Can this silverberry be saved?

[Catagonia]

I bought this at a club sale a few months back. It came in a fairly small training pot (that it is still in).

I noticed at the time that the upmost leaves were a little dry-looking and had a different texture than most of the tree. Also, some but not all leaves had raised white dots or bumps, which I thought were characteristic of silverberry. I wasn’t able to find any pictures that looked very similar, though, and I saw a lovely one at a show that was entirely dot-free.


I could never get it to thrive (despite being in the same area as my other trees and watering it when it felt dry) and the white spots spread.

It was large enough (and the pot light enough) that the wind kept knocking it over unless I wedged it between things, and part of the soil fell out. The roots weren’t exposed, though, and I topped it up with some Boons Mix. I also gave it a fairly hefty pruning.

So now it’s hot and the plants are getting 1-2 watering per day.

A couple weeks ago I gave all my outdoor container plants a light soap rinse, because I think another plant had spider mites. I noticed that the white dots washed off easily, leaving shiny leaves. So I, um, decided to clean them off thinking they may be pest-related.

Now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have done that? I moved this plant (and the spider mite plant) away from other plants and since it seemed to have been a little scorch, into dappled shade.If anything, I think it may be getting too much water. Not sure what mix it’s in, but it’s not completely inorganic.

Ten days later, even in the shade, many of the leaves are browning.



Still no idea what was causing it to be lackluster to start with, but this can’t be good. It seems like the brown spots are more or less in the areas I washed most thoroughly.

Any suggestions for nursing it back to health? My inclination is to just keep it in the dappled shade, leave it be other than watering, and see if the next round of leaves looks better. And does anyone know if those white spots are normal for the species or what they might be?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Looks like a sunburn to me, the foliage might have lost some cuticle wax that protects it, not just from the sun but also from evaporation.
Root damage (drowning, lack of air) can play parts here too. I think there's multiple facets to the issues you're seeing.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Here's what healthy silverberry leaves should look like. They should look silvery (hence the name) with speckles, particularly when young. In lower light, and when you let the growth run, the leaves will be a waxy green and the bumps will not be as apparent. They are strong growers, and respond well to defoliation in early summer to reduce leaf size and increase ramification. Treat them like olives (to which they are related) and give them lots of light and watch that you don't over-water. Like olives, they have sensitive roots, and can take a while to re-establish themselves after a repot. Avoid organic soil mixes (the tree in my photo is in 100% pumice).

Best smelling thing in my garden - expect blooms in December.

Just from the photos, I question the soil mix, pruning (leggy growth), and watering. If you have insects at all, it is probably because they are taking advantage of a compromised plant. (Because of the heavy wax cuticle on the leaves, they are usually highly insect resistant) Since you live in Sacramento, treat them like coast live oak. Expect a spring flush of growth, summer dormancy, and then a fall flush of growth. I prefer to repot in the late winter - just protect them from freezes. They will get leggy fast if you don't manage the growth. I prefer to let the spring growth run until in hardens, defoliate, and then manage shoot extension when it leafs out. Definitely keep it in full sun like an olive. Back-buds readily when strong and when pruned aggressively.

 

[Catagonia]

Awesome, thanks to both. I think I will give it time, morning sun, and (less) water and hope new growth looks happier, and repot to full inorganic when the weather cools down in October or so. I accidentally lifted it out of the pot (it’s not wired in) and the roots and soil came out in one clean solid mass, so it could be root-bound too, but I won’t mess with that while it’s recovering unless it’s an emergency.

 

[Catagonia]

@Bonsai Nut @Wires_Guy_wires New leaves are growing in and I’ve plucked off many of the damaged ones.

As the new leaves grow in, I’m seeing the same thing that initially worried me, the new growth seems shriveled and unhealthy.

I’m keeping it in morning sun, afternoon light shade, and watering it about every other day depending on how dry it feels it has been in the 90s, so not overly hot for this area; I have three olive trees that are getting mire




Is this normal? If not, any suggestions? Sorry for the bad pictures.

 

[Paradox]

Is this normal? If not, any suggestions?

No its not normal, the tree is not happy, is sick or both. What kind of soil do you have it in?
Watering just once every 2 days seems not enough in this heat depending on your soil.
If your soil is larger particle, fast draining then its not enough. If its potting soil, it might be the opposite and staying too wet.
My deciduous trees are in large particle, open soil and are getting watered 2x a day most days with about the same temps, maybe a little less.

 

[Catagonia]

It is in the soil it was in when I bought it which seems to have a good amount of organic matter — it popped out of the pot once as a solid mass when I knocked it over, and it stays damp for a while. Initially I thought the problem might be overwatering. I didn’t want to change the soil in the Sacramento summer unless the alternative is permanent damage.

My comment about my olive trees in my last post got cut off due to user error. I have two of my olives (which apparently need similar care) in inorganic media (one in 100% pumice, one in whatever it was sold in, which is gravel and lava and ???). Awesome drainage, is what I’m saying. They are in full morning sun/afternoon shade due to the brutality of the summer sun here.

I currently water them 3x daily (two automatic while I’m at work) and they seem to love it. I’m tempted to do the same with this.

 

[Paradox]

It is in the soil it was in when I bought it which seems to have a good amount of organic matter — it popped out of the pot once as a solid mass when I knocked it over, and it stays damp for a while. Initially I thought the problem might be overwatering. I didn’t want to change the soil in the Sacramento summer unless the alternative is permanent damage.

My comment about my olive trees in my last post got cut off due to user error. I have two of my olives (which apparently need similar care) in inorganic media (one in 100% pumice, one in whatever it was sold in, which is gravel and lava and ???). Awesome drainage, is what I’m saying. They are in full morning sun/afternoon shade due to the brutality of the summer sun here.

I currently water them 3x daily (two automatic while I’m at work) and they seem to love it. I’m tempted to do the same with this.

Ok you're in Sacramento, so you are probably getting temperatures close to 100 these days if not hotter? So yea you are probably around 15-20 degrees hotter than me.
Im not sure about how well Silverberry does in your climate? I dont think they are tropical are they? Im not sure repotting this tree in the state its in will do it any favors.
Would be better to try and get a handle on why its doing that first and repot only as a last resort.

 

[Catagonia]

It’s a recommended low-water plant in the City of Sacramento’s list (as an in-ground shrub, obviously) so I think it should be possible here. July was slightly cooler than usual, which is still pretty hot (90s most days, and a few 100+).

I am not only a bonsai newbie, but clueless about pests and diseases, so I have a lot to learn. Sorry for all the questions and I appreciate the time you have taken to answer them.

 

[Catagonia]

It’s going downhill fast. I’m afraid it will join the long list of plants I’ve killed. It’s been a while since I killed one. I was probably due. I’m going to try putting it in pumice. I peeked at its underside and it’s root bound and the roots aren’t looking healthy.

 

[arreaux]

I live in Lodi just south of Sac, and I water my Silverberry once a day in the evening and in the morning it gets about 5 minutes of misting.
The soil is very fast draining. It stays in dappled sun. With the 95+ days we are getting I can't let it go a day without watering.