Dying maples??

[Nikoniko]

Im new to bonsai and have bought a 2 ft tall dwarf japanese maple. Ive had it for about a month now, and its leaves started turning black on the edges and shriveled up about a week or so after repotting, which was the weekend after I bought it. The soil thati used for the repotting was some of its old soil (tree bark and moss of som sort), course sand and small pebbles into a large clay pot with 2 1" drainage holes on the bottom. I watered it daily for a week and a half, not knowing that the soil was still plenty moist from the previous watering. I dont have a lot of money right now and my tree has lost 90% of its leaves and the ones left are shriveling away like the rest, but the wood on all its branches is still green under the soft bark. Is there anything that i can do to bring it back from this, like less watering, Or something more drastic? Thank you for your time.

 

[keri-wms]

How much of the roots did you prune, what soil is in the remaining rootball or did you bare root it?

Is kept outdoors (I see carpet?) and in shade/shelter after the repot?

Even sand can be too fine/water retentive and can cause root rot but I suspect there’s a shorter term problem with climate or the root to leaves ratio for it to go downhill so fast.

 

[keri-wms]

If you have a clear plastic bag big enough to drop over the whole top of the tree and loosely tie at the trunk that’ll get the top half in a high humidity cocoon as a start, but again not in direct sunlight.

 

[bonsaichile]

Did you repot it when it was in full leaf? If that was the case, for future reference, you repot when thr buds start to swell but before the leaves emerge

 

[Cadillactaste]

Was this tree repotted in leaf? Ideal time is at bud break. Sand was used long ago, they have found more better options. I'm assuming you have an old book to have chosen that route for potting substrate.

 

[Mikecheck123]

This is a classic case of drowning roots due to poor soil, wrong pot, and probably bad watering habits.

When you are watering all the time and the leaves are drying out, that's a good sign that the roots are dying or dead.

The only way to save this tree is to somehow improve the drainage so that air is reaching the roots. But note that less frequent watering alone can be fatal. The last thing you want to do is stop watering, as the leaves are literally dying of thirst right now.

Here's what I would do to fix it. First, get a plain Jane black nursery pot with vertical walls. It should have a width that is just slightly bigger than the root ball. See one problem you have now is that wide pot, which drains much more slowly than a tall one. There's a very good reason that all young trees in a nursery are in tall pots, not wide ones.

Then I would slip pot the tree, which means surrounding the root ball on bottom and all sides, with better draining bonsai soil of some kind. When you do this, be very careful not to disturb the roots and much as possible.

Then, water every day throughly until water is flowing freely out the bottom. Don't just give it a splash of water. It needs to be freely running out the bottom. Why?

Because if you do this right, the shape of the nursery pot acts like a suction pump, pulling air through the root ball, which is exactly what you'll need for this to survive.

I've seen more complicated fixes before, such as drilling into the root ball, but this is the easiest and safest.

Don't give up hope. These can be very resilient.

 

[Nikoniko]

How much of the roots did you prune, what soil is in the remaining rootball or did you bare root it?

Is kept outdoors (I see carpet?) and in shade/shelter after the repot?

Even sand can be too fine/water retentive and can cause root rot but I suspect there’s a shorter term problem with climate or the root to leaves ratio for it to go downhill so fast.

The tree I kept mostly out on my patio, where it has bright shade all day. I bring it inside when the wind picks up too much. As for the root trimming, i cut the outside matt that was formed from being in its plastic pot for so long, then I cleaned out the roots to the best of my abilities, as I do not have a waterhose to force the old soil out. The soil stuck deep in the roots is from its original potting mix. Thank you for your help so far.

As far as the time of repotting, i apparently hadn't found a proper answer to timing until today, here. I only waited one week after getting it and the tree was in full leaf, otherwise the store might have not sold it.

 

[Nikoniko]

This is a classic case of drowning roots due to poor soil, wrong pot, and probably bad watering habits.

When you are watering all the time and the leaves are drying out, that's a good sign that the roots are dying or dead.

The only way to save this tree is to somehow improve the drainage so that air is reaching the roots. But note that less frequent watering alone can be fatal. The last thing you want to do is stop watering, as the leaves are literally dying of thirst right now.

Here's what I would do to fix it. First, get a plain Jane black nursery pot with vertical walls. It should have a width that is just slightly bigger than the root ball. See one problem you have now is that wide pot, which drains much more slowly than a tall one. There's a very good reason that all young trees in a nursery are in tall pots, not wide ones.

Then I would slip pot the tree, which means surrounding the root ball on bottom and all sides, with better draining bonsai soil of some kind. When you do this, be very careful not to disturb the roots and much as possible.

Then, water every day throughly until water is flowing freely out the bottom. Don't just give it a splash of water. It needs to be freely running out the bottom. Why?

Because if you do this right, the shape of the nursery pot acts like a suction pump, pulling air through the root ball, which is exactly what you'll need for this to survive.

I've seen more complicated fixes before, such as drilling into the root ball, but this is the easiest and safest.

Don't give up hope. These can be very resilient.

Thank youso much for that information. I will try to get some better soil. I read that lava rock is good bonsai substrate, could i use that? There is plenty where i live, nothing else really. Every other option is mostly online and too expencive for me riggt now since im providing for my SO since they were put down from their job. I have its tall plastic pot that it came in still, i thought thati would use it for something later down the line. 6 holes in the bottom. Is there any other components that i could add to the soil mix that shouldnt be too expensive?

 

[Shibui]

It sounds like the cut roots cannot keep up enough water to keep all the leaves alive. That's why we normally root prune before the leaves come.
Good news is that I have had ,maples survive after late transplant. Usually all the current leaves will die and fall off but a few weeks later if you are lucky new ones will sprout after the roots have started to recover.
I have seen experienced growers repot and root prune at this stage but they defoliate - cut all the leaves off - so the tree does not waste effort trying to keep the leaves alive while the roots recover.

hope it survives.

 

[keri-wms]

If you do repot/slip pot into a free draining mix, remember to check how damp the original compost core/rootball is, not the new/outer stuff. If you did plastic tent the top you’ll be protecting it from wind’s drying effects so it won’t need to be moved....as long as it doesn’t blow away of course! Also make sure it can’t rock in the pot as that breaks new fine roots they appear.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[penumbra]

Personally, I would cut it back about 25 to 50%, put it in the ground and hope for the best. I don't really think it is going to make it but I feel this is the best treatment.

 

[Nikoniko]

Would i be able to use willow water with its time in the slip pot? Im going to slip it this weekend and, if its a good idea for it, make some willow water for the trees roots. Also as i have asked befor, is lava rock okay? I see all around that a lot of people use it for substrate, but just wondering if its good for the slip pot.

 

[penumbra]

Willow water couldn't hurt. I personally would use peroxide water, particularly if I was concerned about roots. I would not use lava for a slip pot unless a tree was already planted in it. I would use a free draining potting mix that would hopefully be somewhat similair to that the tree is in but with enhanced drainage.
I still feel it would be best in the ground.

 

[Nikoniko]

Willow water couldn't hurt. I personally would use peroxide water, particularly if I was concerned about roots. I would not use lava for a slip pot unless a tree was already planted in it. I would use a free draining potting mix that would hopefully be somewhat similair to that the tree is in but with enhanced drainage.
I still feel it would be best in the ground.

Could I use moss as the soil? Nd as for peroxide water, how often should i use it? Just once, or a few times over a few weeks or months?
Thank you for your information.