My year around bonsai work in the Inland Empire, CA

my nellie said:

Such a misfortunate thing to happen twice!
I hope the tree will pull through like it did in the past!
What did you do with the opposum? Did you let it free in some distant place?

Click to expand...

bonhe said:

My mistake, my mistake!!
I found this Chinese elm shut down every thing this afternoon! I have let the drip system on it since I was off for vacation in June. Because it is very hot and dry at this time of the year, I let misty and drip system on for almost every trees (I really don't want to have this kind of water when I have enough time to take care the trees. Because it is too hot for me to stay outside more than 30 minutes in the afternoon, I'd rather let the automatic water system help me out)

The reason for this elm has severe dehydration is that the head of misty system had a direction change to outside of the pot instead of aiming to the soil! I believe the opossum passed through this area and pull of the water line led to this pot! I caught a big opossum yesterday

View attachment 204579 View attachment 204580

All of its dry leaves are easily came off with slight touch by tool. I removed all of the leaves and unnecessary branchlets.
View attachment 204581 View attachment 204582
Luckily, the branches are still soft. I watered the tree vigorously and placed it in the "recovery room".
View attachment 204583
I hope it will survive as it did few years ago (it had the same problem while I was on summer vacation). This elm is one of my first trees given to me when I was just involved into the bonsai hobby 11 years ago!
Thụ Thoại

Click to expand...

my nellie said:

Really big it was!

Click to expand...

coh said:

Opposums are nasty critters! We had one that was living in a box in our barn, when I pulled it out that thing snarled and hissed at me something awful! Fortunately he stayed in the box, though.

Click to expand...

Riversedgebonsai said:

Wishing the best for your Elm! This post makes me nervous as i observed a mother raccoon and three kittens pass through my Bonsai Nursery the other day! Watering systems require constant checking despite their benefit. At least they were not attracted to my organic fertilizer. I thank the Neem Meal base for that aspect.

Click to expand...

bonhe said:

My teacher has been growing this J. procumbens nana for about 30 years. Its whole life is in container.
View attachment 205655

It was pruned yesterday. I plan to style it as the literati.
View attachment 205656

Jin was made
View attachment 205657

Because it is so weak due to severe root bound, I just added on the new soil to the pot (it is too hot and dry to do transplant at this time). I plan to graft Itoigawa shimpaku on it when it is healthy.
Thụ Thoại

Click to expand...

bonhe said:

... ...The pruned shoots were tamped with a hammer and soaked into the tap water.
... ...6 hours later, the water with crushed tamarix soaked into, has pH slightly less alkaline than the tap water. It is as my expectation.
I will continue let it be for 24 more hours and see what happen...

Click to expand...

my nellie said:

So, what are the results after the soaking, Bonhe?
Are you going to use the tamarix water? (like willow water)
Thank you.

Click to expand...

bonhe said:

But wait, I was surprised when I checked its pH yesterday. It is completely opposite at this time. The tamarix liquid pH is ~ 8 now! What is happening here? I think I know the answer, but I have no way to check it out!!!

Click to expand...

0soyoung said:

I would immediately suspect it was because of whatever you soaked in the tamarix water, but as nearly as I can tell, you put tamarix cuttings in the tamarix water in which case it makes no sense to me.

What's the hypothesis about the cause?

Click to expand...

0soyoung said:

I would immediately suspect it was because of whatever you soaked in the tamarix water, but as nearly as I can tell, you put tamarix cuttings in the tamarix water in which case it makes no sense to me.

What's the hypothesis about the cause?

Click to expand...

Mellow Mullet said:

Could be that the tap water has a lot of buffers in it to keep it alkaline.

Click to expand...

bonhe said:

I understand. But why pH of tap water is not alkaline (~7) while pH of tamarix fluid is 8?
Thụ Thoại

Click to expand...