So, is it too hot to bonsai?

[Erndogy]

I didn't want to hijack an earlier thread, but it seems it's pretty hot almost everywhere. Is now the time that our trees shut down for the season? Is there nothing that could be done in this heat besides tropicals?

If the trees do shut down, is it temporary? If so at what point do they start to grow again?

Thanks

Ernie

 

[Smoke]

Mine are still growing, but they will shut down soon. They get a new spring burst around the end of Sept. here in Fresno.

 

[Erndogy]

Is it safe to prune/partially defoliate tridents now even if they shut down soon? Will they just be a little bare until they start growing again?

I gotta look into humic acid. I just saw poink's comment about not getting leaf burn on his tridents. All except for one of mine have them. I started noticing them a couple months ago after a malathion teatment..

Ernie

 

[Smoke]

I would not do any work to a diciduous tree now. One would run the risk of not having any foliage this year. Cut back around the first week in Sept. and the plant will respond well.

 

[Anthony]

If I might tease.

I live on a Tropical Island and our temperatures are maxing at 93 deg.F, for an hour and minimising to the low 70's at night.
The day temperature has to rise to the 90's and quickly drops back to the 70's after 6 p.m.

Humidity is between 80 to 60 %, and we will grow cooler after August.

Growth in trees is presently even and continuous.

You guys might have all the convenences, but I am sleeping with a thin cotton sheet as a covering in my jockeyshorts, and there are no mosquitoes. With a cool zephyr.
Good Day.
Anthony

 

[fourteener]

I might tease as well...

50 degrees this morning, going to be 75 almost everyday this week.

 

[JudyB]

A word of caution about humic acid... Be careful and go slow with it as an additive, it can be beneficial, but overdosing can be fatal.

 

[jk_lewis]

I might tease as well...

50 degrees this morning, going to be 75 almost everyday this week.

Yeah, well . . . write us again in February . . .

 

[fourteener]

Yeah, well . . . write us again in February . . .

I'll be too busy snowshoeing, looking for witches brooms!! No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!!

 

[Poink88]

No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!!

I beg to disagree STRONGLY.

 

[fourteener]

I beg to disagree STRONGLY.

This is why I love living where it's cold. You can always put more clothes on. But when it's hot (like when I lived in McKinney TX) you can only take so many clothes off before your arrested(not that I ever was, mind you). And your still hot.

 

[coh]

I beg to disagree STRONGLY.

Me too. What we're getting now...day after day of cloudy, drizzly/rainy, raw conditions with temperatures in the 60s...that's just BAD weather for early July! No clothing is gonna fix that. This should be the peak of the growing season for us. Yuck.

Chris

 

[coh]

This is why I love living where it's cold. You can always put more clothes on. But when it's hot (like when I lived in McKinney TX) you can only take so many clothes off before your arrested(not that I ever was, mind you). And your still hot.

It's OK, we're not gonna judge you. At least, I won't. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?

 

[Poink88]

I am not just talking about cold/hot weather now though. Your blanket statement covers all bad weather and I've been on several nasty (really BAD) ones.

Re; cold/hot weather, I will surely die and turn into a popsicle around your area during winter. I'd rather stay here between the 2 choices. But if I can be in Hawaii or something similar, I'd move in a heartbeat. Maybe move to Florida when I retire. I'm too chicken to move to (northern) California or even Oregon in fear of earthquake. Hard to shake off an 8.1 magnitude earthquake experience (w/ thousands of aftershocks some are 7+ magnitude).

 

[fourteener]

So, in all seriousness to the heart of this thread, what are the issues related to the midsummer shutdown on trees. I heard Rodney Clemons talk about it once. We were in amazement since the topic is out of our realm. For new people who don't know much about it...

Do trees need less water?
Are some trees more affected than others. (Species, pot size)
Good practices for the issue
Don't freak out when...
What happens as trees are coming back into another growth cycle. (is it temp related)
Is it a good time to work on trees or leave them alone.

If I ever moved to one of your hot states, those are the questions I'd ask?

 

[Poink88]

As I understood it...around mid-90s the roots shut down (actually just slow down). Leaves still work but with minimal supply cannot do much so growth is suspended. Reducing leaves now IMHO is a bad idea.

Water use via root absorption is reduced but transpiration is greater so I still water a lot.

Around end of summer, temps start to go down and plant starts growing again just like spring.

I think protection is usually overlooked. Try to keep the pot cooler. Too hot and the roots will literally cook. I used to mulch my pots and it helped...this time, I am applying some fabric (jute) over the pots. I should have done it but haven't yet. Work is scheduled for the 4th of July. I chose jute because it comes in sheets/rolls fairly cheaply and lets water through easily. Others use aluminum foil on the walls of their pots. I would love to use sunscreen fabrics but my HOA won't let me.

 

[fourteener]

Is misting useful. Getting the foliage wet without soaking the roots too much?

Do you fertilize during this time or is that a bad idea?

 

[Poink88]

I don't have a mister so not sure but I'd imagine it is not a bad idea. However, with the heat, they almost evaporate instantly anyway so not sure if the cost is worth it. That said, I am planning a sprinkler system and have 25 misters on my list. Small quantity vs the several hundred bubblers I am getting.

I still fertilize but diluted and in less frequency. Good or bad idea, I am not sure...I am just winging that part.

Smoke would be a good resource for all your questions and I would love to hear what he have to say.

 

[Poink88]

BTW, my logwood/campeche/bloodwood (tropical) are growing like crazy right now and I am pruning them almost weekly. They suck water like no tomorrow that I am tempted to double pot them (dish pan w/o holes) and let them actually soak like bald cypress.

 

[Dav4]

Here in GA during July and August, when the temps are in the upper 80's or higher, with lots of ambient humidity, all of my trees need less watering for sure. Whether it's reduced transpiration, reduced evaporation from the pot, or both (my suspicion), the soil media stays moist much longer then it does in, say, April. All trees seem affected, with both deciduous and coniferous drinking less. The pines that are decandled continue to grow, as they are sending out their second flush of buds. The junipers also keep growing, but at a snails pace to what they were doing three months previously. I reduce frequency of ferts to every two weeks until the weather starts to cool in late summer.