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ill start this off by saying im rly fucking bad at keeping plants alive. i have killed 5 succulents to date.
however, i have had this bonsai tree for a year now and i am very attached to it. his name is basquiat after one of my favorite painters. he is not looking so well. his little leaves are slowly turning yellowish and i need help desperately.
any advice from someone with a green thumb is appreciated.
You're almost certainly over-watering. Especially if you managed to kill succulents before, I'd say you're keeping plants too wet. What are your watering habits?
The best watering advice for pretty much any house plant, with some exceptions, is to make sure the soil dries out completely between watering. Then when you do water give it a good soak. You could use a moisture meter to make sure it's dry before watering or you could just get a feel for how heavy it is when it's dry so you'll know by picking it up.
VinnieFYou're almost certainly over-watering. Especially if you managed to kill succulents before, I'd say you're keeping plants too wet. What are your watering habits?The best watering advice for pretty much any house plant, with some exceptions, is to make sure the soil dries out completely between watering. Then when you do water give it a good soak. You could use a moisture meter to make sure it's dry before watering or you could just get a feel for how heavy it is when it's dry so you'll know by picking it up.
ive been watering according to my internet research. i was at first submerging it up to the roots in water and letting soak for an hour. i later found this was counter productive.
since then i have been watering it by hand every 2 days. i always feel the roots and dirt on those days and i will wait to water it if the dirt still feels saturated.
i keep my window open at night and its on my windowsill, i know it can get pretty cool here in colorado overnight sometimes. maybe i should move it away from the window so its warmer during the night?
Pigeon.ive been watering according to my internet research. i was at first submerging it up to the roots in water and letting soak for an hour. i later found this was counter productive.since then i have been watering it by hand every 2 days. i always feel the roots and dirt on those days and i will wait to water it if the dirt still feels saturated.
i keep my window open at night and its on my windowsill, i know it can get pretty cool here in colorado overnight sometimes. maybe i should move it away from the window so its warmer during the night?
Watering every 2 days is certainly too frequent. I'm 99% sure your issue is over-watering. Touching the top of the soil or even poking your finger down a bit is not a good gauge of how moist the soil actually is. You want it to dry right out completely between watering.
Get yourself something like this. You can probably get one for 5 or 10 bucks and it will save you many plants. Poke it in to about midway down the soil (not directly next to the pot edge) and if it's anything above the red don't water. Especially for a juniper which tend to favour very well drained soils and do not like to have their feet wet.
Do you know more specifically what kind of juniper it is? I can't think of any that would have an issue with cool summer nights. They're all very hardy plants, even those which grow in more subtropical climates. There are junipers native to Colorado which can survive winters much more harsh than what you get there. I think creeping juniper grows in Colorado and it's found way up above the Arctic circle in places that are below -40 on a regular basis and reach -50 or below in most years.
VinnieFWatering every 2 days is certainly too frequent. I'm 99% sure your issue is over-watering. Touching the top of the soil or even poking your finger down a bit is not a good gauge of how moist the soil actually is. You want it to dry right out completely between watering.
This. Unless the pot is absolutely tiny you probably won't want to water more than weekly.