My wife and I bought a nice juniper a few months ago. We were
told to
water it three times a week (which according to the
instructions we
had, meant submersing the plant up to the base of the trunk pot
and
all for about 5 minutes.), and giving it moderate sunlight.
We tried to do this as much as possible. A few weeks ago, we
noticed
that at the base of some of the branches the leaves were
turning light
brown (not good). We figured we weren't giving it enough light,
and we
tried to correct.
Now, the tree is kind of sickly looking. While still green, it
is
brittle. Reading some more of the literature that came with the
plant,
I found out that we should have been fertilizing it every other
week.
We haven't done that at all.
I hate to answer these messages.
Now that you have been warned, I'm afraid that your tree is dead.
There is a SLIGHT chance that it is not, though, so . . .
1. Do not water again until the soil feels dry. You can keep a
stick ( a broken-off chopstick is fine) jammed into the soil.
Pull it out every morning. If it feels damp, do NOT water that
day. If it feels dry, water. It is best to water from the top
until water runs out of the drainage hole. Let it drain, then
repeat. Then don't water until the stick again feels dry.
2. Be certain the tree is kept outside. Half-day sun (morning
sun is best).
3. It was NOT lack of fertilizer that killed your tree, but a
modest does of fertilizer won't hurt. Use any houseplant
fertilizer, and follow directions. Add the fertilizer on one of
your watering days.
If it keeps on turning brown, there's no hope. Please try again,
and remember, juniper are not indoor trees. If you want an indoor
tree, get a Ficus.
Good luck.
Jim Lewis -
- Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman
************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++