eeeealmo
Mame
Living in California, it's always been my aspiration to grow redwood bonsai, and to grow them well. Around here there are many inspirational examples - both in nature and in bonsai form. Unfortunately, I really can't seem to figure it out, and I am constantly failing without really knowing why. I've had close to a dozen different redwoods of varying caliber - from nursery stock to some of Bob's collected trees - and basically all of them have failed in the same way.
Specifically, the trees will be actively growing with many shoots clearly elongating, when literally within the course of 12 hours shoots will begin to go limp and ultimately fail. This will spread throughout the tree until it has entirely failed.
The following example is the latest casualty exhibiting this behavior. It has been in the same spot in my garden for the entire year; it has been pinched continuously; and grown profusely until last week when this started.
Here is a picture from this morning at 9am. The left half of the tree - which had looked healthy earlier this week - was now totally limp and lifeless. The right side and back of the tree still was rigid and appeared fine.
Here is a closeup of the healthy apex on the right at 9am :
And now, here is a picture of that same apex 5 hours later:
This is effectively how all my other trees have failed, and it seems silly to keep trying at this point because I'm unable to avoid this or learn anything in the process. The most exasperating part of this is the speed at which it collapses. There is no indication whatsoever that anything is wrong, so there is no time to adjust or pivot. It just simply dies immediately.
Some points about this tree :
Specifically, the trees will be actively growing with many shoots clearly elongating, when literally within the course of 12 hours shoots will begin to go limp and ultimately fail. This will spread throughout the tree until it has entirely failed.
The following example is the latest casualty exhibiting this behavior. It has been in the same spot in my garden for the entire year; it has been pinched continuously; and grown profusely until last week when this started.
Here is a picture from this morning at 9am. The left half of the tree - which had looked healthy earlier this week - was now totally limp and lifeless. The right side and back of the tree still was rigid and appeared fine.
Here is a closeup of the healthy apex on the right at 9am :
And now, here is a picture of that same apex 5 hours later:
This is effectively how all my other trees have failed, and it seems silly to keep trying at this point because I'm unable to avoid this or learn anything in the process. The most exasperating part of this is the speed at which it collapses. There is no indication whatsoever that anything is wrong, so there is no time to adjust or pivot. It just simply dies immediately.
Some points about this tree :
- Second year in my garden, repotted april 2022
- Soil mixture is typical 1:1:1 akadama:lavaumice
- It has been getting 7-8 hours of direct sunlight since April
- Watered once a day with RO water on normal days. and twice a day when over 85F
- Osmocote fertilizer every 2 months, and spray with miracid once a week