jamichl

Hello all. This is my first post here, so hopefully I don't mis-step somehow. I've looked for a situation similiar to mine and found Damaged maple.

In my case the tree had severe die back over the winter. It probably was allowed to dry out too much last summer, and then winter in Seattle was actually cold. I rescued this from a friend, as the tree has an amazing root structure, and there was new growth coming off the base of the trunk. In term of shap and size, the tree looks very much like the one in "damaged maple" above.

My problem now is what leaves there were there died in the move, and new buds never quite leaf (get all ready to push out - and then suddenly pull back.) I feel like I'm losing the battle here and this is going to die.

It sure hasn't yet though (still a couple areas of green bark where the buds sometimes appear.)

What's my best chance at reviving this? Heat/no heat? Food/no food? Bugs want the buds - is there any chemical it would be safe to use (I've been picking them off ...)

This plant is well beyond my skill level - but it was too amazing to just leave.

I appreciate any guidance.

treebeard55

Welcome to the forum, jamichl!

Can you post a picture of your tree? That would help us offer any advice we might have.

It sounds like your tree is worth an attempt to save it -- at least to you! My suggestion is to put it into light shade. Keep the humidity around it as high as you reasonably can. Use liquid fertilizer at 1/4 strength, and spray the branches and trunk with it too.

You didn't say anything about the soil. The almost-breaking-new-leaves-over-and-over sounds like it could well be due to a soil/root problem. Tell us about the soil, please.

Frankly, your tree sounds very sick, but don't give up. And be aware you may not see any change for months. Trees live at a much slower pace than we do!

__________________
Treebeard 55
Steve Moore
http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com

The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

M.B.

I have read about putting an at risk tree in it's own ICU unit. Basicly this guy made a wood frame around the tree he wanted to save, put plastic around and made his own greenhouse for the tree. Lots of light but not direct sun, moist humid environment, and I'd feed some organic liquid fertalizer with some humic acid in it. The humic acid is supposed to help the plant absorb the nutrients easier. Your tree is in a great deal of trouble without leaves. The leaves are the solar panels to make it live and without them for very long, well lets just say she's on life support without much hope. It will depend upon how much energy is stored in her roots to grow some new leaves. Good luck with this project, I hope she makes it.
Mary B.

jamichl

I appreciate the reply. I'll post a picture - yet frankly, I'm embarassed. I caught a slug on it the other night, so the pot and lower trunk now have copper tape on them. Clearly I'm whacked out.

The soil is a fairly regular potting soil, as I wasn't ready to torture this further yet. I suspect it's of more importance that this sickly plant was ripped out of it's old home, and then crammed into this pot. I did NO further root trimming, but am not certain what it lost when being removed. I thought the underground root structure looked a little "lite", but there seemed enough there to be functional.

The more I read, the more I think plenty of indirect light, lots-o humidity, and some (?) amount tof fertilizer. I'm just not sure how agressive or cautious to be with the latter. Ultimately, the tree (she? ...) will do what it's gonna do.

jamichl

Mary - Thanks for the reply. See what I said in my response to TreeBeard above. I'm definately leaning towards your "ICU" approach - it seems right. I'm also unhappy about the lack of leaves - as I know the maple is working off of stored energy. That's got to be in short supply at this point.

I think I need to set it up with the best situation possible, and then tuck it in a corner of the yard - where I won't obsess about it every day (it's still very wet here this year). I just need to leave it alone and let it do whatever it's going to do.