Hi, it would have been better if you'd give your approximate location so we know how intense the sun is there, but considering the tree might not have been in full sun all day, or at midday, it might have been better to acclimate it to being there now over 10 days, saving the hottest times for last, possibly with something white (a tile) against the pot to keep roots cool, rather than watering so often (what I believe is the definite cause of your problem), especially if the tree came in what it usually does - potting soil full of peat, which holds water forever rather than letting it drain out immediately as a proper gritty bonsai mix would. Junipers like hot, dry climates, if not little bonsai pots, and learning when to water is the first thing to learn about bonsai, though other trees may want water more often of course. It's always better to let more of the soil (if not a mostly grit mix) dry between times than otherwise. Hard to say from the pix whether yours will survive or not.

I think lucy said it well.
I went to lowes / home depot and bought a 18" tile, buy what ever size that will cover the pot plus hang over the edge of the pot a few inches on each side (if the plant was not there). I then set the tile on a flat concrete surface. I then took a hammer and struck the tile in the center. This caused the tile to break in about 3 large pieces. Then I piece the tile back together and now have a hole in the center, if the hole is not big enough I chipped away to make the hole large enough for the trunk of the tree. Now I piece the tile back together on the pot with the plant in it. This will shade and keep the soil / roots cool in the heat of the summer. The cracks and the hole in the middle will let water in so you can water it. Just remember to buy a white tile so it doesnÂt heat up.

Your best bet would be to let the plants soil to dry out all the way, junipers hate wet feet and they die quickly from root rot. Over watering will kill a juniper quicker than under watering it.

Is that what Lucy said?

I don't particularly think so.

I believe her suggestion is to lean a tile "against the pot," not *inside* of the pot on top of the soil, if I read that correctly.

If the container is inexpensive, you could spray-paint the outside a lighter color (just be careful not to spray your plant!); or, you could wrap the container in reflective white contact-paper (one adhesive side). My sister did this with her habañero pepper, so it could stay in its black plastic pot and yet sit in full sun.

Josh

I just stated that lucy said it well. I then added my thoughs which are slightly different.
You dont put the broken tile on the soil, you put it on the lip of the pot. That method has worked very well for me in the Florida sun.

I am also having problems with my bonsai.It is a juniper.When I bought it,the guy told me to keep it wet,and I have.But now after I have hadn it for about 6 months,it just looks dry and the greenery is brittle.Coud it be dead or is it still savable?

Read your other post.

Do NOT go by the 'care instructions' that come with plants or trees - 99% of the time they're garbage and worse than nothing at all. Keeping it 'wet' was the worst thing for a juniper but there's more to it than that, so next time do your research before spending, starting with basics at www.bonsai4me.com. While I believe Eplina means well, her link is unfortunately not a very good place to find out about bonsai and reminds me of those tags - too general, and with just plain wrong stuff in there.

I've done bonsai for about twenty years, and juniper are one of the toughest. They sell them in big box stores and don't tell you that they are really OUTDOOR plants and won't do well inside. Even outside, they are pretty picky and I've had a fair amount of grief with them. Inside, I think they are damn nigh impossible to keep looking good.

Sorry . . .

Bonsai Clubs International Juniper care instructions:

Here is a link that might be useful: Bonsai Clubs International Juniper Care

Any set of instructions that says to "spray the foliage" of an outdoor tree is suspect as far as I'm concerned, so I wouldn't necessarily put a lot of stock in that particular info, even if it comes from a supposedly reputable place.