Can it be saved? What should I Do?

[Hump]

So I received this Crabapple (Malus Hupehensis) sometime in July or early August, and it was doing well. It quickly started to lose leaves and then, well I was down to one. A lonely single leaf at the tip of the sapling. I figured, well I guess its the best place to have one so the tree continues to flow sap up to the top, but now this leaf is hanging on by a thread too.

Can I cut this leaf and the sapling still stay live? Advice?

You'll probably first say, you should've identified what was wrong and fixed it before it got bad. Well I believe what happened was when I potted this and removed it from the 2 inch pot it arrived in, I noticed there was a section of root that was left in the bottom of the old pot. It looked to be the strongest, hardest, and most viable root. After it lost that, it wasn't good. It has feeder roots, and even some in the picture showing at the base, so I'm not sure why it can't revive itself.

 

[leatherback]

It is the end of summer. Winter on its way. I do not expect this plant to do anything else this year. So I would just let nature take its toll, and leave the leaf till it drops by itself. Trees recove nutrients from leaves in fall, before dropping it.

 

[Hump]

It is the end of summer. Winter on its way. I do not expect this plant to do anything else this year. So I would just let nature take its toll, and leave the leaf till it drops by itself. Trees recove nutrients from leaves in fall, before dropping it.

Thanks Leatherback..

The circle of life I guess. Thinking of that, we found a baby pigeon in one of my tree collanders 2 nights ago. Its been getting down to about 38 degrees F at night, and I figured it wouldn't last outside of the nest. Couldn't find the nest, so my fiance ended up pestering me until we took it in. I tried to tell her it's the circle of life, and in nature the mom pigeons sometimes scalp youngins that can't fly the coup or are the second born (backup). I made a case that we should have left the little guy and the staring neighborhood ferel cat who has to hunt would get a meal for the next day. Regardless, the chic lived, and the poor cat didn't get to take advantage of a free meal. Pointless story for this page, albeit now in some way I'm hoping the bonsai Gods will show me good karma and revive this shitty sapling come spring. (the crazy ramblings of my mind)

Ps: @sorce it's hump day

 

[rodeolthr]

Something to consider, even in my mild PNW climate, I find that apples need excessive amounts of moisture and prefer much deeper containers than other trees. They grow immense amounts of roots over the course of the growing season. I have to root prune mine each year. You have potted yours into a colander and it looks as though your soil mix is very free draining. This could partially explain why your tree has decided that it's done for the season. Also, it appears that there is a wisteria in a colander also. You may want to consider planting it in a large nursery pot for several seasons to get some size and allow the roots to grow freely. Their are many references on here to placing trays of water under potted wisteria in the summer, since they are such thirsty plants.

 

[penumbra]

All the above advice is spot on. Your tree is entering dormancy. Several of my crabs and hawthorns have as well and our climates are about the same. Heal it in and I am pretty confident it will leaf out in the spring.

 

[LanceMac10]

Something to consider, even in my mild PNW climate, I find that apples need excessive amounts of moisture and prefer much deeper containers than other trees. They grow immense amounts of roots over the course of the growing season. I have to root prune mine each year. You have potted yours into a colander and it looks as though your soil mix is very free draining. This could partially explain why your tree has decided that it's done for the season. Also, it appears that there is a wisteria in a colander also. You may want to consider planting it in a large nursery pot for several seasons to get some size and allow the roots to grow freely. Their are many references on here to placing trays of water under potted wisteria in the summer, since they are such thirsty plants.

....YUP'!

 

[leatherback]

. I have to root prune mine each year.

You only rootprune once a year?

 

[leatherback]

YUP

What did you have covering the suface before? Or is it THAT WET there?

 

[LanceMac10]

What did you have covering the suface before? Or is it THAT WET there?

poop....ummm fertilizer. Decidedly NOT wet here, summer drought for last three years.

 

[Hump]

Something to consider, even in my mild PNW climate, I find that apples need excessive amounts of moisture and prefer much deeper containers than other trees. They grow immense amounts of roots over the course of the growing season. I have to root prune mine each year. You have potted yours into a colander and it looks as though your soil mix is very free draining. This could partially explain why your tree has decided that it's done for the season. Also, it appears that there is a wisteria in a colander also. You may want to consider planting it in a large nursery pot for several seasons to get some size and allow the roots to grow freely. Their are many references on here to placing trays of water under potted wisteria in the summer, since they are such thirsty plants.

Good advice! I do notice the wsiteria drinks way WAY faster than all my other trees. It's not even close. (Any ideas why my wisteria leaves turn up to the sky sometimes? I thought maybe it's pertaining to needing watered but can't figure it out. It's fine, just had me thinking. I'll post a picture, it almost resembles how pray plants react to light.)

However the crabapple literally seems to always keep moisture. I used to water it often, but recently with the leaf issues Ive been using a meter to test the wetness. It almost is always moist without me having to water it. I'm really not sure if maybe the roots are clogged or what.

I hope it's just going dormant, however it was looking like this before it even began to get cold. That last leaf I've been pampering has been that way month or 2 lol.

I'll get some bigger pots to prepare them in this coming spring and place some trays underneath for now.

 

[Bonsai_newbie]

Hi

i have - 3 wisteria - saplings that germinated in July and have grown very well with lots of leaves and trunk is thickening. However, recently all leaves have turned yellow with black spots. I thought it was a fungal problem, so i used it once. However, 2 weeks later, all leaves are dropping off. They get enough sunlight, (direct & indirect)
Is this, wisteria entering dormancy (we are entering Autumn in UK) ? Is it overwatering ?