Day 5 Brazilian Rain Tree

Will it live???

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • No

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • Too Soon to tell

    Votes: 5 33.3%

  • Total voters
    15

Canchinflin

Seedling
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Tucson AZ
It is day 5 with my new Brazilian Rain Tree...anybody have any ideas on how to tell more or less if it will survive???...(its slowly losing its green color) nothin too crazy yet I just really like my tree and would love to keep it alive. First image on the left is day 5...second image on the left is day 2...any thoughts or input/?? Id really appreciate it
 

Attachments

  • photo(8).JPG
    photo(8).JPG
    90.4 KB · Views: 66
  • photo(5).JPG
    photo(5).JPG
    115.9 KB · Views: 66
It could be that the move from where you got it to where you have it now, is making the difference in coloration. A few questions -
Does it still open it's leaves during the day? How wet are you keeping it? What type of soil is it in? Is it outside? How much sun is it in? Have you done anything to it since you got it?

BRT's are pretty tough plants. I've been torturing mine this year (not on purpose) and it's still doing ok...
kind of strange poll...
 
Canchinflin, one quick observation about your BRT. I notice in picture #1 that the roots are exposed above soil line. I guess the plant came that way, if not just exposing a lot of root surface at one time can be very harsh to a plant, even fatal. Exposing roots like that has to be done very slowly to allow the roots to become accustomed to the air, they kind of harden off, if too many are exposed right away its traumatic to the plant as the roots are normally underground where they are protected from the environment. Good luck with your tree.

ed
 
Inside or outside??
As Judy asked what have you done to it aside from buy it and bring it home??

Is the soil wet usually?

Everything dies sooner or later.
 
JudyB,
Thanks for responding...It makes sense that its new location could give it a lighter pigment...Yes it still perks up and opens its leaves during the day...I started watering every two days...the soil is the same we talked about in the previous thread it has lava rock and coco coir / coco grow...Im giving it nutrient once a wk and straight water the rest of the week...I put it outside during the day and bring it inside at noon for about 2 hrs and again at night (people take things that don't belong to them)...I've repotted it but thats about it haven't made any cuts or anything else. Thank you for the feed back
 
Ed,

Thank you...When I recieved the tree those same roots were exposed and wasn't sure about that myself, but I decided to repot it the same way...do you think I should put them beneath the potting mix now or wait and see what it does from here?...I really appreciate the info
 
Bill,

During the day I leave it outside...I bring it at noon for 2 hours because the arizona sun is nothing nice...then I put it outside until the sun goes down and bring it inside at that point. I repotted the tree and gave it nutrient once a week, no cuts....Im watering every two days to try and let the mix dry out a little bit between waterings...lol...everything does die sooner or later I'd really like to see this little guy live and grow a little before that happens...I also saw in the tropicals forum an indoor setup for the plants im thinking about building this wknd...thanks for the response
 
Ok, so you need to keep it outside all the time. Trees don't want to be moved around, especially not from one entirely different climate to another. Because that is what you're doing. It's like taking a tree from Canada to Mexico twice a day. You need to find another way to secure this tree, if you don't want it to die.

So you repotted it, that's not a minor event for a tree. Did you cut the roots back when you repotted? If you did do any large scale root cutting, you may need to take some foliage off the top (not a ton) to even out what the remaining roots are feeding. If you didn't loose any roots when you repotted, then you just need to be patient and give it a chance to adjust.
Did you wire it into the pot? If not, you need to be careful that it doesn't get moved around by wind or animals, or what have you, because when the new roots form, they'll get broken off if it moves around.
I am still a bit unsure about your coco mix stuff, I don't think I'd recommend using this in the future.

You need to not water to a schedule (every two days or whatever) you need to water when the soil is getting towards dry. Use a wooden skewer jammed into the soil halfway between the tree and the pot. Check this every day. When it starts to get dryish then you water.

If you really want this tree to survive, you need to be very careful now that you've done a repot to it. BRT's are tough, but not invincible...
 
Judy is dead on... no reason to bring it in at night for sure and just some shade cloth would do you fine for the midday / afternoon sun. You have to allow your trees to adjust for them to have a chance in your heat. Trust me I know being in Vegas. My trees never die on the extended heat waves but spikes and rapid changes are lethal.
 
JudyB
I didn't cut the roots at all...I figured I'd try to give it a fighting chance before I did any of that...thank you so much for all the info...I don't really know how I feel about the potting mix yet myself either...I will adopt the stick-water method thank you...I will give you an update later on with new pictures if you are interested...again thank you..I saw an indoor "tropical enclosure" redwood ryan started a while back I'm contemplating this as opposed to leaving it outside any thoughts?enclosure.jpg
 
Milehigh 7
Thanks thats very useful info...i will definitely keep that in mind if I don't go with the indoor setup I saw this morning...same question goes to you any thoughts on something like this...enclosure.jpg
 
Mat
I think so too to be honest my only concern is its pushing 109 degree heat and its a dry heat not humid at all know what I mean...the only reason I'm contemplating the indoor method is the possibility of semi-controlling the moisture levels and the growth it could get from a flourescent bulb...thanks for the input
 
For me, if a plant doesn't live out in my backyard, then it means that plant wasn't meant for me. I prefer to have species that live without major intervention. Of course I still give them plenty of attention, but I sort of don't get those who go such extremes to grow plants not suited for their climate. This isn't meant to be a knock on Ryan (and others with indoor tropical setups). They obviously enjoy and are passionate about what they're doing.

