Deshojo Dead or Dying Due to Drought

C

canoeanu

Seedling
Messages
15
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Location
Houston, TX
USDA Zone
9a
I have a 5 year old Deshojo Maple in Akadama. I was away for the week and for the first time ever, my sprinklers did not turn on. It has been hot and dry and you know the rest. When I got home, the leaves were still on the tree but dry. I watered immediately. I'm scared that its gone. Its too early to see die back. How can I tell if it will survive? How best to nurse it back to health? Bring it into my green room (75-80F) and nurse it back to health there? I'm kicking myself so badly right now. I can't sleep, it's eating me up. My favorite tree.
 
Growing seasons around the world vary widely and it is difficult to get a perspective on what someone says when we don't know where in the world they are. If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you, and you might connect with another local.




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Please put your location your profile so we know where you are @canoeanu

I feel your pain. I've lost a couple of trees in a sprinkler malfunction too

Best thing to do right now is put it in a shady spot and water it when it needs it. Bringing it inside won't help it. Don't get your hopes up though.

Don't give up if dies. Get another tree and make sure those sprinklers are working next time
 
Put the whole pot into a pan of water for 15 minutes to make sure the core of the media immediately underneath the trunk has been wet-out. Increase the amount of sunlight getting to the whole tree by cutting off all the leaves at the base of the leaf, leaving the petiole in place. The petiole guards the new buds in the axils and will be kicked off as the bud expands. Then place it in half-day (eastern is best) sun. A tree without leaves can't get too much sun unless it is allowed to dry out. Water it when it needs it. Do not keep it sodden, but don't let it dry out either. This is a bad time of the year to have this happen because if it leafs out it will be using next spring's buds and will have less than the normal amount of time to replace those buds this year for next spring. So, it may come back to limited life only to go to sleep and have a silent spring. Unfortunately, your only option is to resuscitate now and keep your fingers crossed.

In the future, you can put single trees under a downspout with a screen or other deflector on the media surface so a heavy downpour doesn't wash the soil out, but you will get some drippings off the roof every dew-point, usually daily. And have your timer on, too. Too wet for one week is tolerable, especially as opposed to what you have now.
 
Forsoothe! said:
Put the whole pot into a pan of water for 15 minutes to make sure the core of the media immediately underneath the trunk has been wet-out. Increase the amount of sunlight getting to the whole tree by cutting off all the leaves at the base of the leaf, leaving the petiole in place. The petiole guards the new buds in the axils and will be kicked off as the bud expands. Then place it in half-day (eastern is best) sun. A tree without leaves can't get too much sun unless it is allowed to dry out. Water it when it needs it. Do not keep it sodden, but don't let it dry out either. This is a bad time of the year to have this happen because if it leafs out it will be using next spring's buds and will have less than the normal amount of time to replace those buds this year for next spring. So, it may come back to limited life only to go to sleep and have a silent spring. Unfortunately, your only option is to resuscitate now and keep your fingers crossed.

In the future, you can put single trees under a downspout with a screen or other deflector on the media surface so a heavy downpour doesn't wash the soil out, but you will get some drippings off the roof every dew-point, usually daily. And have your timer on, too. Too wet for one week is tolerable, especially as opposed to what you have now.
Click to expand...
thank you. I will do this and cross my fingers.
 
To be expected when trusting any auto watering system. People should know better🧐. Hope lesson has been learned:rolleyes:. No matter how supposedly trustworthy it only takes once to kill ones whole collection. Trust only ones self to water properly.
 
Potawatomi13 said:
To be expected when trusting any auto watering system. People should know better🧐. Hope lesson has been learned:rolleyes:. No matter how supposedly trustworthy it only takes once to kill ones whole collection. Trust only ones self to water properly.
Click to expand...
True ..... but harsh.
 
Potawatomi13 said:
To be expected when trusting any auto watering system. People should know better🧐. Hope lesson has been learned:rolleyes:. No matter how supposedly trustworthy it only takes once to kill ones whole collection. Trust only ones self to water properly.
Click to expand...
I understand where you're coming from. I am kicking myself right now. Unfortunately its not an option for those who leave their homes for work. Really the only option I have is to engineer redundancy to ensure it doesn't happen again or give up the hobby. "hope you learned your lesson" isn't helpful.
 
Potawatomi13 said:
To be expected when trusting any auto watering system. People should know better🧐. Hope lesson has been learned:rolleyes:. No matter how supposedly trustworthy it only takes once to kill ones whole collection. Trust only ones self to water properly.
Click to expand...

Though I understand where this comment is coming from, there are risks associated with all watering schemes - including using the neighbor's kid to water your trees while you are away on vacation.

I went with automatic sprinklers about 20 years ago and have never regretted the decision. Today with the Internet, cheap WiFi security cameras, and smart watering controllers, you can control your sprinklers from the other side of the world - and view your garden with a streaming camera to make sure they are working! No water - call your backup bonsai friend :) But I have never had to use my backup bonsai friend in 20 years.

Let me add - when I am home I typically don't use or don't rely on an automatic sprinkler. Sometimes I use the automatic system in the morning and water by hand in the evening - when I don't want foliage to get wet.
 
Forsoothe! said:
A tree without leaves can't get too much sun unless it is allowed to dry out. Water it when it needs it.
Click to expand...
Japanese maple trunks and branches, recently without leaves, in summer, in Houston TX most definitely CAN get too much sun.

I'd put the tree in bright shade; emphasis on shade though.
 
canoeanu said:
I understand where you're coming from. I am kicking myself right now. Unfortunately its not an option for those who leave their homes for work. Really the only option I have is to engineer redundancy to ensure it doesn't happen again or give up the hobby. "hope you learned your lesson" isn't helpful.
Click to expand...
good luck w your tree
 
Once again, the location being added after the fact changes the regime & prognosis. On top of the change, a week without water in 9a Texas is not comparable to Michigan for a zone 5 to 8 tree.
 
Potawatomi13 said:
To be expected when trusting any auto watering system. People should know better🧐. Hope lesson has been learned:rolleyes:. No matter how supposedly trustworthy it only takes once to kill ones whole collection. Trust only ones self to water properly.
Click to expand...

So I guess you never ever take a few days vacation away from home? Or you have a very trustworthy friend to water your trees if you do?

We have heard many times the "trustworthy" friend didn't take care of things well while the home owner was away and trees suffered or died.

I use an automatic sprinkler system on my trees every day. As long as I make sure the timer has fresh batteries and the sprinklers are functioning as they should, I don't have any more issues and they have not failed me once.
 
Paradox said:
So I guess you never ever take a few days vacation away from home? Or you have a very trustworthy friend to water your trees if you do?

We have heard many times the "trustworthy" friend didn't take care of things well while the home owner was away and trees suffered or died.

I use an automatic sprinkler system on my trees every day. As long as I make sure the timer has fresh batteries and the sprinklers are functioning as they should, I don't have any more issues and they have not failed me once.
Click to expand...
they stay home alone always except when their bonsai master (bater) shows up w a good hardwood example


jp
 
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