My newly repotted and styled podocarpus is dying...

[Darthamphibious]

Hi,
Early January, I decided to create a bonsai with a nursery Podocarpus (var. maki) tree. It had a decent nebari (about 4,5 inches wide). I hacked the three trunks and kept the branches that I intended to keep. The tree was bare rooted with a garden hose and repotted in a japanese pot using a mix of hyadite, lava, expanded shale (90 %) and 10% organic (coarsely chopped sphagnum). Root ball was reduced by 25 %,mainly big roots.
For the first couple of weeks, it seems to thrive with many buds appearing on the trunk and branches.
Since a week, all the new growth is turning brown and some small branches are drying out completely.
I am in the Miami area.
Could it be because I styled (trunk hacking and branch selection, no wiring) and repotted the tree the same week?

 

[Darthamphibious]

Right after repotting in a bonsai pot.

 

[carp]

There is no way you only reduced the roots by 25% if you took it from a 7gal nursery pot and fit it into a bonsai pot.

Plus, January is not the time of year to be doing root work on Podocarpus. Roots aren't growing.

All this said under the assumption proper after care was given.

 

[Darthamphibious]

The lower two third of the nursery pot was soil only. No roots.

 

[Darthamphibious]

When is the best time to re-pot Podocarpus? For the first styling in Florida?
I am planning to buy another one and don't want to lose it again.

 

[Cypress187]

I also stepped into the conifer trap both feet first (pretty much killed them all, 2 collected and 2 nursery), there is a lot more timing involved and preparation.

 

[petegreg]

How much foliage did you cut when styling?

I'd had very bad experiences with podocarpus in nursery soil before one was bought from a bonsai center and repotted to akadama on my request by the lady from the BC. It was in May some 4 years ago... It was my 1st tree in pure inorganic soil.

After 2 years I repotted it to pure DE, right when it started growing (april?) and it's still happy. But I didn't have to reduce the root ball...

 

[carp]

Should be done in the early spring, Mid-March, or early Fall, late November. Major pruning should be done in the Spring, March-May.

Never been very aggressive with their roots.

 

[Darthamphibious]

For my next tree, would you suggest a rough styling first (and keep the tree in his nursery pot) in mid-march and re-poting in novembre in a bonsai pot?

 

[M. Frary]

For my next tree, would you suggest a rough styling first (and keep the tree in his nursery pot) in mid-march and re-poting in novembre in a bonsai pot?

Rough styling first leaving it in the nursery pot for a full year then work the roots the next spring. Not bareroot in the tree. Place it in a colander and then leave it alone for another year. The year after that more styling. You shouldnt rush to get trees into the small pots. Bonsai takes time.
Also if you could,put your location in your profile so people can better help.
Welcome.