my little mel is very sad!!

[matty-j]

hey everybody

so i was away from my house friday night and most of saturday and i came home in that terrible wind on saturday afternoon
and found my new melaleuca linariifolia "claret tops" on its side dry as a bone
so i stood it back up and gave it a great drink and a seasol
the same again sunday and today
its been in the shade since sunday night
it was so green and the new foliage was red and look very healthy!!
now not so much and all the new foliage have died off

advice?

IMG_1045.jpg

[Bougy Fan]

Don't throw it away - they can "come back to life" after even months of looking dead. I would stick it in a saucer of water and it should come back. They will often drop all their leaves if you root prune them heavily as well.

[irish]

Hi same happened to me 5 months ago, let it get dry and drop dead it did,

People told me to take hart, so this is what i did.

Cut it back by half, watered it, and waited....

In the last month it has showen sings of life, small budds a red ish colour this has been in winter as well did not leave it out over night.

Dont give up sun water and in at night, you may be suprised with warmer weather on the way. Mine came back during winter.

Regards.
Irish.

[chipper5]

As far as I'm aware I think Melaleucas don't mind 'wet feet' but don't like drying out. I've found with mine ( I have 2 claret tops and 8 others- cant remember which type) they all need heaps of water to stay happy.

Perhaps try soaking it in a bucket of water or seasol so the water it up to the top of the soil. Leave it for 24hrs to rehydrate then continue watering how you did previously.

Perhaps also cut it back as Irish suggested as this also will help reduce the moisture loss from the remaining leaves.

Good luck & hope this helps,