Redwood Wilting

Sugartree

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I got a redwood bonsai at an auction and it was doing fine for a few days but now it's leaves are starting to wilt and die. The only thing I can thing of that happened is that over the weekend it hit 100 degrees and I wasn't at home to water my trees for 1 day.

Any suggestions about what is going on and what I can do? A picture is attached.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbNu8ivZzo
 

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sorce

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What a difference a day makes!

Welcome to Crazy!

Redwood Wilting sounds like a Matt Damon movie!

Sorce
 

Guy Vitale

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That will happen especially with these guys, keep en eye on the watering and it might bounce back. They can be pretty resilient. Place it in morning sun, shade the rest of the day for a while. When you can easily take off the brittle foliage by hand, do so. If it lives you should see buds forming all over in a few weeks.
 

BeebsBonsai

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Wow, one day really did a number. I assume it was a dry heat as well. Is there any study or someone who works with redwood bonsai that places the pot in a tub of water like some people do with Bald Cypress? I know that redwoods and sequoias are very flood tolerant and like high humidity levels, but I have never seen or heard of anyone trying the tub submersion method with them. Just curious.
 

Guy Vitale

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Wow, one day really did a number. I assume it was a dry heat as well. Is there any study or someone who works with redwood bonsai that places the pot in a tub of water like some people do with Bald Cypress? I know that redwoods and sequoias are very flood tolerant and like high humidity levels, but I have never seen or heard of anyone trying the tub submersion method with them. Just curious.
I wouldn't do this with Redwoods or Sequoias, yes they like damp humid conditions, but in my experience, they don't like to sit in water, these must have a free draining-high water retaining soil and water daily sometimes more. When temps are that high, move them in the shade.
 

BeebsBonsai

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I wouldn't do this with Redwoods or Sequoias, yes they like damp humid conditions, but in my experience, they don't like to sit in water, these must have a free draining-high water retaining soil and water daily sometimes more. When temps are that high, move them in the shade.

Guy, thanks for responding. I just wondered if potentially anyone had tried that method and what their results were. I've heard 100 percent Akadama is a pretty good substrate for redwoods. Is that typically what you use?
 

Guy Vitale

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Guy, thanks for responding. I just wondered if potentially anyone had tried that method and what their results were. I've heard 100 percent Akadama is a pretty good substrate for redwoods. Is that typically what you use?
I'm still playing around with my soils for my Coast Redwoods, Bob Shimon recommended to me 100% Akadama, so if he's saying this, I would pay close attention. This was after one of my Redwoods acquired from him a few years ago suddenly started frying out. I suspect I used too much granular fertilizer directly in the pot, I managed to save the tree by doing an emergency repot, but now my development is back to square one. I currently use a 1:1:1 Boon mix with them, but I need to up my water retention, so next year I'm thinking 3:1:1 Akadama, Pumice, lava mix. My Sequoias get a finer mix of pine bark, decomposed granite, Turface, etc. So long as it retains tons of moisture. These have incredibly fine and sensitive roots, leading to very fussy trees.
 

BeebsBonsai

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I'm still playing around with my soils for my Coast Redwoods, Bob Shimon recommended to me 100% Akadama, so if he's saying this, I would pay close attention. This was after one of my Redwoods acquired from him a few years ago suddenly started frying out. I suspect I used too much granular fertilizer directly in the pot, I managed to save the tree by doing an emergency repot, but now my development is back to square one. I currently use a 1:1:1 Boon mix with them, but I need to up my water retention, so next year I'm thinking 3:1:1 Akadama, Pumice, lava mix. My Sequoias get a finer mix of pine bark, decomposed granite, Turface, etc. So long as it retains tons of moisture. These have incredibly fine and sensitive roots, leading to very fussy trees.

There is an easy way to correct the granular fertilizer clogging up the soil mix. I assume that is what you meant when you said directly in the pot. You can place the granular fertilizer in a teabag and place that on the soil. Then you get the nutrition from the water soluble fertilizer components, but the fertilizer doesn't break down and get clogged in the soil. For sequoias, you would then recommend a 1/8 to 1/16'' particle size? Or is that too small? I've got my seedlings in a Boon Mix with about 1/8-1/4'' particle size. They seem to be thriving. Only two inches tall atm, but thriving, healthy, and growing.
 

