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jessica38_gw

My bonsai tree is dying, please help

Jessica38
12 years ago

My bonsai is dying, the leaves are turning brown and I really need help knowing what to do, as this is my very first bonsai tree. I believe my bonsai is a juniper, it didn�t say this on the tag but I have looked at some pictures and that is what it looks like. It came with instructions but I�m not really sure what I am doing wrong. It says�

"Sun exposure- have the plant in the direct morning sun, and filtered afternoon sun, partial shade in desert area. May be taken indoors one or two days a week. In the dessert, you may bring it indoor during the day by the window and bring it out during the summer nights.

Watering- Keep it moist. Soak the bonsai every one or two days (depend on the weather) for twenty minutes each time. Soil cannot be dried out completely.

Feeding- Fertilize 20-9-9 every two to three months except in January and February.

Pruning- Prune anytime by pinching or cutting back new growth as desired. Wires of any kind should be taken off within a year.

Hardiness- Hardy to 20 to 100 degrees F."

I live in Arizona so I am at 7000 ft, which is a lot closer to the sun then the place where I bought it: Phoenix, Arizona at the Chinese Cultural Center. I was watering it everyday at first but I cut that down to every other day when I noticed the brown was spreading and it seemed continually damp. Also I am watering with filtered water because the water in our neighborhood is known for its unreliability and high chlorine levels, but I don�t think the filtered water has high salinity or anything. I was keeping it indoors because I think flagstaff is a semi-desert area, but again, I started to take it outdoors when I noticed the browning. Before that though it lived in a window that got direct sunlight in the morning only. I have not fertilized it in the approximately 2 months I have had it, and I have also not pruned it: if that could be what�s killing it. I have kept it in the right temperature so I don�t think that can be the problem, though for a little while there was an air conditioner blowing on it. The pot is small with two draining holes at the bottom, I have been watering it so that water comes out of the two holes, and it has a large rock sitting on top that was there when I bought it but i do water underneath it. Sorry for all the excess information but I thought maybe it would help, also I�m sorry if I�m missing some extremely obvious problem. I am trying to get a good picture of the tree and put it on the site asap. Thank you for your time.

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