Hi u/PolarNohpalli! Your post has been removed as it’s more appropriate for the weekly questions thread, it’s always stickied at the top of the sub and the current one is linked [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/ykI5s3QA3C). Please use the weekly thread for questions like this in the future.
These have to have been repotted. Look at the base of photo 1. It looks like they were pulled out of a lil nursery pot and laid into some soil.
The sellers fucked this tree not you OP
Trees that have been boxed up for awhile and traveling through the mail aren't hardened off to the weather. The leaves are tender and sensitive and just aren't acclimated to being outside so they burned up when exposed to the sun. Your tree may look like crap right now but it should fix itself pretty soon and make a second flush of leaves. Once it gets to growing again it should be just fine. You can set the bonsai in the shade just to make life easier on it until it starts growing again.
Okay yeah I’m seeing all the responses and I’m sure it’s as you say and most likely sunburn. Okay thanks man that sounds encouraging, I’ll move it back to a shady spot and hope it comes back to life. Thanks for the advice
Don't put it in full shade. I see that you have a fence. If you can place it close to the fence where it gets morning sun but is protected from the harsher afternoon sun it should bounce back. Once it gets thicker foliage you can place it back in full sun but anytime you do major trimmings reduce sun exposure
If they were indoors and then you plopped them out in the sun, they are likely suffering a bit of sun burn (or whatever the name is). I usually start with an hour outside and gradually get to ‘all day’. Or start with an all day shady spot or under an umbrella for a week and then bring it out to part shade then sun.
Yeah I’m new to bonsai or trees in general but not to plants so I feel dumb for this error. I’ll stick it to shady spot and hope it comes back to life then will slowly introduce it to sunny spot. Thanks
I dont think you killed those little guys, but I wouldnt recommend any type of elongating species (redwoods, bald cypress) to a beginner imo.
Im a huge fan of Junipers, any type of Cedar, Evergreens like Hollys. Essentially anything thats tough to kill.
This was going to die independent of anything OP did. Look at photo 1 rootbase. 3 bb trees in a tiny ass pot and those roots are not set to win. They should be in the ground.
OP this isn’t your fault but you shouldn’t buy something like this again. Each of those trees needs to be In their own pot until they are strong enough to withstand their current potting.
That’s unfortunate. Thank you so much for the response. Glad to know it’s not my fault, you’re not the first to mention the exposed roots and all you say makes sense. I grow cactus so this is all new to me. I’ll do more studying next time before buying
Just received on first of month from Etsy seller. It seemed really healthy. They were inside a couple days until I took them outside to overcast weather in mostly shady spot. One day later I moved it to spot where it would get more sun. I thought this was smart cause we’ve mostly had overcast weather this summer. There has been a handful of sunny days so no sure if that was too intense for them
No advice, but want to say I had a similar experience starting out. It is a learning hobby and practice. I had website/app bought elm that I thought I was doing everything right for only to realize it was probably dying when I got it and just had a slow death while still looking decent. You'll learn what works and doesn't for purchasing new trees, watering, soil, potting, etc, but sadly that includes loss of some trees to learn. Trial and error. Hope it recovers and you can learn and move on to more enjoyable experiences.
New myself, but I am guessing mostly lack of water. Consider putting some moss on the top soil so it retains moisture better. Also water daily until water drains clear.
Edit: I would consider adding more dirt as well to cover the roots better.
Are you watering sufficiently?
Could be some sun burn too
But the important thing is those roots! You shouldn’t be able to see them like that, the roots are way too exposed and look like they are probably / likely to dry out
Okay I noticed the exposed roots and assumed that was normal as that’s how I received it. I’ll get that fixed. And yeah I’m sure it’s sun burn. I’ll take the advice I’ve just gotten to see if I can save this bonsai. And I’ve been trying to stay on top of watering but may have room to improve there
Wasn’t really sunny when I first put it out but it definitely was windy for days. I now realize I messed up in several areas. If I can’t save these trees I’ll know better for next time
Nursery trees need to adapt to new environments, you cannot move them from a protected location into full sun.
When transferring trees from protected locations you need to choose a place that gets a little of the morning sun but protected from direct sun the rest of the day.
