Something from nothing.
- Thread starter Smoke
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Smoke
Ignore-Amus
davetree
Omono
Nice work ! What kind of juniper ? I like the movement in the trunk. What did you pay for it ?
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Very nice, Smoke. Fwiw, it helps being able to see the tree within the tree...I would never have called that trunk "nothing"
. Great auction pick up.
. Great auction pick up.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Very nice, Smoke. Fwiw, it helps being able to see the tree within the tree...I would never have called that trunk "nothing"
True, but I bought it for the trunk. As it was with that canopy it was nothing.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Prostrata, $140
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Nice movement. I like the apex you put on it.
sikadelic
Chumono
Nice usage of the clamp. I haven't seen that before. Alas, I am but a young jedi.
RKatzin
Omono
Very nice transition! I see you're not far from me. If you're ever up this way I have some junies you can lay hands on. Thanks for the inspiration, Rick
Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
I like the way you formed the apex. this is something I still suck at.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
If one looks closely at the original post you can see the sub foliage is yellow. There is some new green growth out on the tips but the underneath foliage is being overun with spider mite. In fact after styling the tree and cutting off nearly all the green part, what I was left with was mostly yellowing/greygreen foliage that was infested with spider mite.
When a sheet of white paper was placed under a branch and the branch tapped, the paper would literally crawl with pin point black mites. One swipe with my hand would show a large smear of red blood from the critters.
The tree was drenched with a malathion spray mixed double directions. The tree was checked every other day and still the mites persisted. The tree was sprayed every three days for three weeks. By the third week I fianally had a clear sheet of paper. Now I was near the end of April and the weather was heating up. The foliage started to turn brown and much of what was left fell off.
The tree was misted every day as many times as I could while at work and my sick wife trying her darnest to help me out. All fertilizer was stopped. The tree was watered every day as all my plants. Fast mix drains right thru so I wasn't worried in that regard.
The tree was checked weekly now for mites and the foliage was sprayed for two minutes with water spray while watering. Mites were now gone for good. Systemic of sevin was introduced to the soil as a precaution.
Most of the foliage that remained was still brown and yellow. There were many places on the tree where the yellow foliage still showed green at the base so I kept hopefull. April and May showed no movement in the foliage and I suspected that between the mites and the malithion I had cooked it for sure.
The last week of May I started to place 6 Jobes mini spikes around the base of the tree. These are organic and come in a bag of 100 for like 8 bucks. Cheap! Watering as usual and the plant had been in the shade of a large tree all this time. Recieved maybe about 15 minutes of sunlight in the early morning as the sun rose. Pretty easy sunlight.
When a sheet of white paper was placed under a branch and the branch tapped, the paper would literally crawl with pin point black mites. One swipe with my hand would show a large smear of red blood from the critters.
The tree was drenched with a malathion spray mixed double directions. The tree was checked every other day and still the mites persisted. The tree was sprayed every three days for three weeks. By the third week I fianally had a clear sheet of paper. Now I was near the end of April and the weather was heating up. The foliage started to turn brown and much of what was left fell off.
The tree was misted every day as many times as I could while at work and my sick wife trying her darnest to help me out. All fertilizer was stopped. The tree was watered every day as all my plants. Fast mix drains right thru so I wasn't worried in that regard.
The tree was checked weekly now for mites and the foliage was sprayed for two minutes with water spray while watering. Mites were now gone for good. Systemic of sevin was introduced to the soil as a precaution.
Most of the foliage that remained was still brown and yellow. There were many places on the tree where the yellow foliage still showed green at the base so I kept hopefull. April and May showed no movement in the foliage and I suspected that between the mites and the malithion I had cooked it for sure.
The last week of May I started to place 6 Jobes mini spikes around the base of the tree. These are organic and come in a bag of 100 for like 8 bucks. Cheap! Watering as usual and the plant had been in the shade of a large tree all this time. Recieved maybe about 15 minutes of sunlight in the early morning as the sun rose. Pretty easy sunlight.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Around June first, inspection with a magnifying glass showed some first microscopic buds beginning to emerge from the bottom most branch. At the crotch of all the brown areas were spots of green, maybe around 30 that first day. Misting continued and fertlizer was added as it was melted and removed from the tree. About every 6 days.
I still continued to wash the foliage for two minutes each day just to make sure mites do not get a foot hold. Each day I looked for more buds with the glass. I began to find buds on branches as they moved up the tree.
