Really need help with my two main trees

[Kiani]

Hi everyone.

So my two biggest trees are the crabapple on the left and a shimpaku on the right. Both were purchased around 4-5 months ago. Both were repotted on day 1 when I brought them home. Everything seemed fine, they were healthy, green, I just trimmed a few branches on each tree to give it some character and direction in terms of styling, but both are works in progress and have a long way to go.

The problem with both trees began around a month ago when my apartment complex sent all residents a notice saying we have to remove everything from our patios for one week as they would be painting everyones patio. I had no option but to bring all my trees inside in the mornings before leaving for work, leave them next to a window with sunlight, and then leave them out on the patio metal fence at night so they could breath, and then repeat the same in the morning.

I can tell all the trees suffered from this ordeal, and sadly my two biggest trees seemed to have taken the worst toll. The crabapple on the left started showing these small white fluffy things around parts of branches, and after taking pictures and asking members here on BN, the tree was diagnosed with suffering from wooly aphids. I keep trying to wash and wipe them away but they keep returning and I fear for the tree's future.

Any advice on how to remedy te wooly aphids issue is much appreciated. Some members had mentioned using a fungicide or pyrethrin spray. Any further info on this is appreciated.

As for the shimpaku on the right, again the problems began after bringing the trees indoors for those few days. Since then the tree has just seemed weak. Foliage is slowly turning brown, and like the crab, I'm worried I might lose this tree.

One thing I should mention is that when watering the shimpaku, the water doesn't drain through the soil as well as other trees, it's very slow to drain, and I think this is due to the fact that when I repotted this tree in to its current pot from the training pot I bought it in, I didn't use correct soil mixture. It was pretty much all soil and with no bark, lava rock, or other organic matter to help drainage.

Again, any advice on the shimpaku is also appreciated very much.

Thank you.

 

[Dav4]

It's definitely not looking good for the juniper...brown=dead for evergreens. While having to bring the trees in each day for a week is far from ideal, I suspect the tree had too much work done to it too quickly, and the soil it's in is suffocating the roots of an already weakened tree. All you can do is keep it in a sunny location and don't over water. Getting it out of the crappy soil would be nice but would almost definitely kill the tree, if it isn't dead already...sorry. As far as the crab goes, it looks weak, but not in danger of dying. Crabs like full sun and lots of water, at least here on the east coast. I would assume the same in CA, though it might appreciate some shade in your local as well as an appropriate insecticide assuming the tree really has wooly aphids, which it probably does.

 

[october]

Yes, Dave is correct.. It is almost a certainty that bringing them in for a week was not the down fall of these trees. Especially if they were still near a sunny window, out of air conditioning vents and watered properly. The juni might be a goner, but as Dave said, the crab looks ok.

Rob

 

[Kiani]

Oh no. Is there nothing I can do for the juni? =(

 

[Dav4]

....No....

 

[edprocoat]

The crab is a beautiful tree, great trunk and everything. The juniper is definetly in distress. I bought one with more brown on it that that almost 4 years ago now for .50 cents. I removed all teh brown stuff and set it in the shade and in a few weeks it had started to sprout new growth, its in the cascade section in a thread called cascade juniper need suggestions. It could be suffereing from too much water, if it feels heavy or is wet by the roots under the soil allow it dry out for a day and half, then water it again. Let it recuperate in the shade outdoors for 2 weeks and see if you get lucky, it will not cost you anything to give it a chance. I would not fertilize it as thats never good on a weak tree. Junipers are very tough, but brown does mean something is up with it, good luck.

ed

 

[rockm]

The crab should be fine. Insects of all types LOVE apples. They are the only trees that I've had to do preventative spraying on, for fungal issues and insects. They attract wooly aphids like a magnet. Welcome to the world of fruit tree bonsai... You wil also have to keep an eye out for borers, as they are sometimes attracted to exposed deadwood on fruit trees.

The juniper, however, looks pretty much like a goner. Sorry. I don't think the indoor conditions killed it, though. It has probably been in decline for quite some time, as it takes weeks or even months for junis and evergreens to show stress. Once they begin showing it, it's like a freight train you can't easily stop. That much dead foliage usually means it ain't coming back.

 

[JudyB]

Kiani, this has happened to most if not all of us here. When you get started, you want to do so much, and the tree is only going to be able to handle these insults a little at a time. It's sad, I know.

If you go back to the treads about these trees that you posted when you started, you'll see that the advice was to slow down the process, and not do so much right away. But there's a learning curve, and this seems to be the first hurdle that we all had to get over.
You should try to save the tree,(the shimp) but know that it's likely that it's already too far gone. It is a blow, but just learn from it, and move on. Hopefully the crab will be fine.

 

[rockm]

Is the tree in this thread
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?7004-Best-bonsai-for-200-300/page8
the one pictured above?

If it is, you might re-read your approach to the tree and learn from it, as painful as it might be. The work done was pretty aggressive and I'd bet the tree never recovered from it.

Don't be too upset or discouraged. What's happened to you here has happened to all of us--repeatedly. I still kill juniper 25 years down the line because I'm always too aggressive with them, working them like deciduosus trees.

All this is part of the learning curve. People can tell you ad infinitum what you're doing wrong, but nothing teaches like "first person" experience. Understanding there is a direct correlation to your work and the tree's health is not really an easy thing to grasp, until it's brought into sharp focus by a dead tree.

 

[Bill S]

Get an insecticidal soap for the apple, the pest as rockm said are relentless, you 'll need some handy.

 

[Kiani]

Thank you all for the advice.

Since most of you believe the juniper is probably a goner, should I go ahead and remove some of the brown foliage (or branches altogether) and see if that helps direct some energy to the healthy green areas?

 

[edprocoat]

Kiani, it couldn't hurt. I have found that removing weak foliage will help the tree by not needing to send energy to try and revive the weak areas. I have no proof of this but it seems to work for me. Of course I have never killed a juniper ! And if you beleive that I have an interesting investment opportunity for you to consider.

ed

 

[Dav4]

Honestly, if there is any chance of this juniper surviving, further manipulation will not help it and could very well kill it. Leave it alone and wait.