Picea: In trouble, half the branches bare ...

[Kevin]

Excellent thread Daniel,

Thank-you for updating this old thread today as i just learned a wealth of information.
AusBonsai = Great Forum

Thanks everyone,
Kevin

[anthonyW]

Daniel it happens

If I can give you some simple advice my friend,if the weeds are looking brighter and smarter and look like there owning the pot over your sick tree...99 times out of 100 you are over watering..now the chook shite,chuck it to the shact house,you don't need it,save it for the lawn when you have a weeks worth of rain coming so you don't offend the neighbours.

Seriously I do not know any bonsais artists worth there salt using that stuff...yet to see a serious fig grown in that stuff with that thread some time back.

Just my 2cents worth buddy

Anthony

[hawkeyes]

"Some people are rather harsh and to them as soon as a tree shows sign of deterioration then chuck it out, and will tell anyone else the same thing.

It is your time and effort to try to do what you can to recover it and if you manage it then kudos to you

Yep this tree might be beyond saving, but as you state above, someone may learn from it so please do keep updating it.
It costs nothing to keep this thread alive and if anyone does not agree with you, then they do not have to read or comment

Ken"

Well said Ken. To you Daniel, kudos to you. Sorry about your tree, but you have learnt a lot on this journey. (and so have we). I'm a newbie so keep on, keeping on.

[benbonsai]

Just been reading back through this thread and as a newbie I agree with Ken.

Many people are put off by the abruptness of comments online, and usually they are given with the best intentions, but due to limited social interaction we all have, they miss there mark somewhat.

I care about Newbies and how they will react to comments and will always be circumspect when posting advice to someone I do not know personally.

As a newbie trying to learn and ask as much as I can I sometimes feel that people can be harsh or make you feel like an idiot for asking questions and it is off putting as ken has said.

[hawkeyes]

I agree.

[KIRKY]

Getting back to the post. I fully agree with Paul.
One point I would like to add however is to anyone growing bonsai in bonsai/potting mix-soils. If you place handfuls of fertilizers like Dynamic lifter pallets directly on top of these soils. When it breaks down it leaches into your soil and eventually stops soils from draining correctly. After awhile soils become soggy and stop draining as well as they should, staying continually wet causing root problems. If you are growing bonsai in theses mixes and using pallet type fertilizers, place the fertilizers in the little bonsai baskets or go to the $2 shop and buy some empty tea bags and fill with pallets to place ontop of your pots. I personally believe that to have been the start of the Picea demise.
Please note I am not refering to the mixes that people make up themselves with pumic/Acadama/Scoria etc... I am taking about prepackaged soil mixes.
Cheers
Kirky

[legoman_iac]

Thanks all for your kind words and encouragement. I think many people get sentimental about their first bonsai and when they lose it, which often happens, it drives them away from bonsai. Luckily for me, I've had your support and ausbonsai to help fuel my desire and passion for this wonderful artform. I hope not to lose any more tress ... and I'm still sentimental about "Harry" (my Picea) but hopefully will be better equipped in future. Replies below as I wanted to reply to each.

... Thank-you for updating this old thread today as i just learned a wealth of information ...

You're very welcome Kevin, glad it helps, and glad to hear this journey wasn't in vain!

... if the weeds are looking brighter and smarter and look like there owning the pot over your sick tree...99 times out of 100

Hehe, thanks Anthony, a good tip/indicator!

[quote="hawkeyes]Sorry about your tree, but you have learnt a lot on this journey.[/quote]

Thanks Hawkeyes!

Hey BenBonsai, harsh can be off putting, but 'm happy to admit I'm a bonsai idiot, and I'm always asking questions, I'll never stop ... will I? Haha.

If you place handfuls of fertilizers like Dynamic lifter pallets directly on top of these soils. When it breaks down it leaches into your soil and eventually stops soils from draining correctly. After awhile soils become soggy and stop draining as well as they should, staying continually wet causing root problems. ... I personally believe that to have been the start of the Picea demise.

Thanks for adding more to the thread Kirky, I've now moved away from store bought mixes, and away from blood bone. Interesting to hear your thoughts, I won't let this happen again.

- Daniel

[sirklefish]

Great thread Daniel, sorry to hear about harry... Seems to me over fertilisation/fert selection may have been the underlying issue and I reckon Paul nailed the details of that on the head. I am a current horticulture student and learning much about soils and pH. It's all a very complex subject but super interesting nonetheless! I agree that specific care guidelines for particular plants are a must, especially when growing in dramatically different climates from their native habitats, which for us Aussies, tends to be most non-native bonsai species!

Best of luck on your future bonsai adventures!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

[Max]

i'm new myself...so this was a great read...i do see Treemans point tho (hindsight is wonderful) ...it teaches us novices a valuable lesson......know your tree...in our haste to get into bonsai we get distracted by the beauty before us....so out comes the wallet and a clip over the ear from the missus

[Jdceng]

Hi Daniel

Its not a nice award to achieve but you have joined the Finished Bonsai Group, I'm sure that there are a few on the forum as well as myself that can put their hands up for that?

Great thread guys & gals.

[legoman_iac]

Hehe, thanks 'sirklefish' and 'no idea', very glad to hear this has been helpful ... hopefully you won't join me in the FBG (bahaha, thanks for the welcome 'jdceng'). Hopefully I'll only be a one hit wonder!

Now have: a fig, oak, 2x air layered maples and just planted some oak acorns ... hoping I'm educated and mindful enough now!

- dSc

[legoman_iac]

Reading over this epic journey ... one thing that didn't click earlier, was the suggestion I'd over watered. This didn't sink in (pun intended) until now.

If anything, felt I under watered ... but agree that the soil got too wet and stayed that way. Believe it could have been more to do with a wet winter, and my ignorance of not sheltering the trees from the rain.

I've recently learnt that you need to protect bonsai from the rain to allow them to dry out. Something I've noticed these past few weeks ... I've put my collection under my daughter's play equipment, which is helping though they still take a few days to dry.

Might look into building a semi permanent rain shelter, as there isn't much rain protection in my yard. Is this something people would recommend?

- Daniel

[bodhidharma]

Yep, this has been an epic saga. It helps a lot if you tilt your tray at a 45 degree angle during wet periods as it assists drainage and lets the water run off faster. Just prop it up with a large block of wood. If it is really windy you can tie the pot down also.

[dennismc]

Hi

I have some bad news for you!!! Picea are a tree from the coldest northern climates and need a very cold winter to thrive. While they may hang on in the ground they are really out of their environment in a pot in Sydney.

If you wish to keep one alive for the long haul you will need to move up into the mountains, or perhaps even better Tasmania.

You have had some good advice on how to proceed to try and save it. To have any chance to maintain it keep it out of the summer heat and dry wind. In winter expose it to the worst possible conditions cold temperature and cold winds that you can.

Dennis Mc