I feel as though it would be like me buying a big freezer & install high-powered light fixtures in it just so that I could "import" some larches and white pines and have them struggle along. Sounds sort of silly in that direction.

I'm not sure what advice to give on a BRT in Arizona. As those above have said though - I don't think that hauling it in & out every day is going to make it very happy.
 
Milehigh 7
Thanks thats very useful info...i will definitely keep that in mind if I don't go with the indoor setup I saw this morning...same question goes to you any thoughts on something like this...View attachment 24532

Yep, that's one of my setups. Look here for more of them:
http://www.bonsaisite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24922

Remember though, I've got $150 T5 lights and humidifiers over all of my setups, so it's not always so easy as it may appear.

For me, if a plant doesn't live out in my backyard, then it means that plant wasn't meant for me. I prefer to have species that live without major intervention. Of course I still give them plenty of attention, but I sort of don't get those who go such extremes to grow plants not suited for their climate. This isn't meant to be a knock on Ryan (and others with indoor tropical setups). They obviously enjoy and are passionate about what they're doing.

I feel as though it would be like me buying a big freezer & install high-powered light fixtures in it just so that I could "import" some larches and white pines and have them struggle along. Sounds sort of silly in that direction.

I'm not sure what advice to give on a BRT in Arizona. As those above have said though - I don't think that hauling it in & out every day is going to make it very happy.

HEY. ARE YOU KNOCKING ME :rolleyes:

I used to think the same way you did, but then I just figured why limit myself, ya know? If I were to grow just what was in my backyard I would be limited to Eastern Red Cedars and Bradford Pears, yuck. So, I just follow in the man who does the same as I do, Jerry Meislik. Granted, I'm not sure if he has "setups" like I do, he may just have big Metal Halides.

You also bring up an interesting point Mat, when you say "struggle" along. That's something my trees don't do, they grow like weeds ;). But hey, I enjoy it and will probably do it for the rest of my life :D


P.S. Not all of us can live in perfect sunny Florida!! :p
 
Idk I totally get what your saying about exposing plants to climates they aren't used to especially new guys like myself could end up doin more harm than good..I also think it takes a lot to re create a tropical climate so I am impressed with the indoor setups...I knw you weren't necessarily knockin anybody and to each his own..Im new to bonsai so I appreciate input frm both worlds as I'm probably going to have both indoor and outdoor plants..thanks for the response.
 
Redwood Ryan
I really do like your setups...and I knw it's not easy or cheap lol ...I just picked up a t5 myself for $100...I still need to get the PVC pipe the plastic a fan some ducting and lookin into a fogger/humidifier...any suggestions where I can get one or how much they run...any additional insight would be really appreciated thanks
 
Redwood Ryan
I really do like your setups...and I knw it's not easy or cheap lol ...I just picked up a t5 myself for $100...I still need to get the PVC pipe the plastic a fan some ducting and lookin into a fogger/humidifier...any suggestions where I can get one or how much they run...any additional insight would be really appreciated thanks

I personally don't use a fan in any of my setups. I open the doors of them and leave them open for 20 minutes a night or so. All the supplies you need can be bought at Lowes (except for the Mylar) for under $50.
 
Ryan, I knew as I was posting that it may seem to be a knock on you. I apologize for that. It was meant to be more a statement of my approach than a condemnation of yours. Obviously Jerry Meislik (and others) have done some amazing things with indoor tropical trees. I appreciate your passion and your posts here.

& perhaps "struggle" was too harsh, but it seems as though many pictures I see of Ficus from up North are living but not thriving. They have a few leaves when they should be covered in barely controllable growth.

As for "sunny Florida", it's hardly perfect. There are plenty of amazing bonsai species that simply won't work here. As for it being sunny, not this week.
 
Ryan, I knew as I was posting that it may seem to be a knock on you. I apologize for that. It was meant to be more a statement of my approach than a condemnation of yours. Obviously Jerry Meislik (and others) have done some amazing things with indoor tropical trees. I appreciate your passion and your posts here.

& perhaps "struggle" was too harsh, but it seems as though many pictures I see of Ficus from up North are living but not thriving. They have a few leaves when they should be covered in barely controllable growth.

As for "sunny Florida", it's hardly perfect. There are plenty of amazing bonsai species that simply won't work here. As for it being sunny, not this week.

Not a problem, I know what you mean. I've seen many growers up north struggle with getting them to thrive. Thankfully, I've tweaked my indoor setups so that they can take a mostly bare, naked F. salicaria '89' from this:
005.JPG

To this, in a matter of 4 days:
007.JPG

And huh?! It's not sunny in Florida this week?? Please, take our 105F heat and sunshine. We don't need it!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom