HELP! tree dying VERY quickly!

[Woodland Spirit]

Is it safe around kids?

 

[Celeste]

By the way - your dormant oil is a wax oil that kills critters by smothering them. Make sure to spray the underside of the leaves. It has a long residual acting period so once you treat your tree it should be good for a while... until new fresh growth that is "untreated". It is a topical insecticide, not a systemic (ie it is not absorbed into the plant to provide longer-term protection).

What leaves? (sobs inwardly)
1. I sprayed the bajeebies out of it (according to the package of course). Hoping my poor little ficus pulls through.
2. I also put it back in the bag tent thing after taking this pic
3. The soil is still moist (gauging from the popsicle stick method)
4. The only thing the bottle says is "Keep out of children's reach"...but it's organic and in the tent...I can't smell anything, so I think it's safe indoors.
5. The bottom left limb - I checked this morning and scratched with my nail....it's brown underneath and not a bright green. Should I chop it off? Or wait? It's such a huge branch...
6. I still have limbs that are showing a bright green when I lightly scratch it! yay!

 

[aml1014]

The branch is dead at least to an extent I'd start cutting it off in sections until you see green (if there is any) and if you end up taking it all the way off, if this thing bounces back, it should throw a budd in that area to make up for the lost branch.

Aaron

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Looks like both those bottom branches are gonners. Is that mold on the bottom of the trunk? The white looking stuff.

 

[BonsaiButler]

I think that tree is dead man.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Is it safe around kids?

Neem Oil? Neem Oil is considered almost non-toxic to mammals in normal use. It has been used as a pesticide for hundreds of years with no noted long-term ill effects.

Strangely, neem oil has also been used as a traditional medicine. When given orally to infants, it can prove fatal in doses of 25-60ml (when there is no medical intervention). It is less toxic to adults, with one suicidal patient drinking 250ml and living to tell about it.

Don't drink it

 

[Woodland Spirit]

Neem Oil? Neem Oil is considered almost non-toxic to mammals in normal use. It has been used as a pesticide for hundreds of years with no noted long-term ill effects.

Strangely, neem oil has also been used as a traditional medicine. When given orally to infants, it can prove fatal in doses of 25-60ml (when there is no medical intervention). It is less toxic to adults, with one suicidal patient drinking 250ml and living to tell about it.

Don't drink it

That's reassuring.
I've read about it a little. They say it's bitter and doesn't smell to great. If I hadn't known someone who's toddler had an apatite for darkling stink beatles I'd be satisfied.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I went to school up in Logan. Started at Snow College in Ephraim. I imagine Ephraim and Manti are a little different than they were in 1974.

Edit: I just looked online, and it looks exactly the same!

 

[Celeste]

Looks like both those bottom branches are gonners. Is that mold on the bottom of the trunk? The white looking stuff.

I don't believe there is mold...there are white dots on the tree---it's part of the bark. My tree has a "hole" in the in the middle of it - it's filled with dirt and roots.

 

[Celeste]

The branch is dead at least to an extent I'd start cutting it off in sections until you see green (if there is any) and if you end up taking it all the way off, if this thing bounces back, it should throw a budd in that area to make up for the lost branch.

Aaron

How do I go about cutting off a branch this big? I only having kitchen scissors (they're really good ones though)...should I use like a saw and saw it off? What way of cutting it causes less stress? Or does it matter?

UPDATE: let the tree out of the bag today, there was a lot of condensation at the top of the bag (I'd been opening it everyday at the bottom to let in "new" air). The bottom left branch is brown under the bark. The bottom right is green still. However, I did lose some more branches...I've circled them in red all in the picture. Am I scratching it too hard with my nail maybe to see if it's green???

I'm now wondering if the bag was a bad idea... :/ I do believe it was spider mites though because of the webbing? So is this just a leaf drop and it's like winterizing?? We've had cloud cover for like a week here...so it hasn't been really sunny unfortunately.

 

[petegreg]

White dots on the bark - it's natural sign of this, it's the tiger bark fig.
The reason why it's got to such a condition? Who knows, overwatering / bad or too much fertilizer / spider mites? I would continue using the bag, but not airtight. I would also skip removing any branches for now. Do not use saw, please, if you did you could move all the tree deliberately and cause more damage on roots.
If it survives, there'll be enough time to remove dead branches (with nail pulling pliers e.g.).

 

[Celeste]

Ok - heres the down low on my tree:
1. I put it back in the bag...but left an opening at the bottom (see pic). Is that alright you think?
2. Also the soil is still moist (not wet) from being watered last Monday (January) - but it's been in the bag since Friday. Although I did spray it with the oil/water solution yesterday
3. All those little branches at the top...they'll let me bend them a bit - they're not breaking off at all, that's a good sign isn't it? That they're not super dead? Only mostly dead haha?
4. Fertilizer from the Bonsai Man Van hasn't been used in over 4 months - I stuck it in there last Weds in hopes of helping the tree. But after many comments, I removed it. It was probably only in there for 24 hrs.
5. I've been opening all my blinds every morning at 8 am and it's quite bright all throughout the day - even though it's been overcast on most days since last thurs. However, we got a ton of snow...which makes the room brighter because of the reflection from the sun...so that's at least on my side.
6. It's been extremely dry the past week in my home (my toddler and I even got nosebleeds once). I live in Utah.

Thank you all for your help, I wish I would have come here earlier :/

 

[rockm]

SEAL THE BAG. The objective is to keep it humid inside. The opening defeats that

 

[Celeste]

SEAL THE BAG. The objective is to keep it humid inside. The opening defeats that

I would continue using the bag, but not airtight. I would also skip removing any branches for now.
If it survives, there'll be enough time to remove dead branches (with nail pulling pliers e.g.).

So....seal it, but not airtight? Which is it?

 

[petegreg]

So....seal it, but not airtight? Which is it?

It's up to you. If you keep it closed U can reach the highest humidity. I prefer leaving a bag hanging on the tree open. The humidity is lower, but still enough to see the water running down the bag. And aerating, if this is the right expression.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

The fact that your soil stays that wet for that long is a problem. You still have the tree where it appears to be dark. I'd get this tree into the light. It needs to stay warm and humid. That's your best chance of bringing it back. It's not looking super positive though. Heck, I'll ship you some cuttings if this one doesn't pull through.

 

[sorce]

Plastic bags are

Love it to Death tools.


Sorce

 

[Woodland Spirit]

There's getting to be a lot of contradictory advice/information on here.

Who lives in the most similar climate and has ficus and preferably has successfully delt with the same kind of problem?
Maybe they should take the lead?

 

[M. Frary]

There's getting to be a lot of contradictory advice/information on here.

Who lives in the most similar climate and has ficus and preferably has successfully delt with the same kind of problem?
Maybe they should take the lead?

Ryan knows ficus.
It's inside,so we all live in the same climate.
Bags,no bags. Next stop,garbage bag.

 

[petegreg]

I don't wanna be contradictory. Bag yes, open or close? Not a big difference, I guess. I use it open with ficus cuttings too. That works for me, but right, in summer.