Greenfreek
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:08 am
Location: Peterborough, UK

New User needs help identifying dieing tree......

My boyfriend has a Bonsai tree that is sort of dieing off, I want to help him get it back to life but we're complete amateurs and don't really know what we're doing... We don't even know what kind of tree it is

Can any one help us identify it and maybe make some suggestions on what we can do to help it?

He chose it because he liked the way some of the branches were exposed at the bottom and the twisted shape of the branches at the top.

It stands 11 and a half inches from the top of the pot.

There was some sort of green gunk coating the trunk so I gave it a little scrub with a soft toothbrush and gently flicked off any loose dead leaves but before we do too much to it, we really need to know what on earth we're doing.....

Please help.....

Love,
Clueless! :?


[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p141/loopyleigh/P2150094.jpg[/img]

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Greenfreek,

Your tree certainly has seen better days. How long has it been in this state? I am unable to identify your tree partly because of the small picture size. Even with a better photo I am not hopeful that I could ID it because of the dried foliage.

You should provide more information. Of particular interest would be your watering habits and the conditions the tree is being kept in WRT lighting. Has the soil been kept predominately wet? From your description of
green gunk coating the trunk
I suspect that has been the case.

Any other information you can provide can only help. For instance is it located near a central heating duct? Have you fertilized it and if so how often, with what product?

Norm

Greenfreek
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Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:08 am
Location: Peterborough, UK

Right ok, I think we've had it about 6 months and its been in that state for about 2

Not a good start really

What's WRT lighting? we kept it on a unit near a window in the living room to start with and then moved it to the kitchen window which is where I think it all went wrong but liam says it went wrong which is why he moved it but anyway the kitchen window was a bit cold so I've bought it back in to the living room.

I tend to water it when it looks dry on top but not sure when Liam does it

Its not near a central heating duct.

We've not really fed it or fertilized it or anything like that as like I said we're complete amateurs. All its had is one of those bonsai feeders that you put in upside down into the soil.

I don't really know what else I can tell you, if you have any other questions please ask and I'll try and tell you what I can.

Many thanks

Greenfreek
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:08 am
Location: Peterborough, UK

**UPDATE**
Ive just read a couple of other posts on here and have decided to put it under a fluorescent lamp....
lets see how that goes...

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Greenfreek,
Right ok, I think we've had it about 6 months and its been in that state for about 2
Well that really is not encouraging, it may already be dead. There are a few things you can do to check for signs of life. With a strong pair of scissors or garden pruners nip the tip off of a branch or two and look for green tissue. If you find none move lower on the trunk and scrape a little of the bark and again check for living tissue. If you get to the bottom and find only tan, white or brown then I'm afraid you are in for a disappointment.
What's WRT lighting?
WRT is Internet lingo for 'with regard to' I was asking about what kind of lighting you were providing it.

You have to really watch watering a tree that has dropped its foliage. It is easy to keep it too wet which can compromise the roots, especially if it is potted in poorly draining soil as yours appears to be.

Norm

kdodds
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Location: Airmont, NY Zone 6/7

Just going by the style and bark, my guess would be a mass produced Serissa, but that's only a guess. If it's looked that way for a couple of weeks, it's a very likely that it is well beyond saving.

thesdbux
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Location: San Diego

It would be sad if its a gonner. It looks to be a very nice specimen.

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uzeyr
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Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:45 am
Location: rochdale,manchester

that tree is only one and one only
the tree of a thousand stars :( unfortunatly I think its dead
mine looks alot like that now its dead as welll

sorry for ur loss but them are really hard trees to look after



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