Considering Quitting Bonsai...

[chuckyblack09]

I'm coming up on 2 years of bonsai at then end of August here.

Today I've made a gut wrenching discovery that I think is the answer to all of my "sun burn" or fungus theories over the past two years. Trees and plants in my neighbors' yards seem to be fungus infested. Like every leaf, covered.

The few months that remained in 2023 when I started were good and the few trees I had were essentially losing their leaves about a month after obtaining them so I never noticed anything from the start. Then with the start of the new growth in spring 2024 through the entire year I was dealing with what I suspected to be fungus issues with all of my trees. Tried a bunch of different sprays that didn't seem to help out. Symptoms were browning on the leaves and blackened tips sometimes.

I decided to stick out the year and then see if once spring 2025 came, maybe after a full growing season the trees would be a lot stronger.

In comes spring 2025 and I opted to not repot anything just so I could rule out root work being a cause (in spring 2024 I basically repotted all the trees I have). Started off strong, but as of about a month ago, I'm having the same issues again. I've taken the infected trees out of full sun now for a month to see if that helped any and it seems new growth still gets affected.

Today, for whatever reason it dawned upon me to check the trees around the edge of my yard that are in my neighbors' yards to see if they have any possible "sun burn" issues. Not sure why I never thought of this in the previous 2 years until now. This is when I discovered the following on essentially every leaf I could see in the two trees closest to my yard. My trees look more like the middle picture rather than the darker fungus in the 1st and 3rd pictures.

This now has me feeling very defeated and I almost feel like giving up since I don't see any way to be able to fully control the issue and on top of that any new trees I get will just seemingly become infected as well.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Flowerhouse]

Have you tried Bonide "Infuse"? It's a systemic fungicide. It has been useful in addressing fungal issues in my landscape and potted trees. Easy to use. The package I've purchased is for application on lawns, but I just spread it on the surface around my problematic trees.

 

[chuckyblack09]

Have you tried Bonide "Infuse"? It's a systemic fungicide. It has been useful in addressing fungal issues in my landscape and potted trees. Easy to use. The package I've purchased is for application on lawns, but I just spread it on the surface around my problematic trees.

I haven't tried this. Is it something that I can start applying now mid season or does it need used when the trees are dormant?

Also, do you have any dogs that roam your yard? We have a dog and I'm always a little sketched out using chemicals in the yard since she roams the yard and sniffs around all the time.

 

[Flowerhouse]

You can use it now. I have a dog. She has expressed no interest in the Infuse, doesn't sniff it or otherwise investigate. I use it around just a few trees in the yard, not in her usual paths. I'll check the label for specific warnings: I didn't find a good online image showing the warnings on the label. Generally, it says to keep animals away during application and until any dust has settled. Don't graze animals on treated turf, don't use on home orchards, don't feed clippings from treated areas to animals.

 

[chuckyblack09]

You can use it now. I have a dog. She has expressed no interest in the Infuse, doesn't sniff it or otherwise investigate. I use it around just a few trees in the yard, not in her usual paths. I'll check the label for specific warnings: I didn't find a good online image showing the warnings on the label. Generally, it says to keep animals away during application and until any dust has settled. Don't graze animals on treated turf, don't use on home orchards, don't feed clippings from treated areas to animals.

I'll order some now.

I'm still feeling a bit hopeless, but maybe this will help. Do you apply monthly through the growing season?

 

[Jetson1950]

I'm coming up on 2 years of bonsai at then end of August here.

Today I've made a gut wrenching discovery that I think is the answer to all of my "sun burn" or fungus theories over the past two years. Trees and plants in my neighbors' yards seem to be fungus infested. Like every leaf, covered.

The few months that remained in 2023 when I started were good and the few trees I had were essentially losing their leaves about a month after obtaining them so I never noticed anything from the start. Then with the start of the new growth in spring 2024 through the entire year I was dealing with what I suspected to be fungus issues with all of my trees. Tried a bunch of different sprays that didn't seem to help out. Symptoms were browning on the leaves and blackened tips sometimes.

I decided to stick out the year and then see if once spring 2025 came, maybe after a full growing season the trees would be a lot stronger.

In comes spring 2025 and I opted to not repot anything just so I could rule out root work being a cause (in spring 2024 I basically repotted all the trees I have). Started off strong, but as of about a month ago, I'm having the same issues again. I've taken the infected trees out of full sun now for a month to see if that helped any and it seems new growth still gets affected.

Today, for whatever reason it dawned upon me to check the trees around the edge of my yard that are in my neighbors' yards to see if they have any possible "sun burn" issues. Not sure why I never thought of this in the previous 2 years until now. This is when I discovered the following on essentially every leaf I could see in the two trees closest to my yard. My trees look more like the middle picture rather than the darker fungus in the 1st and 3rd pictures.

