random die back on juniper
- Thread starter potatofarmer
- Start date
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Where have you been keeping it? What has been your watering regiment? Have you made any significant changes in placement? What is it planted in? Have you repotted it recently?
potatofarmer
Mame
its been in the same place on my deck. i did ramp up the watering because it's starting to get warm.
i actually planted it in some spagnum moss around the roots then the outside is pumice, lava rocks and some soil. the repotting was done over a year ago.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Spray bottle? Is that how you water?
Water needs to flow right through the soil whenever you water. Not enough water means limited air exchange and build up of toxic substances in the soil. Water moving through the soil flushes out bad and drags in good. Light spray is never enough.
Overwatering is when the soil is soggy for weeks on end. Good watering wets soil thoroughly but then allows the soil to get almost dry before another good flush.
I don't like the sound of sphagnum around the roots. Sphagnum holds a lot of water and will stay wet for a long time. Outer pumice/lava will get dry quick and require water while inner sphagnum is still wet. Completely different components in a pot can cause problems because of different drying time and moisture holding. Much better to use a similar mix all through the pot so you can better judge soil moisture and water accordingly.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
This is not random die-back. This is a complete dying of the growing tips. Tipically this means you have let the rootball dry out.
When watering, flush-water the whole pot.
When watering, flush-water the whole pot.
potatofarmer
Mame
hmm so why did the die back coincide with the weather getting cold and i also watered it a lot? there is no drainage holes in this pot so i do need to be careful.
i also thought junipers dont like being too wet.
i used the moss because it was dying because it was initially planted in pure pumice basically. so i was reviving it. and it worked beautifully until recently.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
This is combination is a death sentence. Juniper dont like being "wet" but loooove moist airy open soils. In a pot with no drainage, if you water them heavy, then mist them as well, and the weather is cool/cold, the water is sitting in the pot creating anaerobic conditions as the tree isnt transpiring the water. Bad combo and basically setting yourself up for root rot.
If you had a freezing cold snap after the tender buds started to break, could be frost burn. Could also be a fungal issue with the temp swings. Could spray with some mancozeb to be safe.
I wouldn't think misting the foliage would really be necessary in Vancouver. I only wet the foliage of my junipers when A: The roots are compromised and I'm trying to preserve hydration by slowing transpiration. B: I want to flush out spidermites.
I wouldn't think misting the foliage would really be necessary in Vancouver. I only wet the foliage of my junipers when A: The roots are compromised and I'm trying to preserve hydration by slowing transpiration. B: I want to flush out spidermites.
This is also wise advice. It's okay to put a little sphagnum in your potting mix, but chop it up and spread evenly amongst the pumice/lava. Wrapping the roots with a ball of it like you would an orchid could cause root rot if it stays soggy.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
An old saying in bonsai is "junipers don't like wet feet" ie soil that holds a lot of water
Desert O'Piñon
Omono
If your pot is synthetic, would you be able to drill holes in the bottom for drainage? I don't know whether slip-potting is a viable option, but I'm sure someone does.
potatofarmer
Mame
i repotted it. it looked really dry. maybe the water wasn't going into the soil properly. dont buy miracle grow potting mix. hydrophobic trash soil. pretty sure that was part of my soil mixture.
i also bashed a hole into the bottom of the pot with a trowel.
i also bashed a hole into the bottom of the pot with a trowel.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
once the soil becomes dry, it becomes hydrophobic. One of the benefits of bonsai specific soil mixes is not being hydrophobic.
AshleyMammal
Shohin
I believe 100% that this was a watering issue, as others have said.
Losing nearly all of the new growing tips is bad news for a juniper - but hang in there, keep watering and give it until it’s all completely brown.
We’ve all started this journey in pretty much the same boat as you and any one of us that says they haven’t killed a tree is lying, it’s an important lesson
Losing nearly all of the new growing tips is bad news for a juniper - but hang in there, keep watering and give it until it’s all completely brown.
We’ve all started this journey in pretty much the same boat as you and any one of us that says they haven’t killed a tree is lying, it’s an important lesson
leatherback
The Treedeemer
why do you assume it will die? No reason for it
AshleyMammal
Shohin
Ha, yes, apologies for the perhaps overly pessimistic view, I may have got carried away. I’m not certain of, but I am concerned about, the tree’s possible demise based on:
The loss of 95%+ of new growing tips;
Historical overwatering/underwatering - and the amount of time it takes for a juniper to show distress;
Recent repotting of a weakened tree;
Hydrophobic soil indicating it had dried out significantly.
Having said all that, these needle-type junipers are proper tough and I hope I’m just being overly dramatic!
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