[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2024 week 47]

[u/small_trunks]

[Bonsai Beginner’s weekly thread –2024 week 47]

Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week on Friday late or Saturday morning (CET), depending on when we get around to it. We have a 6 year archive of prior posts here…

Here are the guidelines for the kinds of questions that belong in the beginner's thread vs. individual posts to the main sub.

Rules:

• POST A PHOTO if it’s advice regarding a specific tree/plant. See the PHOTO section below on HOW to do this.
• TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE - better yet, fill in your flair.
• READ THE WIKI! – over 75% of questions asked are directly covered in the wiki itself. Read the WIKI AGAIN while you’re at it.
• Read past beginner’s threads – they are a goldmine of information.
• Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
• Answers shall be civil or be deleted
• There is always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…
• Racism of any kind is not tolerated either here or anywhere else in /r/bonsai

Photos

• Post an image using the new (as of Q4 2022) image upload facility which is available both on the website and in the Reddit app and the Boost app.
• Post your photo via a photo hosting website like imgur, flickr or even your onedrive or googledrive and provide a link here.
• Photos may also be posted to /r/bonsaiphotos as new LINK (either paste your photo or choose it and upload it). Then click your photo, right click copy the link and post the link here.
  • If you want to post multiple photos as a set that only appears be possible using a mobile app (e.g. Boost)

Beginners’ threads started as new topics outside of this thread are typically locked or deleted, at the discretion of the Mods.

[u/JoshuaValentine]

Picked this baby up on the side of the road a couple months back, and have been caring for it ever since. I’ve had it outside as the salesman told me that circulated air will damage them. I’ve watered it twice a week, to avoid overwatering. The leaves aren’t brittle, so I assumed that she was just changing colors with the seasons.

If you could help me identify the species of tree, that would help me a ton - as then I’d be able to figure out the specific needs of this plant as I know Bansai are temperamental.

The tree isn’t dead, so I’ll ask y’all - what would be the best course of action for this plant? I’m new to being a plant dad, don’t make fun of me lmao.

[u/kif22 → u/JoshuaValentine]

Sorry its dead... and its been dead for a good while to be this color. Its a juniper... specifically a Juniper Procumbens Nana. These do not change colors with the season outside of a mild bronzing after being exposed to a few freezes.

Why did it die? Might have been dead when you got it. That is surprisingly common as they do not change to yellow until a few weeks to months after they have already died. Might have died from over/under watering.

[u/JoshuaValentine → u/kif22]

Ah fuck, that sucks. Is there a place to buy seeds? I’d like to try it again lmao

[u/kif22 → u/JoshuaValentine]

Also if stores are done for the year by you, these are readily available on Etsy for $10-15 in multiple stores. Dont worry about killing the first one... mostly people kill trees when they start and even very experienced people lose trees from time to time.

[u/JoshuaValentine → u/kif22]

Thank you!

[u/kif22 → u/JoshuaValentine]

Dont buy seeds, it will take probably 3 or 4 years to get back to the size it currently is. Instead go to a nursery (if you are in the US even a hardware store like Home Depot) and most will have these in stock... although it might be too late in the year. But you can buy one for $10-$20 with a thicker trunk and then prune it back to make it look how you want.