This now has me feeling very defeated and I almost feel like giving up since I don't see any way to be able to fully control the issue and on top of that any new trees I get will just seemingly become infected as well.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

I feel your pain, but it can be overcome. I’ve been carrying a stick of this plumeria for 20 years, planting it, growing it and then taking a stick from it each move and starting all over again. When I got here, it would grow and drop all its leaves after 2 months. Problem here was copper rust fungus which goes after plumeria trees. It stays hot and humid here and the fungus is hell. It never goes away. After 2 years of dropping leaves I said that’s it, “Fights On”. Starting in March, every two weeks I cycle through three fungicides religiously. Copper Fungicide, Daconil and Immunix. Now mine is the only yard around here with Plumarias that still have leaves. Fight it and you can win.

 

[Flowerhouse]

I haven't applied any this year because I'm not seeing a need this year. I live in a desert and this has been an extra dry year.

 

[chuckyblack09]

I haven't applied any this year because I'm not seeing a need this year. I live in a desert and this has been an extra dry year.

When you were applying, was it monthly though?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Plant plant pathogens in my experience are pretty species specific.
But there are also conditions. Is it really shaded in your yard?

 

[Flowerhouse]

When you were applying, was it monthly though?

Not that often. I applied when I saw signs of trouble, then once again before the end of the season. Effects seem to be pretty long lasting. The exception would be on my hybrid poplar (landscape) that was 50% killed by canker, or something that looked the same. That I treated monthly during the first growing season, then twice in the two subsequent years. Per the label, Infuse is not a cure for canker. However, it seems to have given my tree a chance to overcome it and I now have a vigorous tree. And of course I will treat again if it looks like I need to.

 

[chuckyblack09]

Not that often. I applied when I saw signs of trouble, then once again before the end of the season. Effects seem to be pretty long lasting. The exception would be on my hybrid poplar (landscape) that was 50% killed by canker, or something that looked the same. That I treated monthly during the first growing season, then twice in the two subsequent years. Per the label, Infuse is not a cure for canker. However, it seems to have given my tree a chance to overcome it and I now have a vigorous tree. And of course I will treat again if it looks like I need to.

One last thing, I can't seem to find any info online, but how is this applied? Spray on the leaves or spray it in the soil?

 

[chuckyblack09]

I feel your pain, but it can be overcome. I’ve been carrying a stick of this plumeria for 20 years, planting it, growing it and then taking a stick from it each move and starting all over again. When I got here, it would grow and drop all its leaves after 2 months. Problem here was copper rust fungus which goes after plumeria trees. It stays hot and humid here and the fungus is hell. It never goes away. After 2 years of dropping leaves I said that’s it, “Fights On”. Starting in March, every two weeks I cycle through three fungicides religiously. Copper Fungicide, Daconil and Immunix. Now mine is the only yard around here with Plumarias that still have leaves. Fight it and you can win.

View attachment 608788View attachment 608789

Thanks for this reassurance!

 

[chuckyblack09]

Plant plant pathogens in my experience are pretty species specific.
But there are also conditions. Is it really shaded in your yard?

Just from our patio canopy which I keep my maples under slightly. They are in a position where they get morning sun and then afternoon shade.

 

[stubmle]

Before panicking or doing anything drastic, get more information. Try to identify the fungus or whatever this is. Your local university ag extension may be able to help with this and advise you on treating it. If you do decide to apply fungicides, follow label directions to the letter.

Is this actually killing trees or just causing leaf damage?

 

[Flowerhouse]

One last thing, I can't seem to find any info online, but how is this applied? Spray on the leaves or spray it in the soil?

The kind I bought is granules that you apply to the surface and water in. It looks like ground corn cobs, infused with whatever the active ingredients are. When I search online I see that there is also a liquid, maybe a concentrate, but I don't know what the application directions say on that.

 

[cmeg1]

I say its best to check water…..EC,chlorine?ph of nutrient……..now some plants are especially sensitive to fungus…….I had no luck starting japanese maple seeslings….got alot of mildew….probably a peroxide spray would of helped.

Possible change to a more durable species like Siberian Elm…..the seeds sprout with a drop of water and will store for 15 years frozen!!

* if water is high ec/ppm…..(or any ppm for that mater)——get a cheap ro filter..$100 used on ebay( hydrologic brand ).

* if chloronated……RO FILTER IS YOUR ONLY OPTION IN MY OPINION.

* use more aggregate type soils and ph your liquid nutrient with a digital ph meter………a tually extremely important( trees are deficient).with general organics ph up& down.only needs a drop or two per gallon.
Check this link below!! Shows how to mic nutrient…bonsai is hydropinics in many ways…..unless you use fertilizer cakes and organic phospherous exclusively…in that case the michorhiza is needed to break down the phospherous…..microbes are good in either case of low ec salts or organic salts.

https://www.botanicare.com/wp-content/uploads/assets/QuarterlyPub2NPK.pdf

Amazon.com : ph and ec meter

Now if water is naturally high ec it has loads of calcium or magnesium that is too large of an ion to be useable to the plants and clogs them essentially mimiking a high salt or dose of fertilizer…… like trying to ripen vegetables towards the end of summer when you increase salts to restrict water uptake, and this brings oils and Turpines into the fruits and veggies that you eat, but this is not necessary in bonsai trees in my opinion and will essentially dehydrate them…… when you use RO water it’s pure water and then you rebuild it with a much lower EC of usable ions and salts and minerals and you have much more water so it’s taken into the plant very easily with a much much lower dose and they hydrate very much better..I never fertilize over 1.2 ec…… if your water has one or two EC of unusable minerals there is so much salt in your fertilizer. It’s like using a full strength ferrilizer….200 ppm of unuseable ions is .4 ec…. This is approaching veg strength.
I have grown full strength, pine trees with only .7 to .8 EC year-round and they are amazing. Totally hydrated, but I add humic and phobic acids and ion uptake additives natural bio additives..

