Stressed Itiogawa Shimpaku

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
Stressed Itoigawa Shimpaku

So this past thursday morning i put out a fresh batch of organic fertilizer on my junipers. When I got home from work thursday night I looked out at my yard in horror to see my neighbors cat on my bench wrapped around its trunk upside down in heaven. It must have liked the smell of the fresh fertilizer there was some fish emulsion in this batch. I opened the door and yelled at the cat, to which their fat cat rolled over lost it's balance and took the Kifu sized shimpaku down with it. It knocked the pot off the chest high bench. The pot fell broke into several pieces and the tree fell out, the pot alone was 200 dollars don't even ask how much the tree was! It was repotted this spring so it had yet to fill out its new soil and pot. I immediately put it in a bath to soak for an hour and filled a new pot with fresh soil, then placed the tree in there without touching the roots. I gently situated the soil around the rootball with a chopstick, watered the tree, and put it back out on it's bench. A little under a week later and the foliage is sagging and turning a yellowish cast some parts are looking a little brown. I've been misting it several times a day since then because of the trauma, usually i don't mist or water the foliage more then once a week on my shimpakus. We've been having a heat wave for 2 days now with temps around 95 and bright sun and will continue till next week, i'm thinking of moving it to partial shade under a 30% shade cloth. I might also bring it in at night so the roots can cool from the warm days we're having. Although i've never done that before when repotting junipers mid spring. I think this old tree may not make it definitely doesn't look good, anyone have any juniper saving magic tips for trees the neighborhood pets decimated? The cat had the nerve to turn around and look at me like I disturbed it's fun and it couldn't believe I yelled at it and made it fall.... I just might kill that cat!
 
Last edited:

october

Masterpiece
Messages
3,444
Reaction score
325
Location
Massachusetts
I am sorry to hear this. It is just terrible to see it happening. I would definitely get the tree out of the heat. We are also experiencing the heat wave. Early morning sun only, until the tree starts showing signs of recovery. Although it is late, imo, the bath for an hour was not necessary. In that instance, there should be no hesitation. It should go right back into a pot with good soil, watered and left alone.

My straight trunk, old bujin fell off the ledge once about a month after it was repotted. Tree and pot fell about the same distance at yours. I do not know how long it was out. I found it in the morning. Put it right back in a pot. It never missed a beat even though it was completely uprooted.

At this point, all you can do is protect it from strong sun and don't do anything to it as far as chemicals. No fertilizer, pesticides etc. The tree will decide. I wish you luck with this. Can you post some pics? Also, do you think the cat might have pissed on it?

Rob
 

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
I am sorry to hear this. It is just terrible to see it happening. I would definitely get the tree out of the heat. We are also experiencing the heat wave. Early morning sun only, until the tree starts showing signs of recovery. Although it is late, imo, the bath for an hour was not necessary. In that instance, there should be no hesitation. It should go right back into a pot with good soil, watered and left alone.

My straight trunk, old bujin fell off the ledge once about a month after it was repotted. Tree and pot fell about the same distance at yours. I do not know how long it was out. I found it in the morning. Put it right back in a pot. It never missed a beat even though it was completely uprooted.

At this point, all you can do is protect it from strong sun and don't do anything to it as far as chemicals. No fertilizer, pesticides etc. The tree will decide. I wish you luck with this. Can you post some pics? Also, do you think the cat might have pissed on it?

Rob

I guess it's possible he peed on it, damn cat. Will take pics this weekend if it's still alive. How did your tree fare?
 
Last edited:

october

Masterpiece
Messages
3,444
Reaction score
325
Location
Massachusetts
I guess it's possible he peed on it, damn cat. Will take pics this weekend if it's still alive. How did your tree fare?

It was perfectly fine. It had no effect on the tree. This happened about 5 years ago.

Also, as long as your tree is only dying in sections, there is a chance. However, when a conifer turns a different color all at once, out of season, then the tree is dead. Such as a juniper turning from a moderate green to an olive green or a blue atlas cedar turning green.

Rob
 

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
It was perfectly fine. It had no effect on the tree. This happened about 5 years ago.

