants. They lasted about two months. When he gave to me, after they were dead, I took them out of the pots so I could use the pots for training. I had to explain to him also that he was not to blame for killing the plants. He had followed the written directions that came with the plant and it stayed green for at least two weeks after it had died. I do not like to grow Junipers, because I tend to loose them to spider mites. If you want a very easy Bonsai to start out with, get a Jade. The one thing you need to remember is not to over water it. It comes from the cactus family, so it doesn't require as much water as other Bonsai. Some of the trees you grow in your yard, could probably be trained as a Bonsai. Just look around and you will find something to dig up and experiment with. Also, I go to the garden center and look at their reduced table to get a inexpensive plant to work with. Good Luck
i feel better already! i like jade plants--i do not have one now but if i see a small one maybe i will try it out