How many times before you give up ?

[nuttiest]

How many times is okay to buy another if you keep having deaths with the same species? Tree in question is callistemon / bottlebrush. Starting to think some species just do lot like reduction.
Anyway, another fine specimen with nice base and mature bark and taper popped up at the nursery..... i'm like... OMG no you don't!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Three to four times.
Tried larches and JBP, I gave larches 3 tries. JBP a couple more, but we just don't go well together.
No harm in that, I tried, didn't work. Plenty of trees in the woods that do work for me.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Check out here on the site. There have been a number of threads on the genus. It is a fairly hardy shrub that puts up with a lot of abuse as long as you give it enough water. Heavy work should be timed to late spring after it blooms. Just don't water the flowers or they will wilt. Otherwise the flowers will hold on the tree for quite a while. They were quite common in landscape in SoCal.

 

[Shibui]

There are a number of different Callistemon species. Some are as tough and responsive as other very hardy species nut a few of them don't tolerate pruning to bare wood or harsh root reduction. Need to know individual species requirements rather than generalising for an entire genus.

Like many of the trees we are familiar with, repotting at the wrong time of year can set Callistemon back or even kill them. The difference is that the 'wrong' time of year for Callistemon is different to most of the trees we work with.

 

[James W.]

I will kill a particular species/variety 3 - 4 times before I give it up. But I have returned to try it again after giving it a couple of years for the pain to ease and discovering more information.

 

[Gabler]

If a tree dies and I know why, I will always feel justified trying again. If a tree dies and I don't know why, I won't get another until I figure out why it died. Sometimes I'm wrong about why it died, but at least I'm not collecting or buying trees with no chance to live.

 

[Tieball]

Once. And then I move on.

 

[DanaWhicker]

3 or 4 times seems about right. OP - I see you are in South Florida. Up here in North Florida there is a variety that makes great bonsai. They do like a lot of water, good drainage is a must.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I'm with Gabler. If it's my fault, I will keep trying until I get it right(ish). If I can't figure out what happened or if the tree is just not right for my climate/treatment I will abandon the species.

 

[Colorado]

Ha! I think I’ve tried Japanese maples 4 or 5 times now.

Funny thing is, I’ve been thinking about trying again

 

[Paradox]

3-4 times sounds about right.
I found I cant keep boxwood here because there is a leaf miner in my area that attacks every one of them.
I decided there were plenty of other species I could have fun with rather than fight with that and I gave up on them.

 

[nuttiest]

Went ahead and got it, this will be try #4. I like so many participating in this discussion, maybe we will find a high roller here.

 

[leatherback]

I do not give up. Instead, I look for people that are succesfull growing the species and ask them for tips and specific requirements for the species.
Just keeping on buying without figuring out what you might be doing wrong is a bit odd I feel.

 

[nuttiest]

is a bit odd

You are a bit ODD.
I have picked up a couple different methods in the last few years that make success rates better.
Used to saw through rootball. Learned that on Youtube.

 

[Dabbler]

I don't give up, I just figure it out and keep moving on - sometimes it take a few tries but It all works out in the end if you have an open mind.

 

[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

I'm inflated by the confidence of a newbie, so I haven't given up on anything yet, I also have not had any trees die on me yet, but winter is coming. I will say I have absolutely no idea what to do with a weird variety of cryptomeria falcata (var spiralater) that I picked up on a whim in the spring.

 

[leatherback]

You are a bit ODD.

Absolutely no reason to start getting personal here.
Grow up.

 

[nuttiest]

No, you Man up. sick of you hurling little insult sandwiches without me at least throwing some scraps back at you.

 

[leatherback]

you hurling little insult sandwiches

Must be in your head. There is nobody throwing insults around but you.

 

[nuttiest]

there it is. Your Hallmark retort you know nothing about it