Did I kill it?

[elena999]

I purchased a willow leaf tree. I have had it only a few months. It lost 90 % of its leaves but I see it trying to regain new ones. This tree had a very nice, flat, green area of moss on it..Its lost all color..now its brown (not crispy) even with water it wont turn green anymore. I dont know anything about moss but it looked so nice when I got it. Is there hope??

 

[jedge76]

Yea, that's a willow leaf ficus I believe. I am guessing you are keeping it indoors, so I wonder if you have enough light on it. Humidity is another issue with indoor housing of trees. Whenever it gets warm enough I would put it outside in some dappled shade during the summer.

 

[jk_lewis]

Is that a current picture?

They are very tough trees. BUT they do NOT like wet roots, so do not overwater. The soil should be dry when you water.

 

[sorce]

The moss.

The moss.

Some could grow inside.
Most probably won't.

?

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

I must ask. Are those pebbles glued on? Is that soil staying wet for long periods?
I don't know crap about ficus but this looks like one of those mass produced trees sold in malls and big box stores nation wide. Maybe? Hard to tell from the picture.

 

[Cypress187]

I dont know anything about moss but it looked so nice when I got it. Is there hope??

I think that moss can be saved.

 

[elena999]

I purchased a willow leaf tree. I have had it only a few months. It lost 90 % of its leaves but I see it trying to regain new ones. This tree had a very nice, flat, green area of moss on it..Its lost all color..now its brown (not crispy) even with water it wont turn green anymore. I dont know anything about moss but it looked so nice when I got it. Is there hope??

I must ask. Are those pebbles glued on? Is that soil staying wet for long periods?
I don't know crap about ficus but this looks like one of those mass produced trees sold in malls and big box stores nation wide. Maybe? Hard to tell from the picture.

Its def not a mall tree. They are not glued on. The tree will recover, just put out for the summer..It got a shock but the Moss is what I was asking about..

 

[elena999]

Yea, that's a willow leaf ficus I believe. I am guessing you are keeping it indoors, so I wonder if you have enough light on it. Humidity is another issue with indoor housing of trees. Whenever it gets warm enough I would put it outside in some dappled shade during the summer.

It seems the transition to outside made the leaves drop. Iwanted to know if the moss would re green.

 

[Paradox]

They are very tough trees. BUT they do NOT like wet roots, so do not overwater. The soil should be dry when you water.

Good to know, thanks for mentioning it. I have one of these that I got from one of my clubs as a workshop item last year.
The soil they provided at the time we did the workshop (not bonsai soil) could very well stay too wet. I need to make sure I repot that one this year when it gets a little warmer.
Is there a particular mix and particle size you recommend?

 

[M. Frary]

About the moss. Alive or dead,it needs to come off of the trunk. It can ruin the bark.
If it is dead, get more. I kill it all of the time with fertilizer. I just go pick more. Get different kinds. Mix it up. Make it look like a forest floor. Not a lawn.

 

[jk_lewis]

Is there a particular mix and particle size you recommend?

I use standard Turface MPV with a LITTLE crushed bark.

As noted, get the moss off the bark. Otherwise, it will be fine. But again, if the moss is too lush, the soil is too wet and the tree will be unhappy.

 

[JudyB]

I had to read twice to see that it's the moss not the tree you were worried about. Glad it's just the moss. Try to find some moss that's growing out in open sun, maybe in pavement cracks, and harvest that for your tree. That type of moss will be able to deal with the dryer sunnier conditions that is what your tree wants.