Ponderosa at MABA2008

Dav4 · 04-20-2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonsaikc

"Old School" bonsai folk everywhere will insist that ponderosas can't be grown where they live. This is largely because they have never known how to keep them alive.

Pay attention to what John Kirby says. He is making quite a study of them and getting amazing results.

Chris

This is my hope

...
I discussed this with Mr Kirby (and bought Mr Jackels' book on the subject) and we both think they will do allright just north of Atlanta, which is where I will probably end up. I've done a reasonable job keeping them alive in Southern New England, and like I said in the earlier post I hope to prove the "old school" contingent wrong about growing them in Georgia. I still maintain that a JBP is the best pine for warmer climes like Alabama.

Dave

treebeard55 · 04-22-2009, 06:05 PM

I think John Kirby has a blog, doesn't he? Could someone post that link here, if you don't mind?

treebeard55 · 04-23-2009, 05:44 PM

OK, forgive my yell. I didn't check on my ponderosa yesterday -- very busy and it was under a cold frame. But I checked it after I got home from work today, and found something alarming (at least at first.)

A number of last year's needles -- maybe 1/4 of the total -- are whitish and thin, obviously dying. The tree looks OK otherwise, but I'd like to be sure.

Has anyone else seen this on any pine after a repotting? I've had trees lose needles, but not with this timing.

treebeard55 · 04-25-2009, 06:28 AM

I just sent an email to Andy Smith, describing what's going on and asking for any opinions he may be able to offer.

I also sent one yesterday to John Kirby, but haven't heard back from him yet.

I'll see what, if anything, these gentlemen have to suggest.

treebeard55 · 04-26-2009, 02:00 PM

No response yet from Andy or John. But also, as far as I can tell after examining it, the tree is no worse: the die-back hasn't spread.

I'm starting to think it was a one-time reaction to transplant shock. (That's still tentative, tho.)

Dav4 · 04-26-2009, 05:56 PM

I re-potted two old ponderosas 3-4 weeks ago. They are old, large trees in a 100% inorganic soil... I removed maybe 20% of the root system on each. Though I tried to protect them from hard freezes post re-pot, their rootballs were frozen solid on several occasions when temps fell into the mid 20's F. Just in the past few days, the buds on each tree have begun to swell. I think you just need to wait a bit more and relax...good luck,

Dave

treebeard55 · 05-01-2009, 05:55 PM

Dave, for comparison, what climate zone are you in? I'm in USDA 5b (the colder half of 5.)

Dav4 · 05-01-2009, 06:47 PM

I'm in USDA zone 6. We had lows below 0F for about a week this past January...these trees were in my garage where it fell to maybe 10F. We've had a cold spring here...as I mentioned these trees were re-potted maybe a month ago and were still subject to freezing temps up until last week. Things warmed up dramatically over last weekend and the buds are pushing aggressively now.

Dave

treebeard55 · 05-01-2009, 07:18 PM

Thanks. We've had a fairly typical spring: two days ago it hit 82 F, and there's a frost warning for tomorrow nite! We're much further from the moderating influence of an ocean.

None of the buds on my ponderosa have opened yet, but then none are looking dried up, either. All my other pines (with the exception of a Bosnian that I'm 99-3/4% sure is dead) are pushing new growth, but only one of them was repotted within the last year. That's a JBP, and it's the least aggressive with new growth so far.

Here are a few pictures, embedded for better detail. The first is of some of the dying needles; the second, a full-canopy shot from an angle about 40 degrees off front; and the third, a couple of buds. (The third is pushing the limits of my camera's resolution.)

treebeard55 · 05-27-2009, 10:52 PM

Hello, all. This info may be useful to someone else, too.

Andy Smith answered me, and said that what I described sounded to him like damage done by an insect, such as a borer. Once I read that I thought, "DOH!" The localized nature of the damage should have clued me in.

A few more needles have died, but the tree itself remains alive. I've moved it to a shadier spot, and am doing what I can to give it a humid microclimate. Right now the weather is making that easy: the last two days have been muggy, and tomorrow will probably be the same.

