Your Hardest Kill

[Brian Van Fleet]

These have all passed on?

Yup

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Killed this Ilex too, that’s a 21” pot.

 

[LanceMac10]

Brother Johnny went to Roy Nagatoshi's in CA. a few years ago...check this "pile"....

 

[HorseloverFat]

Brother Johnny went to Roy Nagatoshi's in CA. a few years ago...check this "pile"....

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Too bad there isn’t a “Holy Sh*t!” Reaction Emoji.

 

[LanceMac10]

Too bad there isn’t a “Holy Sh*t!” Reaction Emoji.

eases the pain, so to speak......that's an expensive looking version of "bring out 'yer dead....."

 

[misfit11]

We've all lost some loved ones in this hobby for sure. It's somehow comforting to know that it even happens to some of the best in our ranks (@Dav4 , @Brian Van Fleet etc). I've spent some time out at some REBS members' places (Jim Gremel, Ned Lycett etc) and to see their bonsai graveyards is absolutely heartbreaking...

Here are some of my dearly departed. I've murdered far more but here are some of the ones I miss the most.

Sierra Juniper (bought from Ned)


Cascade Shohin RMJ (Very first bonsai I ever did started in 2002. Kept for 10 years. RIP little guy)


Bunjin Shore Pine (I think this really had some potential).

 

[aprilmei]

In the past my wife has made the whole family dress up and attend funerals for people we didn't personally know just because we have kids, and, "there should ALWAYS be a baby at every funeral," she said.

Your wife sounds like a nice person, to take the time to do something like that for a stranger.

 

[ShadyStump]

Your wife sounds like a nice person, to take the time to do something like that for a stranger.

My wife is bipolar, and thus has never once been called, "nice."
But she's also tries harder than anyone and is the most principled person I've ever met.

Whereas I have been called, "nice," by everyone, but have no principles whatsoever.

 

[AlainK]

Innocence : that's my hardest kill.

I'm still trying to find it back - if ever I had some, you know it's a bit like "faith", the kind of thing you really want to believe in, except you're not a 5-yr-old now.... The rest is "material", things, animated or not, live and die

 

[AZ Newb]

Killed this Ilex too, that’s a 21” pot.
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Hi Brian. Thanks for all your helpful posts. As a beginner, I was curious as to what you think killed this amazing tree? My problem is that when I kill my trees, I don’t know how to learn what I did wrong to to try and better myself going forward. Thanks so much.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Dropped dead over winter '15/'16, broke my heart and I will never forget. Grown by me from a pencil from ~2001. In a 13" (inside) pot.

 

[barrosinc]

Man... this thread is painful.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Hi Brian. Thanks for all your helpful posts. As a beginner, I was curious as to what you think killed this amazing tree? My problem is that when I kill my trees, I don’t know how to learn what I did wrong to to try and better myself going forward. Thanks so much.

Two things.

First, we had a record-setting cold snap in the winter when temps dropped down into single digits. I believe these trees are ok in the ground, but in pots, the roots were exposed to more cold than they could handle. I don’t think they should be exposed to much below 25f.

Second, the roots are very fine and sensitive to drying out. I have seen several examples where they died because the roots out on the edges dried out repeatedly over time. I would work In a finer soil into the edges of the pot to mitigate this.

 

[sorce]

I don’t know how to learn what I did wrong

The only way to learn what you did wrong is to only have done one thing in the first place. As much as I hate "didn't skip a beat", cuz we can never know, I reckon if you're noticing beats skipped, you're doing something wrong. Beats skipped for me (and someone would fling the record across the room) every spring repotting. Nothing skips beats repotting in summer for me.

After doing everything to minimize "recovery" periods, you can start gauging what recovery actually is, and you can operate without worry.

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

The only way to learn what you did wrong is to only have done one thing in the first place. As much as I hate "didn't skip a beat", cuz we can never know, I reckon if you're noticing beats skipped, you're doing something wrong. Beats skipped for me (and someone would fling the record across the room) every spring repotting. Nothing skips beats repotting in summer for me.

After doing everything to minimize "recovery" periods, you can start gauging what recovery actually is, and you can operate without worry.

Sorce

Yes!! I’m learning that patience when it comes to performing operations... make it so that if something DOES go “south”.. it’s easy to trace back.

 

[JesusFreak]

What’s the most common cause of death that y’all would like to share?

 

[leatherback]

What’s the most common cause of death that y’all would like to share?

impatience I would say.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Drought in summer, drying winds outside in winter, wet soil indoors.

 

[HorseloverFat]

impatience I would say.

Yup.

 

[Don Blackmond]

What’s the most common cause of death that y’all would like to share?

watering. too much or too little.