Green Mound Juniper

[SP1525]

Hey All,
New Bonsai fan here! I have taken good care of this 5 yr old Juniper for last 6 months. It has shown good growth and foliage. Recently, it started browning since last two weeks.
Just trying to understand if my tree is going dormant for the season? I live in New Jersey. What to expect next? Leave it out for the cold & snow season?
Thanks in advance!
Sunny

 

[DanaWhicker]

That tree is in very rough condition. It is not going dormant for the season. It's dying.

 

[Kodama]

Oh ouch...yeah that is almost dead. You might be able to save that green that's still left though. What do you think happened? Over or under watered? Not enough humidity or did it fry in the hot sun or hot winds dry it out? Maybe roots got too hot? Where are you located?

 

[SP1525]

Wow! Never expected that this tree can die all of a sudden without showing any signs after thriving 6 months in care. I am located in NJ and we had a hot July however this tree was adequately watered (not more or less) and at the same location as it was since beginning of Summer. Now the challenge is to keep it alive. Tips?

 

[Kodama]

It almost looks like it got sprayed with weed killer or something.....hmmmm...I hope you can save it!

 

[penumbra]

Now the challenge is to keep it alive. Tips?

The juniper is completely dead. The green is not life, it just hasn't turned brown yet. I know this is not easy to understand, but for it to look like this it has been dead for at least several weeks. People here can make guesses as to what did it in, but it is not going to be easy to say why based upon the information you have given.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Don't worry about it too much, we've all been there.
These store bought junipers in bonsai pots are usually set up to fail; the soil isn't that good for the long run and they're usually already dying at the time of purchase. The fact that you've kept it green for another six months is a sign of good care. A single hot day could've cooked the roots. A dig whizzing in the pot would also kill it in a couple days.

Luckily you can probably find a bigger specimen in the gardening section outdoors, one that you can hack back to a small tree and you can repot it next spring. Should cost you about 9-20 dollars.
Welcome to the hobby! Now that you've made your first casualty, go ahead and make a couple more! After four or so, you'll probably have the hang of it.

 

[SP1525]

Thank you all for reviewing this. Not happy about the dying tree but ready to take on it. I am glad i came across this community. You guys are terrific!

 

[Japonicus]

Did you repot it?

Where have you kept it?

One possibility though is dog piss if you did not repot it.
It is true, the death of the plant began before it started turning brown
and what green is left is not salvageable. Save for sudden trauma, typically
due to care and lack of experience, junipers remain green some time, even weeks, after they've gone beyond
a saving point. The humidity tray is unnecessary, there's ample organics in the soil used.