What's happening to my Calliandra aka dwarf powderpuff?

[Katie0317]

This is a new plant...Only a few weeks old but was perfectly healthy when I got it.

The leaves started turning brown and dropping and it's just getting worse. We've been getting a lot of rain here but I missed watering on one day while we were away but am sure we got rain that day.

We have a dozen other trees and they're all fine. Any ideas?

 

[Cadillactaste]

So you don't water when it rains? That's very misleading. Unless a monsoon...one should always still water.

I will say this...when I winter mine inside. I added spaghnum moss as a top dressing because I noticed something similar on a few leaves. I felt under lights it was drying out to quickly. By adding the New Zealand spaghnum moss...this stopped occurring. So to me...I come to the conclusion it was telltale of being dried out between watering.

That is what the foliage looked like. Dying back from the edges. Just because it rains...it may have not been enough.

 

[Katie0317]

Thank you, we don't use spaghum moss in Florida (we have over 150 orchids)...It holds too much water here. We'll be able to keep the trees outside almost year round. We rarely go below 40 degrees. Thank you though.

I just checked and cut leaves and stems and trunk cadmium are all still green. All the other trees are pretty much watered the exact same way so it's odd. When I was just out there and snipping it I saw two teeny tiny creatures on it. Fast as heck and much smaller than ants. They could be 'normal' Florida bugs but it made me wonder? Any ideas on that? Only the leaves turned brown, crispy and dropped. The rest is very green.

Also I had little cups of fertilizer in the tree (Jason at Schley's uses them on everything)...Some tipped and spilled and I wondered if that had something to do with it? It's a very low dose time release fertilizer. (Not Jason's, he uses Suncote). I dug all the little balls of them out and they were only like that for two days.

The tree is still budding and is green everywhere else...It's a mystery to me and very concerning. This tree is a favorite! I know they're not terribly common but they are not uncommon in these parts.

Appreciate your ideas...

 

[Cadillactaste]

Sorry, I didn't mean to say use moss. I meant to say...I feel it dried out. Since I seen similar symptoms from drying out.

I don't see fertilizer being an issue. Many don't use the cups and just toss it over the soil. Like Adam Lavigne does for example.

Pests happen...but I think it looks like the foliage dried out. Didn't have the moisture to handle the heat...so showing stress.

I'm glad you found green as a scratch test. I think it's cosmetic then. Just watch it...don't assume rain is enough for this species. Especially in your location.

 

[Katie0317]

I agree that it looks like it dried out. It just surprised me that it would happen after one day although it's still hotter than blue blazes here in the sun. Summer here will go deep into October before the temp starts cooling and the sun stops beating so hard. It's why retired people still flock here in droves to retire.

We weren't home that day but there were puddles in the street which usually means a hard rain. In Florida we tend to get rain almost every afternoon and/or at night and it's often an incredibly hard, hard rain. But that day it must not have been.

I'm really surprised it would do that after one day of not getting enough water. It's a lesson to me for sure though. Have you had this happen after missing one watering? I honestly didn't know the powderpuff was that delicate.

 

[Firstflush]

If you were already near dry within the pot, an additional day without water would absolutely result in what you see.
They are pretty tough here in 10b.
When you water, do you continue until water comes out the bottom?
It may buy you some time between watering periods.

 

[Carol 83]

I honestly didn't know the powderpuff was that delicate.

I have a couple of little ones and find them frustrating. They are continually dropping leaves, but then they grow new ones. No idea why. I do agree yours appears to have dried out. They are usually quick to put out new leaves though.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I agree that it looks like it dried out. It just surprised me that it would happen after one day although it's still hotter than blue blazes here in the sun. Summer here will go deep into October before the temp starts cooling and the sun stops beating so hard. It's why retired people still flock here in droves to retire.

We weren't home that day but there were puddles in the street which usually means a hard rain. In Florida we tend to get rain almost every afternoon and/or at night and it's often an incredibly hard, hard rain. But that day it must not have been.

I'm really surprised it would do that after one day of not getting enough water. It's a lesson to me for sure though. Have you had this happen after missing one watering? I honestly didn't know the powderpuff was that delicate.

Understand this...a good friend doing bonsai as long as I...depended on the rain as well, like you said...you are used to a lot of rain. Turned off her sprinkler system. And lost a tree to being away. [Florida]... it happens even to the more experienced. Yours should recover. So that is a good thing. Hers...didn't.

 

[Katie0317]

There are two of us watering and my husband and I have different ways of going about it. He waters everything. I check the pot and see what's what before I water anything.

I just went out there and a number of the pre-bonsai in dirt are too wet. Others in dirt needed water. Most (but not all) in bonsai substrate needed water so I watered accordingly. I have a small boxwood harlandii that never! seems to get enough water and serissas are always ready for more. Even a batch of serissas (16 of them) I got on Ebay planted in pure dirt are always up for more...rain or no rain.

I've tried to share with my husband that checking before watering is a good idea. He made the decision not to water mine after that conversation but I missed the message although he alerted me the next morning. We're on the same page now.

I always water until water comes out the drainage holes and then I usually wait and water again although not as vigorously.

To be honest I have more concern about root rot with pre-bonsai in dirt. It seems unnatural to keep those wet and they do stay wet longer (obviously).

Thanks for suggesting that this is not the end of the world but stress and a condition that will recover. I've grown roses forever and orchids almost as long but never have great concern about them. They're generally much more resilient than bonsai trees and I've gotten attached to a few roses but not as quickly as I have to the bonsai trees. Not sure what that's about but very true.