I treated with Di-syston, a granular systemic insecticide, this afternoon. Since it's lost some photosynthesizing capacity, I'll use light, frequent foliar feeding for the rest of the season, along with light applications of fertilizer to the soil.

04-22-2009, 06:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	I think John Kirby has a blog, doesn't he? Could someone post that link here, if you don't mind? __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

04-23-2009, 05:44 PM	#13 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	Yow! OK, forgive my yell. I didn't check on my ponderosa yesterday -- very busy and it was under a cold frame. But I checked it after I got home from work today, and found something alarming (at least at first.) A number of last year's needles -- maybe 1/4 of the total -- are whitish and thin, obviously dying. The tree looks OK otherwise, but I'd like to be sure. Has anyone else seen this on any pine after a repotting? I've had trees lose needles, but not with this timing. __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

04-25-2009, 06:28 AM	#14 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	I just sent an email to Andy Smith, describing what's going on and asking for any opinions he may be able to offer. I also sent one yesterday to John Kirby, but haven't heard back from him yet. I'll see what, if anything, these gentlemen have to suggest. __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

04-26-2009, 02:00 PM	#15 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	No response yet from Andy or John. But also, as far as I can tell after examining it, the tree is no worse: the die-back hasn't spread. I'm starting to think it was a one-time reaction to transplant shock. (That's still tentative, tho.) __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

05-01-2009, 05:55 PM	#17 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	Dave, for comparison, what climate zone are you in? I'm in USDA 5b (the colder half of 5.) __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

04-26-2009, 05:56 PM	#16 (permalink)
Dav4 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: SE Massachusetts Posts: 93	I re-potted two old ponderosas 3-4 weeks ago. They are old, large trees in a 100% inorganic soil... I removed maybe 20% of the root system on each. Though I tried to protect them from hard freezes post re-pot, their rootballs were frozen solid on several occasions when temps fell into the mid 20's F. Just in the past few days, the buds on each tree have begun to swell. I think you just need to wait a bit more and relax...good luck, Dave

05-01-2009, 06:47 PM	#18 (permalink)
Dav4 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: SE Massachusetts Posts: 93	I'm in USDA zone 6. We had lows below 0F for about a week this past January...these trees were in my garage where it fell to maybe 10F. We've had a cold spring here...as I mentioned these trees were re-potted maybe a month ago and were still subject to freezing temps up until last week. Things warmed up dramatically over last weekend and the buds are pushing aggressively now. Dave

05-01-2009, 07:18 PM	#19 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	Thanks. We've had a fairly typical spring: two days ago it hit 82 F, and there's a frost warning for tomorrow nite! We're much further from the moderating influence of an ocean. None of the buds on my ponderosa have opened yet, but then none are looking dried up, either. All my other pines (with the exception of a Bosnian that I'm 99-3/4% sure is dead) are pushing new growth, but only one of them was repotted within the last year. That's a JBP, and it's the least aggressive with new growth so far. Here are a few pictures, embedded for better detail. The first is of some of the dying needles; the second, a full-canopy shot from an angle about 40 degrees off front; and the third, a couple of buds. (The third is pushing the limits of my camera's resolution.) __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

05-27-2009, 10:52 PM	#20 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 510	Update Hello, all. This info may be useful to someone else, too. Andy Smith answered me, and said that what I described sounded to him like damage done by an insect, such as a borer. Once I read that I thought, "DOH!" The localized nature of the damage should have clued me in. A few more needles have died, but the tree itself remains alive. I've moved it to a shadier spot, and am doing what I can to give it a humid microclimate. Right now the weather is making that easy: the last two days have been muggy, and tomorrow will probably be the same. I treated with Di-syston, a granular systemic insecticide, this afternoon. Since it's lost some photosynthesizing capacity, I'll use light, frequent foliar feeding for the rest of the season, along with light applications of fertilizer to the soil. __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

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