my brothers girl friend got my brother and i both Juniper trees brought them home about a week ago we have both noticed branches turning yellowish in color and starting to turn brown we live in central Illinois any tips or reasons for this occurring we spent good money on them and are kind of upset please help:(

Can you post a picture of the tree so we can take a better look which branches get brown etc.?

If the branches can't get enough sunlight, they will turn brown, it can be that your bonsai is sick, but probably not because you've both the same problem.

Another thing is that it gets brown when he hasn't enough water, or maybe he stands in the full sun (I don't know what kind of climate you have in your country).

The last option is that your trees have kind of 'stress' and need to get used to their new home.

With some photo's it will get a lot easier to see why the branches are turning brown, maybe you can take a photo of the brown branches, and one with the roots, so out of the pot?

I hope this helps a bit!

It's perfectly ok, assuming that Illinois is anything like Indiana. There are several things that could be wrong with it. Obviously the stress of transport is one, and that will wear off with time as your tree adjusts to its new home. Another thing that people tend to forget is that since bonsai have tiny root systems, they don't get as many nutrients from the soil and so need a fertilizer. You need nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous for a healthy plant. Also, your soil might be completely wrong. I'll bet you went for a standard flowerbed mixture, rich and moist and black. That's not good for your tree! You need something loose and gritty, preferably 1/3 dirt, 1/3 clay, and 1/3 sand for good drainage. Also, your container should have a hole in the bottom so that you don't over-water. If you add too much water, your roots can become waterlogged and moldy, killing the tree. You can check for this by lifting the tree out of its pot and checking the roots. Cut off any that are wet and "slimy", then plant your trees outside. Yes, outside, not in those cute little pots you probably have them in. Tiny though they may be, they are still trees, and they still do better in the ground, outside, with all the other trees. It might take up to a year for them to recover, so place them in a partially shaded area that is marked with mulch or is part of a set garden (Far too many trees have been lost to lawnmowers.) and water during periods of no rain. Once the tree lets you know that it's doing ok (you'll know because the dead stuff will either stop growing or drop off. If it doesn't drop off on its own, cut it off with a pair of scissors. Also new green buds will appear) Once your tree is growing again and has a nice mass of leaves, you can return it to the pot. You might have to trim the roots to make it fit, and this is ok as long as you don't trim more than 1/3 of the root mass. You might have to put it in a flowerpot, let it grow back a little, and then trim again before repositioning it in your bonsai pot. The last thing it could be is an infection or infestation. If this is the case, your local garden center can recommend a good fungicide or insecticide. Good luck!