 

[penumbra]

I have two pink powderpuff trees from Wigerts. The first one I have had a couple years and it grows like a weed inside and out and bloom,s a good part of the winter. It is the larger powderpuff they offer. It also roots very easily from cuttings.
The other I have is the dwarf one I believe like yours. She is an uncooperative b...h. More than half of it died and I am sure it wasn't for lack of water. It also will not root from cuttings. We are not on good terms and a separation could be in our future.

 

[Katie0317]

I'm so sorry. Some relationships are like that. At least there won't be alimony involved. I think mine is going to be a sweetheart. I take full responsibility for this misstep.

Send her to me if you're seriously going to let her go and I'll trade cuttings of something. We have a lot of bougie trees and plants if you want to try those? Want to try an easy orchid? A dendrobium is fun in the spring and summer and tends to bloom quite a lot. I tend to have mostly tropicals for obvious reasons.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have two pink powderpuff trees from Wigerts. The first one I have had a couple years and it grows like a weed inside and out and bloom,s a good part of the winter. It is the larger powderpuff they offer. It also roots very easily from cuttings.
The other I have is the dwarf one I believe like yours. She is an uncooperative b...h. More than half of it died and I am sure it wasn't for lack of water. It also will not root from cuttings. We are not on good terms and a separation could be in our future.

Sorry to hear that...I've a dwarf powderpuff on the right...and it does well for me. Only issues was inside and it needed the spaghnum moss and then didn't skip a beat.

 

[penumbra]

After a recent cut back I am waiting to see how she responds. I have never said an unkind word to her but perhaps she senses my feelings.
I am considering counseling. Who knows, we might work it out.

 

[Cadillactaste]

After a recent cut back I am waiting to see how she responds. I have never said an unkind word to her but perhaps she senses my feelings.
I am considering counseling. Who knows, we might work it out.

I've never cut back past foliage on the branch. Have you? This will get trimmed back once it comes inside. But I leave foliage on every branch when doing so. Just to afraid to learn how it responds. Would hate to lose a branch. It works for me though...so not complaining.

 

[Katie0317]

I actually believe all my plants know how I feel about them. It may sound odd but I'm a believer.

Was told to keep pruning them back to shorten the nodes but I haven't touched mine. It was nice and full when I got it. Not so much now but we have another six weeks of summer weather so hope it will rebound...Have a sense it will rebound. Everything is green except for the leaves..mostly on the tips. Tons of buds.

I bought mine at D&L nursery and he has a huge number of these and knows them well. Am going to take mine to a workshop to see how he suggests it be wired. I bought a mature one thats ready to be potted but am going to wait til spring.

Took a mini weeping bermuda cherry to a workshop with him and it doesn't look like the same plant! I bought it thinking it was supposed to be a cascading plant. All those cascades are gone now but it has a wonderful shape. Like a weeping willow.

I like the trunk on yours though...How old is it?

 

[Cadillactaste]

@Katie0317 that's great you have that kind of access to get one to help further your journey.

Thanks for the kind words...I have no idea the age...it was a gift from a friend thinning down her collection. She knew I had always loved it. In training...maybe 4-5 years is what I do know. I'm not one to put an age to a tree...I prefer time in training it's easier to be more accurate.

 

[Katie0317]

It looks like she braided three trees to get the trunk?

I'll let you know what I learn after I workshop the powderpuff. I'd like to do it with all my trees. Did the weeping bermuda cherry first because it's so delicate. It had branches well over a foot long and I thought that was the beauty of it...Gone! Now I can see what's beautiful about it. Very much like a weeping willow. High on top and the branches obviously weep from there, but not quite to the bottom of the pot.

Jason has workshops also and is very active in one of many local clubs. He's a natural teacher. I could tell that from the time we spent with him. I used to teach Fine Art in local colleges and when you're learning from someone else you know when they're good at it rather quickly. Also a very nice person. My husband bought a beautiful sea hibiscus from him but I was too tired and hungry to buy anything other than a purple shohin pixie bougie sapling. It had a big trunk though and even Jason said, "wow..." Don't think he knew it was hiding in there. We have lots of bougies growing as trees that started as babies...Bigger than the house. No joke. He said purple pixie shohin were rare though. We hadn't planned on going that day but we were in the area. He's only a half hour from us. We'll go back!

Enjoy your powderpuff and thank you for the watering thoughts on mine. I think everybody was right. Even one day without a serious watering can 'do it' with these delicate varieties. I'll let you know how mine does.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It may look that way. But it isn't. One tree comes from the tangled mess. I repotted it...I have a braided tropical hibiscus potted tree. (Not bonsai) you get three trunks at the top of the braid. This isn't that way. It's a hot mess of roots that are neagari. It actually came that way from the nursery.

Jason...as in Jason Schley? If so...great guy. I've a few trees from him.

I can't imagine having such close proximity to bonsai nurseries...my attempt at a modest numbered collection would not be possible.

Purple pixie shohin...wow that is pretty sweet.

 

[Katie0317]

Yes, Jason Schley. Yes, we're fortunate to be surrounded by great nurseries. D&L is awesome! He doesn't do online sales. He's in the middle of nowhere but has been doing this 30 years and is very well known in the bonsai biz. Also a great person.

 

[Katie0317]

Oh...I'd read about neagari roots. How some people use a clear plastic cut off soda or water bottle to force it. They're so different, I like it.