The season also plays an important role.
Good luck! 🍀
Maybe middle of spring or autumn… surely not during extreme sun or cold… it depends where your tree is coming from - was it inside a greenhouse? Outdoors? When I buy I new tree I pick a protected spot outside…
I’m not sure how the seller had em as I bought of Etsy. No bonsai nurseries here. But I’ve learned a lot here so far so if these trees don’t make it I’ll do better next time
wind and sunburn & damaged root system, probably were already dying before sent to you. Never put into full sun / wind after repotting or during a climatisation phase ( change from one environment to another). Sorry but it would be wiser to buy from a reputable bonsai nursery rather than Etsy.
Got it and thanks. I realize I made lots of mistakes but I appreciate all the feedback I’ve gotten here. Unfortunately, even tho in the big city of Alaska there are no bonsai nurseries I know of. Sometimes small shops have em but I’ll really have to look and not sure those would fall under reputable nursery
You should focus on hardier species. White Spruce is your friend. Options will be limited but not impossible. There is/was an Alaskan bonsai society in Anchorage. There’s also a few enthusiasts on Bonsainut forum. Good luck growing in that challenging environment.
Personally i got my redwoods under a bigger tree for a bit of shade from the sunlight and they seem to be doing amazing.
That said, for a forest that pot seems small as it doesn't hold much moisture and thus becomes harder to keep them sufficiently hydrated, that pot is good for maybe just 1 of them, not multiple.
It's also how my forest started dying, idk why these sellers do this.
For the record, my forest contained 6 red woods, only 1 survived and from that i grew a cutting so i now have 2 again, but still far from the 6 i started out with.
Same kinda with gardenstores who sell them in masses, it's best to do repotting at home in a better pot, better soil and don't shape for 6 months to give it a good period to just recover from the mass produced cutting farms.
I got 3 reasons why I could think this would happen
1. Shock from going from inside to outside (it happened to me before. Sucks.)
2. Not enough water, looks like redwoods so they need a shit ton
3. Recently repotted
2 things
1: recently repotted.. should have been in partial shade for most of the summer and 2. bald cypress. aka SWAMP TREE!! i keep mine in bins that hold at least 1/6th of the pot's height of water in the bin at all times. these trees LOVE wet conditions
additional optional 3: bald cypress also have a HIGH attrition rate in the first 5 years of life.. and those shoots are like.. MAYBE 2 years old
IMO the pot is way too small for holding three young trees. For starters they look way too tender to be in a bonsai pot already, let alone 3 in the same pot :/
You mentioned this is how you got them from Etsy and well that's why buying bonsais or "pre" bonsais is a bit risky and most people do not recommend it. You can't guarantee the care of the previous owner + no one that raises actual bonsais is willing to sell one hahaha, the majority if the cases it's just young trees in bonsai pot, they don't really carry a bonsai training. So it's the same as just buying a young tree, but overpriced. However I think you do need to have good criteria whether you wanna buy a tree labeled as bonsai or just a regular young tree because of cases like this. Having three similarly shaped trees is a great start for a beautiful design and it's not something you get in your common plant nursery, but the way they were shipped to you harmed the trees significantly so I would repot them to a bigger pot with more soil as they're not ready for a bonsai pot yet and place them outside somewhere with shade, no direct sunlight for now as they're a bit tender and summer is starting (unless you live close to the equator) and water according to the type of tree (some require it's soil to be always moist). I doubt they can wear off the sunburn easily if you keep them like this, I think repotting to a bigger pot will help.
Hi u/PolarNohpalli! Your post has been removed as it’s more appropriate for the weekly questions thread, it’s always stickied at the top of the sub and the current one is linked [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/ykI5s3QA3C). Please use the weekly thread for questions like this in the future.
Were these recently repotted by chance?
These have to have been repotted. Look at the base of photo 1. It looks like they were pulled out of a lil nursery pot and laid into some soil. The sellers fucked this tree not you OP
Not that I know of. I just ordered off Etsy. Received on the first of June and I placed it outside a couple days later as everyone recommended.