Also, as long as your tree is only dying in sections, there is a chance. However, when a conifer turns a different color all at once, out of season, then the tree is dead. Such as a juniper turning from a moderate green to an olive green or a blue atlas cedar turning green.

Rob

Unfortunately it's an overall color change. The entire foliage is getting paler and deader looking by the day a little less so at the tips but it's sagging overall, there's not one branch that looks happy. I'm guessing the roots aren't taking up enough water due to the shock and the heat since it's been in full sun. It's inside tonight i'll leave it in the bathroom to keep it from drying out. Will do the same each night until the heat wave is gone. I haven't lost a tree in years, I think I may start wiring trees to my benches after this experience.

I had a kishu go yellow overall gradually and come back over the summer, but it wasn't due to trauma it was some sort of fungus. This is definitely due to the stress of the fall, not mites, bugs, or fungus on this one.
 
Last edited:

october

Masterpiece
Messages
3,444
Reaction score
325
Location
Massachusetts
You think it was a fungus... Usually fungal diseases on junipers turn sections completely brown and dead within a week or 2. Yellowing can be caused by a variety of things.

Rob
 

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
You think it was a fungus... Usually fungal diseases on junipers turn sections completely brown and dead within a week or 2. Yellowing can be caused by a variety of things.

Rob

I'm not really sure what caused it on my kishu. I sprayed it with copper 3 weeks in a row then twice 10 days apart with daconil and I changed my fertilizer regimen to be more acidic. Added 50% hollytone to my otherwise balanced organic tea bags and a dose of azomite (micronutrients,) it became a nice dark green before winter last year. Could have been fungus, but could have been do to an imbalance in the soil.

Do you think I should keep the itoigawa indoors or outdoors in full shade from mid day till early morning, even in full shade it's 90+ during the day right now. I think it still has a chance but it surely doesn't look promising, one thing i'm sure of I have to make an immediate change to have any chance of saving it.
 

october

Masterpiece
Messages
3,444
Reaction score
325
Location
Massachusetts
I would leave it outside in full shade for the next week. With misting as needed and watering only when needed. Then maybe a couple hours of morning sun after that. I really hope this trees survives for you. The thing with this is that the tree's survival is most important. However, what you are left with might be something that will never reach its previous beautiful state or a tree that will take the next 4-6 years to recover. It is heartbreaking.

Rob
 

Smoke

Ignore-Amus
Messages
11,668
Reaction score
20,724
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
As soon as you found it, cut some foliage back and spray with could cover. As soon as it spilled out of the soil for over ten minutes the roots stop functioning. The tree at that point is only living off trunk moisture. The less you lose to traspiration the better.

Probably too late by now.
 

wlambeth

Mame
Messages
239
Reaction score
141
Two options

The way I see it you have two options.
1.) call animal control and have them loan you a trap.
Trap the cat, take it about 100 miles away and leave it in the woods.
2.) This would be the better option: Sue the neighbor for the lost pot and tree.
If that doesn't work then fall back on option 1
People must learn to take responsibility for their animals.
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
The way I see it you have two options.
1.) call animal control and have them loan you a trap.
Trap the cat, take it about 100 miles away and leave it in the woods.
2.) This would be the better option: Sue the neighbor for the lost pot and tree.
If that doesn't work then fall back on option 1
People must learn to take responsibility for their animals.

Sounds like a good entry to this old thread...
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?9650-Damaged-pot-tree-by-a-pet
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
Beng,

Since you were there when it happened, managed to act on it immediately and the tree still deteriorated this fast, could it be that the tree is on that declining health projection even w/o the incident (just accelerated)? I am not depending the cat or it's owner, just wondering. .

I really hope your tree make it though. Good luck!
 

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
Beng,

Since you were there when it happened, managed to act on it immediately and the tree still deteriorated this fast, could it be that the tree is on that declining health projection even w/o the incident (just accelerated)? I am not depending the cat or it's owner, just wondering. .

I really hope your tree make it though. Good luck!

