Help with a jbp

[Tjbonsai]

Two months ago I bought a Japanese black pine off e-bay, it's soil is a combination of akadama, pumice and lava rock. It started showing signs of needles drying out and dyeing off. If anything I think I have overwatered it. Today I decided to dump some of the soil out to see if I could see some of the roots, the roots have been in my opinion cut back way too hard and it looks as if what roots are there are having problems. Any advice on what needs to be done to save this tree? Can I use a fungicide?



TJ

 

[grog]

I'm pretty awesome at murdering JBP but before you use any type of chemical treatment I'd put a picture up to see if someone can identify the problem. An unnecessary treatment would probably not be beneficial. Overwatering during the winter could just as easily be the culprit as anything else.

 

[greerhw]

Where are you located, it's hard to overwater a jbp in that soil. Your problem probably is in the root pruning, jbp aren't real crazy about being root pruned, 4 to 5 years is the general amount of time, depending on your climate. If the temp. is under 75 degrees in the daytime, probably every three days this time of the year here in Oklahoma.

Harry

 

[Tjbonsai]

jbp

Here's a picture of the pine. Not much to look at, I bought it because of the size of the trunk. Plan to put it in the gound for a few years if it makes it through this rough spell.

 

[Tjbonsai]

jbp

I live in west Texas Harry. We had a hard winter but this tree was in a green house.

 

[greerhw]

I live in west Texas Harry. We had a hard winter but this tree was in a green house.

Mist the needles with a deluted fertilizer daily and hope for the best. Jbp's are as good at taking in fert. from their needles as they are with their roots, but do both. I've killed a lot of trees in my time, but never from over fert. in that soil combination. Good luck and keep us posted.

Harry

 

[Smoke]

......I bought a Japanese black pine off e-bay, ......

TJ

From the picture, what you described, and that line above in your post, that would just about sum it up for me...


Good luck TJ

 

[treebeard55]

Harry's climate is more like yours than mine is, and he's got a number of JBP's. I'd say to follow his advice.

Hope this tree makes it; that trunk has potential!

 

[greerhw]

Here's a picture of the pine. Not much to look at, I bought it because of the size of the trunk. Plan to put it in the gound for a few years if it makes it through this rough spell.
View attachment 15290

If I may offer some advice, remove everything from the left side if the picture and concentrate on training it in the semi cascade style.

Harry

 

[Tjbonsai]

Thank Harry

I hope it lives through all this, the pot it came in was worth what I paid for the tree and the size of the trunk is what made me buy this ugly thing. It was a lot better looking when I first got it, we had a very cold winter and I made a few wrong decisions a long the way.

 

[art-rodriguez]

ebay jbp

If I may offer some advice, remove everything from the left side if the picture and concentrate on training it in the semi cascade style.

Harry

i agree with Harry !

 

[biglou13]

Mist the needles with a deluted fertilizer daily and hope for the best. Jbp's are as good at taking in fert. from their needles as they are with their roots, but do both. I've killed a lot of trees in my time, but never from over fert. in that soil combination. Good luck and keep us posted.

Harry

ive read about misting fert and even ironite. i'm going to start misting. what time of day do mist?

 

[greerhw]

ive read about misting fert and even ironite. i'm going to start misting. what time of day do mist?

Anytime you want to, morning is the best.

Harry

 

[Tjbonsai]

one more thing

Harry this tree looked like it was in good health when I first received it, the seller told me he had repotted it a year ago so I put in the green house and treated it as such, we had some really cold nights and some very warm days. This was my first jbp and I was not sure about watering with the inorganic soil in the winter and late winter/early spring time. The day before I decide to come here and ask for help I turned the tree upside down letting the soil fall into a five gallon bucket, I wanted to see what was going on with the roots, to my surprise the fine roots had been trimmed back to almost nothing. I did my best to not to disturb any thing and replaced the soil. Do you still suggest misting with a deluted fertilizer or just misting with water?

 

[greerhw]

Harry this tree looked like it was in good health when I first received it, the seller told me he had repotted it a year ago so I put in the green house and treated it as such, we had some really cold nights and some very warm days. This was my first jbp and I was not sure about watering with the inorganic soil in the winter and late winter/early spring time. The day before I decide to come here and ask for help I turned the tree upside down letting the soil fall into a five gallon bucket, I wanted to see what was going on with the roots, to my surprise the fine roots had been trimmed back to almost nothing. I did my best to not to disturb any thing and replaced the soil. Do you still suggest misting with a deluted fertilizer or just misting with water?

Water will be fine, water the tree ever other day, too much root pruning.

Harry

 

[Juniperus Californica]

TJ,

I hate to say it but when I have trees that look like that, not many survive. However, here are some things that I've done that have worked (remember I live in So Cal):

1. Put the tree in the ground.
2. Don't fertilize until the tree shows signs of candle growth
3. Make sure the pH of your water is not over 6.5 (slightly acidic)
4. Check the needles for needle cast (middle of the needles dead)
5. I use kelp/seaweed extract to minimize shock and stimulate root growth
6. Check the roots to see if you have any white tips
7. Pray to the Bonsai Gods for success

Good luck and keep us posted

JC