Trees Killed - Lessons Learned

stephentoddpope

oh, come on, sure you will, thats what fun bout bonsai, the challenge, im sure in few years, you will be able to keep em alive!

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DavidN

I think cotoneaster in Australia are a really struggle to grow and seem to die on many of us down here as soon as their roots are touched. BTW I have never and will never have a serissa in my collection.

David

stephentoddpope

well, i think you should try serissa, i have heard from some that they are hard, than from my friends here, that they are very easy

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

pdbbonsai

2003

ulmus p. 3 to incorrect overwintering
ulmus p. corkbark sheep ate it
ulmus p. yatsabusa overwintering
juni nana 3 to incorrect overwintering
parsonnii spruce overwintering
raintree incorrect overwintering
siberian elm sheep ate it
lilac (common) sheep ate it
larix decidua (4) sheep ate them
larix k. sheep ate it
potentilla 2 (mame and giant) sheep ate them
Malus 'snowdrift' rootbound and incorrect overwintering
acer ginnala root over rock sheep ate it
acer palmatum incorrect overwintering
quince (2) incorrect overwintering
juniper (unk var) incorrect overwintering
cotoneaster sheep ate it
barberry overwintering




overwintering this year was a challenge. bought a new house last year and had everything stored in a shed. Our winter was very dry and I did not compensate for it. I failed in maintaining the collection and lost numerous trees. those that survived and began to bud out this spring were met with the appetite of two suffolk sheep who watched as I meticulously labored over them during the morning, and while at work, jumped the fence and chowed.

added to the hit list:

2 suffolk sheep (sent to greener pastures)

Paul (humbled by the loss......learned valuable lesson....moved on)

p.s. they really did go to greener pastures.....another farm miles away.

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FredL

I have lost a number of trees, most of which would be properly classified as "material". The principle causes:

Collecting at the wrong time of year. Trees, particularly conifers, collected in the Fall frequently turned out to be severely weakened and very sensitive to the freeze/thaw cycle that we experience all Winter long here. They weaken and die by mid-Summer.

Repotting in Summer. Most of the trees I've repotted in early Summer do fine. A small number die . Why? Beats me.

Collecting at the right time of year. A small number of the trees I have collected in the Spring don't make it. I have no idea why not. Most of them do fine.

Excessive root pruning when repotting combined with leaving too many leaves on the tree. Once again, rare, but it has happened.

What has surprized me on the positive side is the vigor with which alot of trees have sprouted from tap roots I have pruned when repotting trees. At first, it was quite by accident. Now, I plant most of the tap roots I cut off when root pruning and most sprout.

Fred

diamondlyme84

I've lost some birch seedlings (I think they were 3 months old), but I think that's all the plants I've lost in my....4 or 5 months of bonsai. I'm sure I'll lose many more in the years to come, even more once I try collecting trees, but it's all part of the learning experience.

I haven't had any trouble with my Serissa thus far, but then again I haven't had to do a repot with it in which I've actually changed the soil.

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clrosner

Phew! I'm exhausted after reading through the list so far. Yes, I have killed my share and I am sure I couldn't count on my hands and feet the trees killed, but the thing that I wish to express is "the lessons learned part".

I lost a beautiful 8 inch tall with an inch and a half trunk Rosemary, by trimming the roots. That is a no!.no! Never touch the roots, just repot into a larger pot...

No lessons learned from loosing several Serissa

I think maybe I'll start a new string on the trees I have saved!!!!

Carl L. Rosner

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Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
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Earl

Add me to the list of those who couldn't possibly list them all. It would overload the server! However, I can severely limit the reasons for most of my deaths: underwatering or poor soil. And they are both related to each other. It gets so hot and dry here that a one day miss in poor soil can wipe out a tree. I now have a much better mix and and I am amazed at how long it stays moist.

A 3rd cause would be repeatedly trying to grow trees that just won't grow in our climate without babying way beyond my time and resources.

Earl

kenny

I've only been at it for just over a year, but I'm already working on an ever-lengthening kill list:

Some sought of ficus and another flowering tree (these were my first bonsais) - repotted, cut back and wired at the same time (I got excited)

Japanese Cedar (a semi-developed gift) - Overwatering, but the big problem was I didn't pull it out of it's pot for a look when I first got it. If I had I would have realised: a. the soil had a lot of clay, b. the tree was root bound and c. there was no drainage rocks in the bottom and only one very small hole.

A number of fig and maple cuttings - underwatering and left in direct sunlight.