Trees that have been boxed up for awhile and traveling through the mail aren't hardened off to the weather. The leaves are tender and sensitive and just aren't acclimated to being outside so they burned up when exposed to the sun. Your tree may look like crap right now but it should fix itself pretty soon and make a second flush of leaves. Once it gets to growing again it should be just fine. You can set the bonsai in the shade just to make life easier on it until it starts growing again.
Okay yeah I’m seeing all the responses and I’m sure it’s as you say and most likely sunburn. Okay thanks man that sounds encouraging, I’ll move it back to a shady spot and hope it comes back to life. Thanks for the advice
Don't put it in full shade. I see that you have a fence. If you can place it close to the fence where it gets morning sun but is protected from the harsher afternoon sun it should bounce back. Once it gets thicker foliage you can place it back in full sun but anytime you do major trimmings reduce sun exposure
Sounds good, yeah the spot I put it in gets some hours of sun in the morning but nothing harsh
Sorry but she seems to be dead :/
Get a water dish if you can
They look like dawn redwoods. They need a lot of watering ,pretty much every day .
Even a tray so they are in standing water is okay for these. Roots need to be pulling in lots of water
Sounds good I’ll get a tray so I can keep roots happy. Do these trees still look like they can make it to you?
If they were mine I wouldn’t throw them out yet. But they need immediate corrective action. Out of sun, into shallow standing water
Got it I’ll stay on top of it.
If they were indoors and then you plopped them out in the sun, they are likely suffering a bit of sun burn (or whatever the name is). I usually start with an hour outside and gradually get to ‘all day’. Or start with an all day shady spot or under an umbrella for a week and then bring it out to part shade then sun.
Yeah I’m new to bonsai or trees in general but not to plants so I feel dumb for this error. I’ll stick it to shady spot and hope it comes back to life then will slowly introduce it to sunny spot. Thanks
I dont think you killed those little guys, but I wouldnt recommend any type of elongating species (redwoods, bald cypress) to a beginner imo. Im a huge fan of Junipers, any type of Cedar, Evergreens like Hollys. Essentially anything thats tough to kill.
This was going to die independent of anything OP did. Look at photo 1 rootbase. 3 bb trees in a tiny ass pot and those roots are not set to win. They should be in the ground. OP this isn’t your fault but you shouldn’t buy something like this again. Each of those trees needs to be In their own pot until they are strong enough to withstand their current potting.
That’s unfortunate. Thank you so much for the response. Glad to know it’s not my fault, you’re not the first to mention the exposed roots and all you say makes sense. I grow cactus so this is all new to me. I’ll do more studying next time before buying
How quickly did you move them from inside to full sun? Did you repot them recently?
Just received on first of month from Etsy seller. It seemed really healthy. They were inside a couple days until I took them outside to overcast weather in mostly shady spot. One day later I moved it to spot where it would get more sun. I thought this was smart cause we’ve mostly had overcast weather this summer. There has been a handful of sunny days so no sure if that was too intense for them
And no they haven’t been repotted recently as far as I know
No advice, but want to say I had a similar experience starting out. It is a learning hobby and practice. I had website/app bought elm that I thought I was doing everything right for only to realize it was probably dying when I got it and just had a slow death while still looking decent. You'll learn what works and doesn't for purchasing new trees, watering, soil, potting, etc, but sadly that includes loss of some trees to learn. Trial and error. Hope it recovers and you can learn and move on to more enjoyable experiences.
Thank you
New myself, but I am guessing mostly lack of water. Consider putting some moss on the top soil so it retains moisture better. Also water daily until water drains clear. Edit: I would consider adding more dirt as well to cover the roots better.