I was very surprised by this. I was under the impression that junipers being so apically dominate that the top of the tree would respond first and then move down with the lowest branches being the most weak. This tree has responded just the opposite of what I might suspect. (Note to self)
Each day the tree has responded to fertilizer and water and is well on its way to being healthy again. I suspect that in about 60 more days it will require a first pruning to manage the shape. Note in this picture below that the uppermost branches still have not responded with buds like the bottom has. What I do have is many buds from old wood that will probably end up replacing all the smaller branches at the top. This should be seen in that 60 day window.
For now I will continue to do what I have done for the last 90 days and the tree will remain in the shade till second week in Sept. when it will be moved to more sun for the second spring here. As you look at this picture notice on some of the larger folliage areas that sickly yellow foliage is still underneath the new green growth and that the foliage at the top of the tree is still yellow with no green yet.
I still continued to wash the foliage for two minutes each day just to make sure mites do not get a foot hold. Each day I looked for more buds with the glass. I began to find buds on branches as they moved up the tree.
I was very surprised by this. I was under the impression that junipers being so apically dominate that the top of the tree would respond first and then move down with the lowest branches being the most weak. This tree has responded just the opposite of what I might suspect. (Note to self)
Each day the tree has responded to fertilizer and water and is well on its way to being healthy again. I suspect that in about 60 more days it will require a first pruning to manage the shape. Note in this picture below that the uppermost branches still have not responded with buds like the bottom has. What I do have is many buds from old wood that will probably end up replacing all the smaller branches at the top. This should be seen in that 60 day window.
For now I will continue to do what I have done for the last 90 days and the tree will remain in the shade till second week in Sept. when it will be moved to more sun for the second spring here. As you look at this picture notice on some of the larger folliage areas that sickly yellow foliage is still underneath the new green growth and that the foliage at the top of the tree is still yellow with no green yet.
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JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Sounds like it was on the ropes, but got saved by the bell...
october
Masterpiece
I have learned to not give up on junipers. I have 2 that were ravaged by fungus and looked like they were goners. However, both have come back and are still contiuning to recover. It may take a lot of effort. However, reading your story and from my own experience, shows it is worth it. I am glad you saved this nice tree from the wood pile.
On another note, how about an update on that small black pine you twisted up.
Rob
On another note, how about an update on that small black pine you twisted up.
Rob
Jason_mazzy
Chumono
smoke where'd you get that handy lil jack?
cascade
Shohin
Good work! Prostrata can be a bit tricky when one narrows or slices lifeveins, especially when the upper branches are thin. I have worked on a Parsonii and reduced the lifevein close to a jin for a little bit. Sure enough, two of some fine upper branches were getting weaker. I knew I would loose them. I did.
Sometimes it helps to "bridge" the (cut) spot with some cotton material and tape it, until the path has adjusted. I have done it several times now, it worked well. Probably nothing new.
Also, I have achieved good results in redirecting/ slowing down sap by placing strategic cuts on strong side branches. Again, nothing new, but sometimes we forget the options.
Best,
Dorothy
Sometimes it helps to "bridge" the (cut) spot with some cotton material and tape it, until the path has adjusted. I have done it several times now, it worked well. Probably nothing new.
Also, I have achieved good results in redirecting/ slowing down sap by placing strategic cuts on strong side branches. Again, nothing new, but sometimes we forget the options.
Best,
Dorothy
Neli
Omono
Smoke,
Good info and actions
Dorothy can you explain a bit more about the two techniques you used?
About the bridging with cotton and the notching. I have a prostrata I have grown from cutting in the ground for many years, and will soon be ready for digging and styling.
Good info and actions
Dorothy can you explain a bit more about the two techniques you used?
About the bridging with cotton and the notching. I have a prostrata I have grown from cutting in the ground for many years, and will soon be ready for digging and styling.
fore
Omono
I have learned to not give up on junipers. I have 2 that were ravaged by fungus and looked like they were goners. However, both have come back and are still contiuning to recover. It may take a lot of effort. However, reading your story and from my own experience, shows it is worth it. I am glad you saved this nice tree from the wood pile.
On another note, how about an update on that small black pine you twisted up.
Rob
Again this yr Rob? I have no idea why, but I am completely disease free this yr. Absolutely nothing. Maybe the cold spring/early summer?? (Knock on Wood!)
And Smoke, nice save
october
Masterpiece
Again this yr Rob? I have no idea why, but I am completely disease free this yr. Absolutely nothing. Maybe the cold spring/early summer?? (Knock on Wood!)
And Smoke, nice save
Nope, no fungal issues this year.
However, trees usually take 2-3 years to recover from the damage. Sometimes the original design cannot be salvaged.Rob
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