I picked up a dying tree - chances / what to do to revive?

[takemori]

Hi everyone, Yesterday morning I picked up a tree, it was growing inside a wall between two shop houses approximately on the level of a 3rd floor. It was not growing in the ground etc, one of those trees who's seed got into the wall and it started to grow. I think it dwarfed itself but may be not.

It looked ok, may be even healthy from down below where I walk. The building got demolished few days ago and tree was removed from the wall with the root ready to be thrown away, I asked construction workers if I can take it and they gave it to me. It was with naked roots for a maximum of 48 hours, I took it in the morning when I had to go to work so I just put the roots into a plastic bag with water and rushed out, in the evening I bought some soil and covered some of the roots, and I will buy more shortly today.

I am not very good at gardening I am growing two small lemon trees from seeds (doing good) and a bunch of tomatoes (not so good), I am in Singapore.

Please advice. Is there a chance, is it going to die for sure? thoughts? The root has a very peculiar shape it is made of mostly lots of thin roots due to the need of penetrating the brick wall before I guess.

[webmaster]

The tree looks a little stressed but it could come back. Give it time outside, with sunshine. If you're keeping it indoors that's probably going to stress it- trees are meant to be outdoors not in.

[takemori]

I have a big balcony.... I am keeping it there, if it survives I will buy a huge pot and plant it into it, now it is planted into soil but within plastic bag.

[takemori]

Thank you everyone for your comments.

Tree is doing... mmm. that's a tough one, I think it may survive - the reason I think so is that even though almost all original leaves fell off, and it is fairly naked now, on bottom branches the very small green leaves seem to be growing - or it is an illusion and they will also fall off in few days...

[takemori]

Not a single leaf fell of within last two weeks!!! and when I was writing last time I had two small leaves growing but now even branches that seemed dried have new leaf forming. Giant pot is expected to be delivered tmr and finally it will be in a pot

[takemori]

Thank you Marlingardener

By the way - is there anyway I can identify what tree is this? I am surprised but I wasn't able to find like one destination web site where by uploading a leaf photo it would give me names or something modern in its execution like google images

I suspect this is close to ficus?

[rainbowgardener]

Yup, looks like ficus.

[takemori]

I think many of potted plants should be jealous of a pot size
(on a right - a lemon tree that I sprouted from a seed of a supermarket organic lemon)

[takemori]

Here is an update. Tree seems to be doing fine. Not sure what is normal growth speed and should it be completely green by now or what I have is a positive indication, but at least there are three times more leafs now