I'm a beginner and my pine bonsai is dying... :(

[steph746]

Hi Everyone,

First post here

About 2-3 months ago my wife gave me a gift of pine bonsai seeds. There were five seeds and a small pot it came with. I planted them all and one took

However, just recently it appears to be dying/wilting/browning some. Attached is a picture of it now. I just purchased this bonsai soil and moved it to a larger pot. It didn't have many solid roots when I transferred it, but I did as best I could to get it situated in the new pot.

I mixed in a little of the original soil, but most of the soil now is this new stuff. It's pretty porous.

Previously I had been watering the soil it came with with a spray bottle to keep the soil moist and a little on the plant itself.

So, I'm hoping that this new soil will help. I probably should have transferred to a larger pot a while ago...

How do you think I'm doing? Is there anything else you might recommend I do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[darzuo]

What do you mean that you were watering with a spray bottle? Were you fully saturating the soil or just dampening the top? Also, where is it being kept?

 

[shimbrypaku]

Please add physical location to your profile, it will help with advice.

Where are you keeping your pine seedling ?

Thanks

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Where are you located? Where is this pine kept?

Watering is the toughest part about starting bonsai. We water fully all the way when we water, and we only water when the tree needs it. Typically when the top 1/3 of the soil is dry. Most pines like to be a little drier so too much water could be bad. Your pine looks either to be watered too little or too much.

They want to be in full sun also. So where you keep it is important.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Does the pot have drainage? Are you watering the soil completely or only the surface? Your tree may be starved for H2O. Is it outdoors where it should be?

 

[Shibui]

Biggest cause of premature pine death is beginners keeping them indoors.
Your location is important - season/ time of year/ local climate.
Indoor/outdoor is very important.
Water and fertiliser schedule is very important.

Please let us know more details of where you have the tree and how you've been caring for it so we can make more informed guesses.

 

[steph746]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm located in Maryland (on the DC border).
My bonsai is kept inside (with sunlight). It's been very hot outside, so I worry about leaving it outside.
The dirt that I purchased is very porous, so it seems that even after I water it a little bit, water will drain from the bottom.
I had been keeping it in a pretty small pot and yesterday moved it to the larger pot with this new soil.

 

[rockm]

Pines die VERY quickly inside. This should be outside immediately where it gets morning sun. Pines are don’t like to be coddled. They need heat cold sun wind and rain to stay healthy. Indoors they don’t get any light (no near the windo and s not nearly enough light compared to the direct sun they need) low humidity forced air is drier than most desert air. Low air circulation. You can’t appproach the equivalent of an outside breeze indoors.

Moving to a larger pot is a bad thing mostly particularly if the new pot is exponentially larger than the previous. The trees roots get overwhelmed by all the additional soil. Where the tree has its roots dries faster than the surrounding soil mass. If that soil masss is big it doesn’t dry out at all and keeps roots wet. That leads to root death. Moving the tree in the active growing season disturbed root function most likely. Leave the tree alone (outside) and monitor soil moisture. Don’t try to “baby” the tree with constant attention.

See what happens I. The next two weeks. You may have futzed around too much with it and it can’t recover or it might. It is what it is.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm located in Maryland (on the DC border). ok

My bonsai is kept inside (with sunlight). This is not ok. Pines require an amount of light not possible to reach under any nornal interior conditions. Also humidity and shift in temps between day and night are physiological markers and cues for the plant. At this point, Id get this pine outside into a partial shaded spot. Then after 2 or 3 weeks move to partial shade, then full sun. This may not be enough light to get the tree healthy this year and maybe it dies but it will definitely not survive inside.

It's been very hot outside, so I worry about leaving it outside. Trees live outside in these conditions. It might need subtle protections occasionally for extremes, but those protections are often as simple as wrapping the pot in a wet cloth or moving to a slightly shadier spot (not normally needed for healthy pines).

The dirt that I purchased is very porous, so it seems that even after I water it a little bit, water will drain from the bottom. That means it needs more water than less. Every day this tree needs to be watered thoroughly.

I had been keeping it in a pretty small pot and yesterday moved it to the larger pot with this new soil. Mid summer repots are death knells for most trees. This alone may have killed this pine. Research proper repot times for future trees.

I anticipate this tree not making it. Id try again with tree seedlings from around your yard and from local nursery stock to familiarize yourself with basic care. If you want a tree that can stay inside all year, try a ficus or tropical varieties. These may still require additional supplemental light. A sunny window inside is still about 50% less light than a partially shaded spot outside and 75% less than full sun.

 

[rockm]

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm located in Maryland (on the DC border).
My bonsai is kept inside (with sunlight). It's been very hot outside, so I worry about leaving it outside.
The dirt that I purchased is very porous, so it seems that even after I water it a little bit, water will drain from the bottom.
I had been keeping it in a pretty small pot and yesterday moved it to the larger pot with this new soil.

If you’re in Maryland and seriously interested in bonsai. Join one of the clubs I. The DMV. Skip the line from seed path for now. It’s not an easy one. Bonsai is not that hard if you understand that keeping them inside is very very difficult. Bonsai are NOT and were never meant to be kept indoors. It an outside activity

 

[steph746]

I understand. Should I keep it in a covered area outside? I worry about a seedling in heavy rain. I’d like to do my best to keep this seedling going.

Would you recommend that I keep the seedling in the new pot that I just transferred it to?

 

[rockm]

I understand. Should I keep it in a covered area outside? I worry about a seedling in heavy rain. I’d like to do my best to keep this seedling going.

Would you recommend that I keep the seedling in the new pot that I just transferred it to?

Keep it out of heavy downpours but it would probably appreciate a steady relatively gentle rain. Place it up off the ground. Pots in the ground are a bad thing as they get backsplash from rain hitting the ground animals like rabbits have easier access to the as well

 

[Wulfskaar]

Trees evolved over millions of years outside. Don't be afraid to put it out. I also started with seeds, and when I put them out in full sun, they bounced back.

 

[blackadam]

Skip the line from seed path for now

good advice, it took me "only" 5 years from seed to 0.4 inch (1 cm) trunk indoors..

 

[Potawatomi13]

I understand. Should I keep it in a covered area outside? I worry about a seedling in heavy rain. I’d like to do my best to keep this seedling going.

Would you recommend that I keep the seedling in the new pot that I just transferred it to?

The root disturbance and damage done into this new pot was a mistake to begin with, DO NOT repot again any time soon even if it survives.