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.

[Marlingardener]

Be careful to not overwater the tree--being in a plastic bag means no drainage and the soil won't drain.
To improve the tree's chances of survival, you could remove some of the smallest limbs, perhaps up to 1/3 of the total limbs, especially the lower ones. This will give the tree less stress with fewer limbs to keep alive.
Good luck!

[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...

[Marlingardener]

If you have new leaves on the tree, you have managed to get it to survive through the most stressful time (being removed from the wall, bare roots exposed, and living in a plastic bag). It would seem you have a tree in your future!
Keep a close watch on it, make sure it isn't over-watered or exposed to strong winds, and start shopping for a large pot and soil.

[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

[Marlingardener]

Congratulations!

[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

[Marlingardener]

Every gardener needs to learn patience. Your tree has been through a lot, and it looks as if it is recovering from a stressful situation. Give it time. It will fill out at its own speed. You have done amazingly well to rescue and revive this tree.