Got my first Ponderosa

[Atom#28]

It’s only 3.5 feet tall. Trunk is only 2” wide. But, by God, it has lots of character. This one survived a brush fire earlier this summer and has the burnt bark to prove it. Also, it’s popping new buds all over the trunk and on branches very near the trunk.

Now the only question is: can I keep it alive?

 

[Atom#28]

Buds on the trunk, too?! Sweeeet

So the plan is to get this secured into a box of pumice and put it in the shade for a while. Anyone have suggestions for good fertilizer?

 

[bonsaichile]

Buds on the trunk, too?! Sweeeet

So the plan is to get this secured into a box of pumice and put it in the shade for a while. Anyone have suggestions for good fertilizer?

Dont fertilize now. Wait until next spring to start with a fertilizer regime.

 

[wireme]

Ehh, you know cell phone screen and all, I

It’s only 3.5 feet tall. Trunk is only 2” wide. But, by God, it has lots of character. This one survived a brush fire earlier this summer and has the burnt bark to prove it. Also, it’s popping new buds all over the trunk and on branches very near the trunk.

Now the only question is: can I keep it alive?View attachment 259184View attachment 259185View attachment 259186View attachment 259187View attachment 259188View attachment 259189View attachment 259190View attachment 259191View attachment 259193View attachment 259194

may be wrong but those new buds all over the trunk look like a nasty mistletoe infection to me.

You should look it up and compare I think.

 

[Atom#28]

Ehh, you know cell phone screen and all, I

may be wrong but those new buds all over the trunk look like a nasty mistletoe infection to me.

You should look it up and compare I think.

Well, shit.....

 

[Atom#28]

Fuck. This bonsai stuff is really just an endless practice in humility, isn’t it? How do I kill off the mistletoe?

 

[wireme]

Fuck. This bonsai stuff is really just an endless practice in humility, isn’t it? How do I kill off the mistletoe?

Yeah...sorry to be bearer of bad news. With that heavy an infection it’s probably a lost cause but I don’t really know. I think I read of someone cutting the bits out then rubbing vodka into the cut. That may be faulty memory detail wise but I believe it came from the N. Lenz collecting book.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I would not use vodka, but rather isopropyl alcohol. Many plants seem to hate the stuff. Cutting just the mistletoe stubs and putting a piece of cotton with isopropyl on them for a few hours would most likely kill them dead.
But I know very little about these parasites to be honest.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Ehh, you know cell phone screen and all, I

may be wrong but those new buds all over the trunk look like a nasty mistletoe infection to me.

You should look it up and compare I think.

Indeed. Yellow buds are parasitic bad variety of Mistletoe. Once had some of this but not this bad. Cut out below surface EVERY single piece. Xacto knife or knife blade tip without removing more bark than necessary. Do not know about vodka but might try fungicide on Q TIP. Give tree best of aftercare and as/if tree survives weeds can be removed/eradicated in time by diligent removal if any survives. Best of fortune. Until survival is insured bad idea to work/weaken tree after repot.

 

[Atom#28]

Yeah, I don’t wanna waste good vodka! Or tequila. Well she’s all potted up and I manually removed every bit of that wicked stuff. Will concentrate on nursing this tree to its best health. I’ll do more research into possible treatments. In the meantime, I’m off to find my xacto knife!

 

[Atom#28]

Reverse taper in that vertical left side branch drives me so crazy! Maybe in a year or two I’ll chop it, or at least find a clever way to bend and hide the taper

 

[BrianBay9]

A fungicide will not help. Mistletoe is not a fungus, but is a parasitic flowering plant. Removing the parts you see won't remove the "roots" of the mistletoe growing into the vascular tissue of the host tree. I suppose if you're really persistent you might be able to keep it in check. The only way to get rid of it is to prune off the infected wood.

 

[Atom#28]

A fungicide will not help. Mistletoe is not a fungus, but is a parasitic flowering plant. Removing the parts you see won't remove the "roots" of the mistletoe growing into the vascular tissue of the host tree. I suppose if you're really persistent you might be able to keep it in check. The only way to get rid of it is to prune off the infected wood.

Because its a plant, I’m going to try to starve it of sunlight by first removing the “buds”, then covering the affected area with cut paste.... we’ll see how that works. Maybe. Since my tree has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, I went ahead and worked on some jins and experimenting with angles.

 

[BrianBay9]

Because its a plant, I’m going to try to starve it of sunlight by first removing the “buds”, then covering the affected area with cut paste.... we’ll see how that works. Maybe....

I'm not sure mistletoe depends on its own photosynthesis since it steals what it needs from the host plant. Your plan can't hurt though. Maybe you'll teach us something.

 

[Atom#28]

I'm not sure mistletoe depends on its own photosynthesis since it steals what it needs from the host plant. Your plan can't hurt though. Maybe you'll teach us something.

Yep. I worry this is not only a lost cause, but a possible vector for spreading disease to my yard and my growing collection. Funeral service tonight for Ol' Pondy. Here's a disease sheet I found

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev2_025738.pdf

 

[Arcto]

Yep. I worry this is not only a lost cause, but a possible vector for spreading disease to my yard and my growing collection. Funeral service tonight for Ol' Pondy. Here's a disease sheet I found

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev2_025738.pdf

You can keep the pine. Main thing is to rub off all emerging growth as it emerges so it cant mature and eject seeds to further infect that tree or similar pines in your collection. At some point, the tree will out live the mistletoe. The unknown question is when.

 

[Atom#28]

@Leo in N E Illinois

This is the thread. Mistletoe.

 

[PABonsai]

Sounds like the best method is chopping any limbs where there is infection, based on that paper. Can you just trunk chop a ponderosa Like a maple? Let it grow back and have an interesting story.

 

[misfit11]

Can you just trunk chop a ponderosa Like a maple? Let it grow back and have an interesting story.

Nope. Unfortunately, most conifers just don't work like that (Redwoods are the only exception I can think of). If you cut off all of the green on a Pine or a Juniper you've got firewood.

 

[Atom#28]

Sounds like the best method is chopping any limbs where there is infection, based on that paper. Can you just trunk chop a ponderosa Like a maple? Let it grow back and have an interesting story.

Unfortunately I don’t think so. The trunk is even infected...Pretty cool learning how that mistletoe blasts seeds, though!