Doubt that most trees uprooted from their pot forecefully on a 90 plus degree day aren't gonna respond well when it was repotted just a few months ago. Plus it fell about 4-5 feet onto concrete. I also put it back in the sun the following days which may have been a mistake. I have it under a 30% shade cloth today, I think it may loose half the top...

I really like wilambeths suggestions!!! To bad my wife's a lover of all felines and she'd be really upset if I trapped it. ;-/
 
Last edited:

coh

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,781
Reaction score
6,822
Location
Rochester, NY
USDA Zone
6
Doubt that most trees uprooted from their pot forecefully on a 90 plus degree day aren't gonna respond well when it was repotted just a few months ago. Plus it fell about 4-5 feet. I also put it back in the sun the following days which may have been a mistake. I have it under a 30% shade cloth today, I think it may loose half the top...

I really like wilambeths suggestions!!! To bad my wife's a lover of all felines and she'd be really upset if I trapped it.
What she doesn't know...

Good luck with the tree!

Chris
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,751
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Well, that sucks to hear. I hope that you get lucky with this one.

I had my small JWP get crushed in storm damage last year, and be out of it's pot with exposed roots for a couple of hours (not sure how long, I was at work.) thankfully, it rebounded, and pulled thru...
 
Last edited:

tmmason10

Omono
Messages
1,836
Reaction score
87
Location
North Attleboro, MA
USDA Zone
6b
I had SOMEWHAT similar thoughts with Dario, which doesn't happen very often, but because of the heat wave we are having I can understand that even with swift action some damage was likely done. If the tree wasnt freshly repotted, or had it been not quite as hot, then I would think that something happening that quickly would be similar to a slip potting.

For why it's worth, I took a ficus cutting over a month ago, and I have found it out of its pot at least three times including two weeks ago, with no roots. I now see roots coming to the drainage hole, which ironically is probably contributed to the heat wave we are having.

Anyways, I'm sorry to hear this and I imagine its very frustrating to have a major setback on a nice tree in a good pot.
 

Beng

Omono
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
51
Location
Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone
10b
Very dead, all the foliage is brown. At least it's not my only juniper or i'd be seriously depressed. I took it out of the pot after to examine and "smell the roots" smelled like cat urine. So I'm guessing Rob was right in addition to knocking it over I think it peed on it, at least the cats steered clear of my yard since I chased it out screaming.
 

mc4mc44

Mame
Messages
145
Reaction score
4
Location
Long Pond, PA
Very dead, all the foliage is brown. At least it's not my only juniper or i'd be seriously depressed. I took it out of the pot after to examine and "smell the roots" smelled like cat urine. So I'm guessing Rob was right in addition to knocking it over I think it peed on it, at least the cats steered clear of my yard since I chased it out screaming.

You need to have a chat with your neighbor. Bring the dead tree, and a bill for what they owe you.

If they act snotty just walk away with a smile on your face. Then buy a trap, and a couple cans of cat food. When you catch it take it for a little drive, and pretend nothing happened. If you feel bad dumping it in the woods you could take it to a shelter in another town. Don't let the family find out; your own family or theirs. Buy the trap with cash, some people would go as far as to get the police to search your credit card purchases.

I had some cat issues, for me a talk with the neighbor worked out, reasonable people will listen and understand it was their fault. Unreasonable people can't be reasoned with.
They should have taken precautions to keep their animal on their own property, you shouldn't have to worry about keeping it off yours.
 
Last edited:

Dav4

Drop Branch Murphy
Messages
13,016
Reaction score
29,689
Location
SE MI- Bonsai'd for 12 years both MA and N GA
USDA Zone
6a
Very dead, all the foliage is brown. At least it's not my only juniper or i'd be seriously depressed. I took it out of the pot after to examine and "smell the roots" smelled like cat urine. So I'm guessing Rob was right in addition to knocking it over I think it peed on it, at least the cats steered clear of my yard since I chased it out screaming.

Man, that's too bad. I wonder if the cat had been peeing in/on the pot for a while, as in days or weeks, before knocking it off the shelf? Cat pee can be super concentrated, nasty stuff.
 
Top Bottom