Help! Cork JBP fading fast.

Srt8madness · Aug 26, 2023

Frustrated. Had a full brief typed, changed apps to take another pic, came back here and it was all gone.

Let's try this again.

Cork Bark JBP from Brussels, got it Spring 22.
This tree and a different 2 yo seedling had sagging needles 2 or 3 weeks ago. I watered both more and they both recovered almost immediately.
Now I've chopsticked and it seems to be staying too wet.
Has been in full sun. Records temps here, approaching 110, high humidity. Tree has been taking it in stride until last week.
This one got a fungus/infection in the old needles a few weeks ago. Had treated with Daconil months ago and was waiting for lower temps to treat again. Wasn't on new growth (which has now died off and fallen out).
I do typically water the whole tree.

Is it too far gone? I haven't pulled it out of the pot to check the roots yet, wanted to get some advice first. Is there anything I can do? This isn't a finished tree but it was pretty much my closest one to refinement, which I was planning to start next year.

Srt8madness · Aug 26, 2023

More. Some lower growth seems rigid still.

Srt8madness · Aug 26, 2023

Close up on affected needles.

Scorpius · Aug 26, 2023

Droopy needles are indicative of root issues and you said the soil was wet so I'd say root rot. Hard to tell from the photos you posted, but what is it planted in? I use Bonsai Jack substrate and I let all my pines get somewhat dry in between waterings. If the substrate you're using isn't very porous it won't breath and fresh oxygen will have a hard time being exchanged in the root ball. If this is the case your overwatering has created anaerobic conditions leading to root rot.

Brian Van Fleet · Aug 26, 2023

Guessing root collapse, and it’s likely a goner. If it’s in Brussel’s soil, it’s not a mix I have found to be easy to keep trees happy in. Get it out of the pot and take some pix. Likely, you may end up aerating and amending the soil with some aggregate or even repot it if you can keep it in the shade and misted until the heat breaks.

namnhi · Aug 26, 2023

I afraid it is too late to save it. Over the years I have JBP die for no apparent reason. The condition the tree in was similar to this before the needles start to turn brown and dry up. Sorry bud.

Srt8madness · Aug 27, 2023

Meant to post this yesterday:

Thank you for the replies and advice all. I will pull it tomorrow and take some pics.

Bummer. This was my first real tree purchase. I thought I was doing right to leave it in soil as it came, not rush a repot. After all it survived 10 years or so before I touched it.

Would the root collapse come from overwatering?

Srt8madness · Aug 27, 2023

@Scorpius @Brian Van Fleet

Emergency repot done. I have to go into the office tomorrow, unfortunately/fortunately this tree isn't worth enough to take a day off to baby. BUT I have a little clear mobile greenhouse I could set up in the shade to keep the humidity high while I'm gone? Can mist while I'm home of course.

I'm guessing that the repot will either seal its fate or somehow help it recover. Pics are attached. Only cut off a few dead roots. Seemed like quite a few roots otherwise, would have likely benefited from an early spring repot.

Srt8madness · Aug 27, 2023

In related news, today is the hottest day ever in Houston (in recorded history, of course). We peaked at 109F

Brian Van Fleet · Aug 27, 2023

Well, good luck. I wouldn’t use the potable greenhouse, but keep it in a shady protected spot. The roots didn’t look horrible, so maybe it just dried out a little too long once or twice.

I may not have repotted it if I saw the tree out of the pot because there weren’t obvious signs of black mushy roots…? Hopefully you were able to remove any bad soil directly under the base of the trunk?

snowman04 · Aug 27, 2023

Srt8madness said:
@Scorpius @Brian Van Fleet

Emergency repot done. I have to go into the office tomorrow, unfortunately/fortunately this tree isn't worth enough to take a day off to baby. BUT I have a little clear mobile greenhouse I could set up in the shade to keep the humidity high while I'm gone? Can mist while I'm home of course.

I'm guessing that the repot will either seal its fate or somehow help it recover. Pics are attached. Only cut off a few dead roots. Seemed like quite a few roots otherwise, would have likely benefited from an early spring repot.

What kind of soil did you repot it into?

namnhi · Aug 27, 2023

Srt8madness said:
In related news, today is the hottest day ever in Houston (in recorded history, of course). We peaked at 109F

The kind of record we don't want and we are only toward the end of August. Frightening....
Good luck with the tree bud.

Srt8madness · Aug 27, 2023

Brian Van Fleet said:
Well, good luck. I wouldn’t use the potable greenhouse, but keep it in a shady protected spot. The roots didn’t look horrible, so maybe it just dried out a little too long once or twice.

I may not have repotted it if I saw the tree out of the pot because there weren’t obvious signs of black mushy roots…? Hopefully you were able to remove any bad soil directly under the base of the trunk?

Fair point. Guess I should have pulled it, taken pics, and put it back in. Hindsight is 20/20. There were some dead roots at the ends, that were on the very bottom of the rootball. I cut those off.

I didn't dig into under the trunk/shin too much TBH. I did tease out some of the roots like you'd do when transferring any plant out of a container.

I'm ok with learning from failure, as long as I'm actually learning from it. That said, I sure hope at least part of this tree survives. The lower branches actually have seemed the most resilient.

Tree is in a shady protected spot now, thankfully we had our first rain in months this afternoon, dropping temps considerably.

Srt8madness · Aug 27, 2023

snowman04 said:
What kind of soil did you repot it into?

Pumice/lava/pine bark, with a small amount of organic. The existing soil seemed to be a mishmash of 1/4"-3/8" rock and compost

Srt8madness · Aug 31, 2023

Tree still looks bad, lots of needles that pull right off. But seems to have regained some rigidity in a few branches. I don't care if I lose the top of the tree, as long as it stays alive, I'll consider it a win. Far from out of the woods of course.

snowman04 · Aug 31, 2023

Srt8madness said:
Tree still looks bad, lots of needles that pull right off. But seems to have regained some rigidity in a few branches. I don't care if I lose the top of the tree, as long as it stays alive, I'll consider it a win. Far from out of the woods of course.

Hope it recovers...

namnhi · Aug 31, 2023

Srt8madness said:
Tree still looks bad, lots of needles that pull right off. But seems to have regained some rigidity in a few branches. I don't care if I lose the top of the tree, as long as it stays alive, I'll consider it a win. Far from out of the woods of course.

That's a good sign but only time will tell.

Srt8madness · Sep 11, 2023

Well, unsurprisingly this one died.

Upon autopsy, the roots were a mess. Not that its an excuse, the tree survived a decade. But that was in a milder climate. It clearly had been left too long in a nursery can, roots wrapping on themselves, solid block of roots on one side harder than trunk. Shin and more was Coir and bark, with compost and rock around the perimeter. Classed mixed media issue, incredibly exacerbated by temps approaching 110. Ultimately I killed the tree, but it wasn't set up for success.

On to the next!