Also chlorine contrary to what you read all over the Internet …..it does nothing but dwarf plants ,and dwarf the fruits ,and dwarfs rooting and kills them!!!!

When you put a high-quality Kdf filter on the hydrologic RO system, the chlorine is removed.

The pH is everything especially in bonsai aggregate type soils from Japan or wherever if the pH is off, you’re not gonna have minerals. It needs to be 5.5 to 6.5 no ifs,ands or buts!!!

Only the earth, clay and garden soils are stable enough to actually buffer PH and make it very much more steady.
In a pot, you have to have it pH regularly at every nutrient feeding in the water.


Check these pine trees below never gone over .8 EC.

Just ph,and good water,extra calcium magnesium,humic and fulvic acids for extra chelating(uptake) …..more uptake and less salts and nitrogen.

 

[cmeg1]

I don’t think I’ve ever fertilized over 1.2 EC that is early veg stage……. The RO water is why because I start with a pure base and just add the nutrients and also add chelating bio stimulants(fulvic/humic acid….amino acids).

More water less salts more uptake though.

I’m almost certain a lot of your issues are mineral uptake issues……. without seeing any pictures cause I live in a very similar climate to you in Pennsylvania.

 

[chuckyblack09]

I don’t think I’ve ever fertilized over 1.2 EC that is early veg stage……. The RO water is why because I start with a pure base and just add the nutrients and also add chelating bio stimulants(fulvic/humic acid….amino acids).

More water less salts more uptake though.

I’m almost certain a lot of your issues are mineral uptake issues……. without seeing any pictures cause I live in a very similar climate to you in Pennsylvania.

View attachment 608817

So are you saying that the pH of the water is allowing fungus to grow on my trees? Or that you don't think I have fungus on the trees at all?

If you're saying the pH is allowing the fungus, how does that explain the fungus on the wild trees?

Here are a few photos of some of my maple leaves:

 

[Thuj Life]

I'm coming up on 2 years of bonsai at then end of August here.

Today I've made a gut wrenching discovery that I think is the answer to all of my "sun burn" or fungus theories over the past two years. Trees and plants in my neighbors' yards seem to be fungus infested. Like every leaf, covered.

The few months that remained in 2023 when I started were good and the few trees I had were essentially losing their leaves about a month after obtaining them so I never noticed anything from the start. Then with the start of the new growth in spring 2024 through the entire year I was dealing with what I suspected to be fungus issues with all of my trees. Tried a bunch of different sprays that didn't seem to help out. Symptoms were browning on the leaves and blackened tips sometimes.

I decided to stick out the year and then see if once spring 2025 came, maybe after a full growing season the trees would be a lot stronger.

In comes spring 2025 and I opted to not repot anything just so I could rule out root work being a cause (in spring 2024 I basically repotted all the trees I have). Started off strong, but as of about a month ago, I'm having the same issues again. I've taken the infected trees out of full sun now for a month to see if that helped any and it seems new growth still gets affected.

Today, for whatever reason it dawned upon me to check the trees around the edge of my yard that are in my neighbors' yards to see if they have any possible "sun burn" issues. Not sure why I never thought of this in the previous 2 years until now. This is when I discovered the following on essentially every leaf I could see in the two trees closest to my yard. My trees look more like the middle picture rather than the darker fungus in the 1st and 3rd pictures.

This now has me feeling very defeated and I almost feel like giving up since I don't see any way to be able to fully control the issue and on top of that any new trees I get will just seemingly become infected as well.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Don't give up! It is a challenging time of year. I've been doing this for about the same amount of time - 2 years. And this year has been nothing short of a reckoning. Learning lots of hard lessons - soil mistakes, watering mistakes, feeding mistakes, sun burn, etc. I just had 2/3 air layers fail, lost my first (and GORGEOUS) Western Hemlock, 2/3 cherry trees are on the verge. dozens of maple seedlings lost. Many of us have a love and deep connection to trees - so when we're in these moments it can be really difficult. I was literally in tears when I realized about half my trees are a lost cause.

What keeps me going is constantly collecting a variety of species at different stages so that I can fail faster and never feel like I'm starting over from scratch. I also moved all my dead or hopeless trees into the compost - I couldn't bare walking past them each day! And their cedar boxes are now clean, stacked, and ready for new projects.

I hope this helps, good luck to you!

 

[bonsaibandit]

I would recommend start getting some species that are not as prone to disease as a Japanese maple. Some examples would be kishu juniper, or Japanese black pine. These both good beginner plants that tolerate full sun well and while they can get fungal infections they are much less prone than a Japanese maple in my experience. Also if you like maples, trident maples are generally much tougher and less finicky than Japanese maples. Best of luck.