needles turning brown

outlaw

I have a two-year-old Ponderosa pine, the offspring of a Ponderosa that used to inhabit our back yard. I originally had other plans for it, but after being bitten by the "bonsai bug" I decided to use the tree as a learning project. I am starting to see a small number of needles turning brown...usually at the tips of a few of the branches.

I need to know if this is a normal phenomenon, or if it is an indication of a real problem with the tree. Should I be worried about the problem, or simply trim the brown needles?

Thanks for your advice.

Advertisement

Fletch

Definitely doesn't sound right. Can you tell us more about the tree and it's environment.

What part of the US is Marlow in?
What sort of soil (composition, drainage, ...) is the tree in?
What size and type of pot?
What has your weather been like (cold & rainy, hot & windy,...)?
Has it changed location recently?
Is it in full sun / shade?
Has there been any drastic changes or shocks to the tree recently?
Are there any obvious suspects (bugs, flies, ...) in the vicinity?
Are there any other signs of disease (fungus, mold, ...) on or near the tree?
Are there any animals (cat, dog, squirrels, ...) with access to the tree?
Have you looked under the soil?
What sort of condition are the roots in?
How has it been growing this past summer?
How long have you noticed the browning happening?
Does it progress down the branches?
Where on the tree are the affected branches?
What % of the tree is browning?
Can you post pics of the tree, roots, close up of affected needles ...?

With more information someone here might be able to identify a cause but with the limited we know at present I for one wouldn't know where to begin.

__________________
Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

Regards
Fletch

outlaw

[QUOTE=Fletch]Definitely doesn't sound right. Can you tell us more about the tree and it's environment.

What part of the US is Marlow in? South central Oklahoma.

What sort of soil (composition, drainage, ...) is the tree in? A mixture of standard potting soil and a "professional potting soil" sold by a reputable bonsai retailer in New York...a crushed sterile shale, neutral PH...used to keep the potting soil from compacting and to help increase the drainage.

What size and type of pot? It is a Japanese ceramic pot, oblong measuring 10"x8"x3.5".... glazed exterior, unglazed interior

What has your weather been like (cold & rainy, hot & windy,...)? The weather is not an issue since the tree is planned to be an indoor tree.

Has it changed location recently? No.

Is it in full sun / shade? Full sun in the morning (east window) and partial sun in the afternoon (south window).

Has there been any drastic changes or shocks to the tree recently? Roots pruned this past June; some minor tree pruning a month later because the tree was becoming too tall....it was nearly 8 inches tall.

Are there any obvious suspects (bugs, flies, ...) in the vicinity? No.

Are there any other signs of disease (fungus, mold, ...) on or near the tree? No.

Are there any animals (cat, dog, squirrels, ...) with access to the tree? No.

Have you looked under the soil? No...as I stated earlier, it was recently repotted.

What sort of condition are the roots in? The roots were in excellent shape at the time of its last pruning.

How has it been growing this past summer? Yes...extremely well.

How long have you noticed the browning happening? It has shown some signs of browning since it was transplanted from the backyard to a pot. This tree was found growing in a flower bed, and is an offspring of an adult pine that used to grow in the backyard.

Does it progress down the branches? No.

Where on the tree are the affected branches? Primarily at the tip of some of the branches.

What % of the tree is browning? Probably less than 5 percent.

Can you post pics of the tree, roots, close up of affected needles ...? I will try to find out how to post pics to this forum.

With more information someone here might be able to identify a cause but with the limited we know at present I for one wouldn't know where to begin.

I appreciate your response very much.
Thanks.

Fletch

outlaw:

To quote your response:

"What has your weather been like (cold & rainy, hot & windy,...)? The weather is not an issue since the tree is planned to be an indoor tree."

Well, sorry to say but that is probably your problem right there.

Most trees, and especially something like a ponderosa pine, are not meant to live indoors for more than a very short period for display purposes. They can't get the humidity, temperature change, wind movement and a host of other environmental factors they need to stay healthy. I would strongly suggest you move the tree outside (to a sheltered spot for the first couple weeks since it hasn't had the natural cooling temps to help harden it off yet). I would expect it will winter just fine in your area and the slight browning you've seen should not represent a major problem to your tree's full recovery over the next year.

If you haven't already done so, go to the library, bookstore, web, ... and read as much as you can on Bonsai and on the particular tree species you are wanting to grow. Understand the natural environment of your trees and try as closely as possible to imitate them in their potted environment.

I wish you success with your pine and hope this will be the start of a very long and rewarding relationship between the two of you.

BTW, If you are set on keeping a tree indoors look at tropicals as a better option. With some care that they don't get too low on the humidity side ... there are a large number of trees that can be successfully kept inside year round.

__________________
Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

Regards
Fletch

RedPine

Fletch with the coool dog is right.

Ponderosa Pine+Livingroom=DEATH

__________________
http://gongshi.freeforums.org/index.php