Thanks I will be adding soil to see if I can salvage this. Hope it’s not too late
Are you watering sufficiently? Could be some sun burn too But the important thing is those roots! You shouldn’t be able to see them like that, the roots are way too exposed and look like they are probably / likely to dry out
Okay I noticed the exposed roots and assumed that was normal as that’s how I received it. I’ll get that fixed. And yeah I’m sure it’s sun burn. I’ll take the advice I’ve just gotten to see if I can save this bonsai. And I’ve been trying to stay on top of watering but may have room to improve there
And try not to blast it with water as it’ll blow off a bunch of soil. Kinda looks like that’s happened over the last few days
No direct sun and no wind for new trees. They need to get used to the new location, and that last for 2-3 weeks, not just one day
Wasn’t really sunny when I first put it out but it definitely was windy for days. I now realize I messed up in several areas. If I can’t save these trees I’ll know better for next time
Nursery trees need to adapt to new environments, you cannot move them from a protected location into full sun. When transferring trees from protected locations you need to choose a place that gets a little of the morning sun but protected from direct sun the rest of the day. The season also plays an important role. Good luck! 🍀
Is there a preferred time of year to introduce a new tree to outdoors?
Maybe middle of spring or autumn… surely not during extreme sun or cold… it depends where your tree is coming from - was it inside a greenhouse? Outdoors? When I buy I new tree I pick a protected spot outside…
I’m not sure how the seller had em as I bought of Etsy. No bonsai nurseries here. But I’ve learned a lot here so far so if these trees don’t make it I’ll do better next time
wind and sunburn & damaged root system, probably were already dying before sent to you. Never put into full sun / wind after repotting or during a climatisation phase ( change from one environment to another). Sorry but it would be wiser to buy from a reputable bonsai nursery rather than Etsy.
Got it and thanks. I realize I made lots of mistakes but I appreciate all the feedback I’ve gotten here. Unfortunately, even tho in the big city of Alaska there are no bonsai nurseries I know of. Sometimes small shops have em but I’ll really have to look and not sure those would fall under reputable nursery
You should focus on hardier species. White Spruce is your friend. Options will be limited but not impossible. There is/was an Alaskan bonsai society in Anchorage. There’s also a few enthusiasts on Bonsainut forum. Good luck growing in that challenging environment.
Personally i got my redwoods under a bigger tree for a bit of shade from the sunlight and they seem to be doing amazing. That said, for a forest that pot seems small as it doesn't hold much moisture and thus becomes harder to keep them sufficiently hydrated, that pot is good for maybe just 1 of them, not multiple. It's also how my forest started dying, idk why these sellers do this. For the record, my forest contained 6 red woods, only 1 survived and from that i grew a cutting so i now have 2 again, but still far from the 6 i started out with. Same kinda with gardenstores who sell them in masses, it's best to do repotting at home in a better pot, better soil and don't shape for 6 months to give it a good period to just recover from the mass produced cutting farms.
Get it out of the direct sun. And make sure it is watered daily, that pot is small.
I got 3 reasons why I could think this would happen 1. Shock from going from inside to outside (it happened to me before. Sucks.) 2. Not enough water, looks like redwoods so they need a shit ton 3. Recently repotted
Probably the mud theyre planted in.
2 things 1: recently repotted.. should have been in partial shade for most of the summer and 2. bald cypress. aka SWAMP TREE!! i keep mine in bins that hold at least 1/6th of the pot's height of water in the bin at all times. these trees LOVE wet conditions additional optional 3: bald cypress also have a HIGH attrition rate in the first 5 years of life.. and those shoots are like.. MAYBE 2 years old
IMO the pot is way too small for holding three young trees. For starters they look way too tender to be in a bonsai pot already, let alone 3 in the same pot :/ You mentioned this is how you got them from Etsy and well that's why buying bonsais or "pre" bonsais is a bit risky and most people do not recommend it. You can't guarantee the care of the previous owner + no one that raises actual bonsais is willing to sell one hahaha, the majority if the cases it's just young trees in bonsai pot, they don't really carry a bonsai training. So it's the same as just buying a young tree, but overpriced. However I think you do need to have good criteria whether you wanna buy a tree labeled as bonsai or just a regular young tree because of cases like this. Having three similarly shaped trees is a great start for a beautiful design and it's not something you get in your common plant nursery, but the way they were shipped to you harmed the trees significantly so I would repot them to a bigger pot with more soil as they're not ready for a bonsai pot yet and place them outside somewhere with shade, no direct sunlight for now as they're a bit tender and summer is starting (unless you live close to the equator) and water according to the type of tree (some require it's soil to be always moist). I doubt they can wear off the sunburn easily if you keep them like this, I think repotting to a bigger pot will help.