Procumbens Juniper

This juniper was originally a garden plant. It grew well for many years but then suddenly the whole apex died back completely. I couldn't do anything to stop it! I suspect it was an attack of mites which did the damage?

Below is a earlier pic before the disaster (slightly compressed laterally)



Here it is today. I had to wire up a feeble little branch to make a new apex. The rest of the tree was reduced to balance. From now on it will get a regular spray to control any pests.

sorry to hear about the trouble with the tree...
BUT, and i'm not sure yet, but i think i might really dig the lounging lizard deadwood...

(i'm also not sure if i couldn't not be less ambiguous )

Spraying the foliage regularly with a forceful stream of water, from the garden hose, will help to keep the mites to a minimum. Don't know what you use but keep in mind that the very popular insecticide (under various trade names the active ingredient being imadocloprid) does not eliminate mites but can cause mites to increase.) A homemade oil/soap spray works well for me. Miticides are good but very expensive here in the USA.

1 tablespoon of veg oil (or neem oil) with 1 tablespoon of dish detergent (something mild that does not contain a degreaser) in one gallon of water. Shake and spray. Keep the tree out of the sunlight until the oil spray dries thoroughly. Some folks add a capful of rubbing alcohol to the spray bottle. Spray every 5 to 7 days for a total of 3 to 4 applications.

(The spray is OK for junis and pines, some broadleaf evergreens and some deciduous trees. The oil/soap spray cannot be used on maples. I test spray a couple of leaves on most trees before I cover completely. AND they must be kept out of the sun when spraying. Also avoid spraying on very hot days. The rule of thumb is 80 degrees F or higher but I have sprayed on days higher than 80 after first letting the plant cool in a shaded humid spot. I would avoid spraying altogether over 90 degrees F.)

Mites can really hurt a juniper and this approach has worked for me. Remember to spray, spray, spray with your garden hose.

Good luck,

Augustine

I really dig this tree. It is of no comfort,but, you should be able to grow another crown in a few years. Question: How do you get the trunk so smooth? The Procumbens' that I own have rough bark.

Thanks for sharing.
Steve

I think the mites has done you a favour Michael.

The tree has improved greatly, it is more in balance with the trunk. I love it.

Steve they strip off the bark for exhibition purposes.

I use a systemic insecticide on conifers in winter when mites overwinter in them. Koinor to be specific. It lasts for months on end. Actually I use it for all infestation prevention, on all plants except the edibles...

Love and Light

steveb wrote:I really dig this tree. It is of no comfort,but, you should be able to grow another crown in a few years. Question: How do you get the trunk so smooth?  The Procumbens' that I own have rough bark.

Thanks for sharing.
Steve

I'm still not sure if i like the practice of cleaning the bark but I do it because evreyone else does it. It certainly increases the contrast between the live and dead parts.
You just lift the loose bits off with a blade then scrup the rest with a stiff brush making sure not to injure the cambium layer. The Japanese say it speeds thickening. I'm not sure.

I am not sure how long you have been doing bonsai but you seem to have a talent for it.  With that kind of gift it is easy to get a swell head and a pompous attitude that can lead to disaster a short distance down the road.  However that talent can lead you to great things where you can learn to march to our own drummer.  Lesson would be a good thing for you but be careful you do not become a clone of some other talent.  Keep your own identity. Don't do anything because every body does it, nobody grows by doing the same thing without thinking.

With that kind of gift it is easy to get a swell head and a pompous attitude that can lead to disaster a short distance down the road.

After 30 years I pretty much past the ''swollen head stage''. (that was about the 10 year mark ) It has taken me this long to realize how much I still have to learn.

 However that talent can lead you to great things where you can learn to march to our own drummer.

Agreed. What I meant by ''doing it because everyone else does'' is that I can see the advantages of both. (And there are only two options) On the one hand the tree can have a more wild ''untouched'' look about it if the bark is not peeled. On the other hand, without cleaning, there comes a time when it becomes difficult to distiguish between the live and dead wood. So at the moment I lean toward the cleaning as without it, such junipers would be overlooked when side by side with others at a show.[/quote]

It really comes down to being comfortable in your own skin and wanting to say with your creations, what you want to say, regardless of what others say about them.    That does not mean you should be an in your face kind of guy, you should consider criticism for its value, not just accept or reject out of hand. As to the bark issue; that's a hard one. Part of the beauty in a Juniper bonsai is that contrast between the color of the living life line and the starkness of the bleached out dead wood. Unfortunately, and I hve been down this road, forgetting to dress the bark and the life line is usually followed by forgetting to clean and dress the dead wood. In the end the power of that contrast is lost and you may wind up with a less than dynamic tree.