Serious Problem. Cork JPB shoots dying.

[equanox1]

so I have a serious problem and I don’t know what it is or how to fix it. My pines shoots just became white over a period of a day or two and have began dying back. They are really fragile, more than usual, way more so, almost squeezable. I don’t know what’s going on. It’s almost spontaneous and it’s happened to this tree and another tree. I’ve kept everything organic except trying prevegenics microgenics… which I think somehow has something to do with it. Can someone please help me with a diagnoses and even a solution for a fix or anything at all, please.

Thank you so much

 

[bonsaichile]

Did you repot it or do any root work this year?

 

[Clicio]

Why is this sapling in a bonsai pot?

 

[MaciekA]

I agree with @Clicio . An instant-bonsai approach doesn't work with pines and there is some evidence in the pictures that instant-bonsai has been the approach. A corkbark JBP is weaker than a JBP, but the actions on this tree so far look rushed for any pine. On any pine, when looking to chop a strong leader and repot into a bonsai pot (possibly slip potting? hard to tell), it's important to be highly cognizant of the ways in which a pine "earns" the ability to get into a bonsai pot and how a pine "earns" the ability to lose a leader.

While it is possible the biological additive was the "final straw" that brought down this tree and your other tree, I think it's important (esp before this thread gets a whole lot of other posts steering you towards a chemical-oriented mindset) to note that to many eyes, this tree would have looked like a weak / overworked / rushed-into-shallow-pot JBP even if those shoots were doing fine. The experienced JBP growers on this forum would have urged restraint and a review of the order of operations in which pines should ideally progress.

Maybe consider signing up for the Mirai 1-month trial and binge your way through the pine horticulture and pine concepts videos so you can avoid going down the path of making it up as you go, or using/thinking about biological additives / fungicides / etc in the context of issues like this. Or take a look at @Brian Van Fleet 's JBP book which can give you an outline of how things should go. Pine horticulture isn't hard once you've been introduced to it ... but if you're totally new to it and already growing and making big daring changes, issues like this may pop up and feel very mysterious and inexplicable.

Disclaimer -- not claiming I know what happened here but it's easy to see the tree is being rushed and that raises susceptibility to many issues, both biotic or abiotic.

 

[Dav4]

When I see candles throughout a tree looking like that, I think acute root collapse as being most likely. Trauma/root work at the wrong time, overwatering or infection, toxins, etc. When was the last repot and what exactly is this microgenics and when/how did you apply it. I don’t thank this tree is going to do well, but figuring out why it’s in this condition will likely help you in the future with other trees.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Agreeing with previous comments completely. Also saw on Accuweather eastern area of US was to have Winter cold spell last week or so. Did this happen? Freezing during Spring growth can kill conifers in pots.