Guy Vitale

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There is an easy way to correct the granular fertilizer clogging up the soil mix. I assume that is what you meant when you said directly in the pot. You can place the granular fertilizer in a teabag and place that on the soil. Then you get the nutrition from the water soluble fertilizer components, but the fertilizer doesn't break down and get clogged in the soil. For sequoias, you would then recommend a 1/8 to 1/16'' particle size? Or is that too small? I've got my seedlings in a Boon Mix with about 1/8-1/4'' particle size. They seem to be thriving. Only two inches tall atm, but thriving, healthy, and growing.
I already use the teabag method on most my trees, but the pot my tree was in didn't allow the space for more than 1, also, going by the recommendation that Coast Redwoods like to be heavily feed, I used a granular synthetic fert and mixed it into the top inch or so of soil. I wasn't concerned with clogging the soil, I just think it was too much and too soon after a repot. I went against my normal instinct and routine with this tree and it literally got burned.

I use a finer mix for my Sequoias in general as you really don't want them to dry out, not sure the size, but I would say under a quarter inch is fine and I don't worry too much about the fines (the only tree I do this with). That said I have some 2 year old seedlings that I repotted in Boon mix this spring and they are growing just fine. There's not a lot out there on Sequoia care so a lot of what I do is trial and error, focusing on what not to do when I screw up.
 
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bonsaidave

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I live in Texas with summer heat at 100f and low humidity some days. There really is no substitute for the daily watering. There are some things you can do for one day off. Move everything to shade wrap the pot and over soil with rags or something (light colors). This will keep the moisture in the soil longer. Soak everything right before you leave and first thing when you get back.

Best option spend money on a cheap water timer and some micro sprinklers. Timer can be 40$ , tubing/pipe 20$ for 100 feet, micro sprinklers 10 for 15$, 8 point splitter to connect you tubing 8$.
This is something you can use for years as short term vacation water system. Be sure to set it up a couple days before you leave so you confirm it works and everything gets enough water.

I have been using this for any trips I take and has not failed in 3 years. Money well spent in my book.

Remember too much water might make a tree sick. Not enough water Will kill a tree.

Good luck. I hope you tree pulls through.
 
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Sugartree

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I'm hoping the tree pulls through because I've had it less than 2 weeks! I was reading Colin Lewis Bonsai Survival Manuel and it mentions if a tree is completely dried out it can be saved if sat in a pot of water for half an hour then put in a plastic bag but it doesn't say how long to keep it in a bag. Any one have any suggestions on how long to put it in the bag and if it's a route I should take?

I moved it to only morning sun and have been watering it quite a bit. Should I move to watering it twice a day? It's been pretty warm in California the last two weeks.
 

GGB

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Youch, that tree is gonna look different if/when it comes back from the dead. Mine has never once acted like the heat was a problem but it has never been under watered either. Goodluck man, I'm finding them pretty fun to play around with
 

Sugartree

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Until you see new buds popping (rescued!) or until all the bark is a soupy mess that comes off easily (dead).

Would I keep watering it while it's in the bag? Won't the bag suffocate it?
 

0soyoung

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Would I keep watering it while it's in the bag? Won't the bag suffocate it?
If it is alive, yes, eventually. The metabolism of living cells indeed oxidizes sugars and releases carbon dioxide. But the oxygen levels needed by trees are far less than yours and mine; one is just trying to halt water loss until some buds can develop/push. Within a few weeks it will be obvious; fairly soon if alive, longer to be sure it is dead.

Usually one uses an opaque bag, like a black plastic yard trash bag for this, but it could be a translucent white tall kitchen trash bag or even a clear one. If light can get in, one can leave the tree in the bag until leaves are well developed - photosynthesis combines carbon dioxide and water to make sugars and releases oxygen.
 
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