So I decided recently that I wanted to get a bonsai tree for my dorm room when I go back to school this fall. I ended up buying my bonsai from a roadside vendor near where I live. After doing some research i’m almost certain that mine is a Juniper, and have read that they like to be outside and won’t do well inside. I’ve only had the juniper about 5 days or so now and so far have been keeping it inside and watering it with half a cup of water each day like the vendor told me to. For reference I live near Nashville, Tennessee and the tree is potted in an oval pot about the size of a football or so.

I noticed today that lots of the needle branches are starting to turn brown at the base and i’m thinking that it may be a combination of lack of light and maybe overwatering, so I want to move it outside to my back porch, but have read that temperature shocks can kill the tree. So my questions are:

a) is half a cup of water each day overwatering for the pot size?

b) is it safe for me to move it outside right now (inside temp has been around 71 the past 5 days and it is currently like 80-90 outside most days)

Also any other advice would be appreciated!

You are killing this tree!!! It must never be kept inside. Definitely lack of light, but probably too little water, that is not the way to water. You need to read how to look after plants, in this case a tree.

To be honest that’s the reason why I posted here, is to learn, i’ve looked online a lot to try and figure out what the best way to care for the tree is but there’s quite a bit of conflicting information from different sources.

You said you think one problem is under watering, then what amount and frequency do you think would be better for the tree?

Hspive wrote: Then what amount and frequency do you think would be better for the tree?

Put it outside.
Water when the soil feels dry to the touch (stick your finger in the first inch of the soil).

I will venture an assumption that your tree is not in coarse su strate, but in more organic potting composte? You have a double edged sword: too dry, and part of the roots can dry out and dy. Too wet, and the roots can quite litterally, drown and die. This is why most bonsai are in coarser substrate: this you can water till it runs out of the pot. In the long run, tthis is what is easiest to take care of. Coarse, open substrate and water fully, getting the water to run throu the pot.