Shimpaku has some yellowing tips?

[AndrewS1983]

Hello I am fairly new to the art of bonsai and I was given some plants including this shimpaku my friend has been taking care of for 20 years . He gave it to me about 5 months ago and it has done well I haven't done anything to it except water I believe he has it in turface and some sort of loam . I do plan on repotting it in feb. or march? In a better soil ( in my mind) . It has a few ends that are yellowing and I'm wondering is that just because the weather change . I live in Northeast Oklahoma and it's been 50-80 degrees that last couple weeks . Thanks for any advice and if anyone knows of good threads on maintaining shimpaku and pad building They would be appreciated . I've been on here a lil over a year but rarely post , just read . Thanks again

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hello I am fairly new to the art of bonsai and I was given some plants including this shimpaku my friend has been taking care of for 20 years . He gave it to me about 5 months ago and it has done well I haven't done anything to it except water I believe he has it in turface and some sort of loam . I do plan on repotting it in feb. or march? In a better soil ( in my mind) . It has a few ends that are yellowing and I'm wondering is that just because the weather change . I live in Northeast Oklahoma and it's been 50-80 degrees that last couple weeks . Thanks for any advice and if anyone knows of good threads on maintaining shimpaku and pad building They would be appreciated . I've been on here a lil over a year but rarely post , just read . Thanks again

Hi AndrewS,
I am no Juniper expert and hopefully others will chime in here.
My instinctive look at the photos makes me think this one could be a little hungry.
Have you been feeding this regularly over your spring & summer. Also to remember is that if you have had shed loads of RAIN then your bonsai soil won’t hold much if any nutrients (eg leach out of pot whenever it rains or you water it).
If you been doing this feeding etc , then I guess it is something else which others can clarify.
Charles

 

[AndrewS1983]

Hi AndrewS,
I am no Juniper expert and hopefully others will chime in here.
My instinctive look at the photos makes me think this one could be a little hungry.
Have you been feeding this regularly over your spring & summer. Also to remember is that if you have had shed loads of RAIN then your bonsai soil won’t hold much if any nutrients (eg leach out of pot whenever it rains or you water it).
If you been doing this feeding etc , then I guess it is something else which others can clarify.
Charles

I stopped feeding it in late July . Now I'm wondering if I should give it a watering with some miracle grow or something . I have organic fertilizer but I read that u should stop fertilizing in late July . Maybe I should have fed it for September .. hmm

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It looks like it’s been in that pot, or hasn’t had serious root work done in a long time...? It is weak, and the yellow tips could be fungal or physical damage, but not likely a serious problem. Hit it with a fungicide; copper or Daconil.

How’s the soil draining when you water it? Does it pool and take a while to percolate? If so, aerate it with a chopstick clear to the bottom of the pot, every square inch or two, and fill the holes with coarse aggregate.

Don’t prune any foliage. You need it to start producing “runners”again before it’s strong enough for work.

Continue feeding it for the next month or more. I use organic, use what you like.

Keep it in the sunshine and be prepared to water it daily if it’s still as warm there as it is here.

In the spring, you can repot it. Get some help if you’re new, because a thorough and proper repotting is in order.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

I stopped feeding it in late July . Now I'm wondering if I should give it a watering with some miracle grow or something . I have organic fertilizer but I read that u should stop fertilizing in late July . Maybe I should have fed it for September .. hmm

I think I read somewhere also that most trees have a Summer dormancy period where it is too hot to grow so they ‘go to sleep’ until it cools down. So when Summer is over and the nights start cooling off I would be feeding it until end of Autumn ( Oct/Nov your season).
It can’t harm the tree as the roots are still actively happy til the weather turns to poop.
Charles

 

[MrBeto]

I stopped feeding it in late July . Now I'm wondering if I should give it a watering with some miracle grow or something . I have organic fertilizer but I read that u should stop fertilizing in late July . Maybe I should have fed it for September .. hmm

I’m still fertilizing mine with organic sumo cakes. I’ll keep on it until the weather changes.