Junipers.....

bonsaifweek · 10-16-2009, 10:46 PM

I would like to know how some folks out there keep junipers,aligator juniper,shimpaku junipersor any other juniper alive. First, I live in Southwest AZ in Sierra Vista. The elevation is about 4600-4700 ft. I have tried to keep them living but I just can't seem to get it and I'm tired of killing them. It is dry here and I do see them as hedges and such. I go to Lowe's, Home depot or on Ebay. But it does not matter where I buy them. This is what "usually" happens. I use fast draining soil...from the bag "black gold" bonsai mix and I will add turface and or some course sand and small pine bark chips as I have read and this is what they like. If I get them from Lowe's, Home depot I do notice that they are water logged so I try to get the ones that don't feel "so" heavy. I lift it from it's pot and smell the soil...no bad odor...just that nice earthy smell. I bring them home and I give them a little rain water or water that has been to the open air for 4-5 days. No "fert" or anything added...just water and some time to get used to it's new surroundings and I spray the foilage in the morning. After that I pinch the folage back a little Or a lot. Sometimes I don't do any pinching at all and it seems no matter what I do the follage dries up and dies. It does not turn yellow, brown or ANY other color. It stays green. Light green or dark green...it just dies. Dries up and dies, crunchy. I've tried trimming/raking the roots or not...they die. The roots do not seem to be bound in anyway. I've done this to them in the spring or in Feb. ( as it gets cold here in "our winter" although it does not snow here much at all if ever. ) On the north side of our house is where I have them now. I have tried the south and east in the shade or morning sun up to about 11:00 am. Mind you it can get hot here so in full sun in the afternoon is a no no if it's in a pot. I've tried less water, I've tried more water. I use a chop stick to see how much moisture is in the soil as I know junipers can tolerate drier soil. I've watched the ph in the water as well as the soil...they die. I look for bugs...no bugs. I look for mold...no mold. Not sure what I might be doing wrong. I'm about ready to give them up forever. Does anyone have any advice that will help me?

Marrero · 12-22-2009, 06:55 AM

Try inoculating the soil with mycorrhyzae. If the day is too hot, the pot can become also hot even in the shadow and this can kill the organisms in it. Junipers belong to the Conifers and they depend on fungus and bacterias in the soil to be able to feed.

centaura · 12-22-2009, 12:06 PM

At this point I would try to find a local bonsai club that you could attend a meeting. You could bring one or two of your dead junipers there and ask for help with a post-mortem. I know that I can't give you much advice, partly since I don't grow junipers, but also because I live in a wet, cold environment. I have to deal with too much water at several times of the year, so I know that experience doesn't translate well to a warmer, desert environment.

-Centaura

10-16-2009, 10:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
bonsaifweek Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Sierra Vista AZ zone 7-9 Posts: 7	Junipers..... I would like to know how some folks out there keep junipers,aligator juniper,shimpaku junipersor any other juniper alive. First, I live in Southwest AZ in Sierra Vista. The elevation is about 4600-4700 ft. I have tried to keep them living but I just can't seem to get it and I'm tired of killing them. It is dry here and I do see them as hedges and such. I go to Lowe's, Home depot or on Ebay. But it does not matter where I buy them. This is what "usually" happens. I use fast draining soil...from the bag "black gold" bonsai mix and I will add turface and or some course sand and small pine bark chips as I have read and this is what they like. If I get them from Lowe's, Home depot I do notice that they are water logged so I try to get the ones that don't feel "so" heavy. I lift it from it's pot and smell the soil...no bad odor...just that nice earthy smell. I bring them home and I give them a little rain water or water that has been to the open air for 4-5 days. No "fert" or anything added...just water and some time to get used to it's new surroundings and I spray the foilage in the morning. After that I pinch the folage back a little Or a lot. Sometimes I don't do any pinching at all and it seems no matter what I do the follage dries up and dies. It does not turn yellow, brown or ANY other color. It stays green. Light green or dark green...it just dies. Dries up and dies, crunchy. I've tried trimming/raking the roots or not...they die. The roots do not seem to be bound in anyway. I've done this to them in the spring or in Feb. ( as it gets cold here in "our winter" although it does not snow here much at all if ever. ) On the north side of our house is where I have them now. I have tried the south and east in the shade or morning sun up to about 11:00 am. Mind you it can get hot here so in full sun in the afternoon is a no no if it's in a pot. I've tried less water, I've tried more water. I use a chop stick to see how much moisture is in the soil as I know junipers can tolerate drier soil. I've watched the ph in the water as well as the soil...they die. I look for bugs...no bugs. I look for mold...no mold. Not sure what I might be doing wrong. I'm about ready to give them up forever. Does anyone have any advice that will help me? __________________ ...So many bonsai...so little time. My opinion is just that...my own

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12-22-2009, 06:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
Marrero Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Santana county, near the city of Arecibo, in the north coast of Puerto Rico Posts: 25	Try inoculating the soil with mycorrhyzae. If the day is too hot, the pot can become also hot even in the shadow and this can kill the organisms in it. Junipers belong to the Conifers and they depend on fungus and bacterias in the soil to be able to feed.

12-22-2009, 12:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
centaura Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 334	At this point I would try to find a local bonsai club that you could attend a meeting. You could bring one or two of your dead junipers there and ask for help with a post-mortem. I know that I can't give you much advice, partly since I don't grow junipers, but also because I live in a wet, cold environment. I have to deal with too much water at several times of the year, so I know that experience doesn't translate well to a warmer, desert environment. -Centaura

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