Another Homeless

[bonsai-max]

Hi there,

during the green waste da, some months ago I found a Ficus,
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/new-arrive-ficus-retusa.58935/

Today I found a Mugo ? pine abandoned in a plastic bag.
The root ball was pretty big and I just put into a big pot with pumice without take out the old soil.
Sadly it's full of white bug and have some black parts also from bugs.
I gave some anti pest.....
I don't think will be never a bonsai, but it's a shame make a compost from this plant....
I keep him far away from my other plants.....
Any suggestion ?
Any suggestion ?

 

[Eckhoffw]

Nice find/rescue!
I would definitely quarantine it for awhile, at least till your confidant that it’s healthy again & free of pests.

 

[Npr90irl]

Burn it. Is it worth killing even one other valuable tree?

 

[Npr90irl]

Soooooo many ways you can spread whatever that has to others. Soooooooo many..

 

[rockm]

That is not worth the effort in killing the sooty mold, white fly, adelgid, root rot issues and those are ones that are visible. This tree isn't worth making into a bonsai which would stress it even more. If you want to save it, plant it in the ground, preferably a few kilometers from your house and landscape. That thing is nasty.

 

[penumbra]

You are courting disaster. IMO, you should never have taken it home.

 

[bonsai-max]

Mhhh I am not so pessimist, I mean, the garden is 300 m2 and I put the plant on the opposite of mine bonsai, it's not ebola, it's some bugs and some fungus. I treated the plant today with the anti bugs and tomorrow with the anti fungus. I don't want to do a bonsai with it, at least not before the next 3 years if it will survive.
I leave in the open field here so bugs are always a problem....
We will see.....

 

[rockm]

Mhhh I am not so pessimist, I mean, the garden is 300 m2 and I put the plant on the opposite of mine bonsai, it's not ebola, it's some bugs and some fungus. I treated the plant today with the anti bugs and tomorrow with the anti fungus. I don't want to do a bonsai with it, at least not before the next 3 years if it will survive.
I leave in the open field here so bugs are always a problem....
We will see.....

Uh, pessimism has nothing to do with it. There are MANY things going on with that pine. I wouldn't want such an infected plant anywhere within a mile of any of my other trees. It is part of the process of getting ANY new plant in your collection to set it apart from other in quarantine for a while, even if no diseases are showing. There are at least three infections/infestations going on here directly visible to the eye. If this were mine, it would be in a burn bin. FWIW, the tree itself doesn't look like it has much of anything to offer for bonsai even if it were healthy.

 

[bonsai-max]

I see the bugs, the black is a fungus because the bugs and the most concern is about the brown needle that for me looks tracheomycosis. But here all these patologies are everywhere

 

[Apex37]

I don’t really understand what you’re arguing here? That these things exist with or without the tree? Maybe? But you’re greatly increasing your risk of bringing in pests/problems into your garden you can’t even see, much less what you can, by keeping this tree.

I mean, don’t listen to everyone and keep the damn tree. This going back and forth arguing over it is pointless. But if I were to see black on a tree like this, it’s immediately going in the green bin or to be burned.

 

[bonsai-max]

Roger

 

[rockm]

I see the bugs, the black is a fungus because the bugs and the most concern is about the brown needle that for me looks tracheomycosis. But here all these patologies are everywhere

Uh, beyond the black fungus and adelgids/aphid infestation that's causing it, the dead tips on numerous branches indicate something more, as does the compacted roots at the top of the root mass. Yeah, there are bugs everywhere, but they're DEFINITELY in this tree and are causing some issues...

 

[penumbra]

On one hand, what have you got to gain by keeping this plant? On the other hand, what have you got to lose?

 

[Npr90irl]

I don’t really understand what you’re arguing here? That these things exist with or without the tree? Maybe? But you’re greatly increasing your risk of bringing in pests/problems into your garden you can’t even see, much less what you can, by keeping this tree.

I mean, don’t listen to everyone and keep the damn tree. This going back and forth arguing over it is pointless. But if I were to see black on a tree like this, it’s immediately going in the green bin or to be burned.

Forget even the compost bin. Like someone else said, you are courting disaster. Unless that was a 400 year old limber pine, but it’s not..it’s a commonly found piece of nursery material. Toss that thing in the trash and put a sign on the trash bin saying to take the bin too. Additionally why would you post a thread asking for opinions if you don’t want what’s said to be fact? I’m not posting this cause I’m bored, I’m trying to pass on my learned lessons. Good luck!

 

[Npr90irl]

On one hand, what have you got to gain by keeping this plant? On the other hand, what have you got to lose?

Bingo

 

[Tieball]

Burn it or enclose it entirely in a plastic bag dispose of it in your trash can for pickup. Burning is the best choice. You’ve already contaminated enough of an area. And, it really is not that much of a fabulous looking bush.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Those are mealybugs, usually a good insecticidal soap takes care of them

 

[trigo]

If you are going to keep it anyway, i would bring it to the sidewalk, pressure wash everything i could to physically remove as much nasty stuff as i could, remove everything dead, needles and breanches. After that i would soak it with imidacloprid and tyophanate-methyl / mancozeb. Weaker stuff aren't going to solve it, you got to nuke it. Keep it away from your plants, preferably in the sun and fertilize with osmocote.

 

[Paradox]

I would never bring a tree looking like that anywhere near my yard let alone my trees.
I'd burn it asap

 

[bonsai-max]

Why keep it ? Because is a shame to kill a plant just because is sick or ugly.... If she will recover I will plant in the forest near here or put in some garden corner.
In any case, I have the same idea of Trigo, treated with professional product yesterday both anti bugs anti fungus,very strong, this morning the white bugs was all dead an I have power washed the plant with 25 c° water and now is clean without the black part.
I cut all the brown and dead parts and burned. Now the plant is at the end of the farmer field in quarantine. 10 days and I will treat again her....
Now its fresh and sunny/cloudy next week will rain, put osmocote on it and in ten days I will start with 20 20 20