Now I have all but lost the maple, and I am assuming it is to
poor drainage,
for it has been healthy for several years. The elm is okay at
the moment,
and one of the pines is pushing candles, but the other is
responding more
slowly.

What is the maple doing? If it is putting out leaves and they
stay healthy but don't grow as fast as you'd like it may just be
having an adjustment problem. Rather than repotting, you might
do better living with a sparse maple for a year and repotting
again next year.

If leaves are appearing, then wilting or turning black, you may
have some other problem -- one of the fungus diseases that maples
get. That's a much tougher issue. I know of no true and sure
cure for either phtyophthora or verticilium fungus infections
(though I'm sure you'd get suggestions).

How much root work was done when you "up-potted'?


Now that it is early April, and temperatures are in the high
70s with a few
low 80s this week, is it safe to repot again, replacing with a
mix with
significantly reduced peat? Will the timing present too much
stress on the
tree? Even though drainage has not appeared to me to be bad, I
think that
ensuring good drainage is critical. My plan would be to quickly
transfer to
the new soil with very little disturbance of the roots and keep
in a shady
spot for several weeks, water lightly but keep soil moist.
Considering the
stress and perhaps the "illness" of the trees, would feeding be
recommended
at the time of repotting?

If you do this, WASH as much of the old soil off as possible. If
the roots look OK, repot in a good soil, then proceed as you
outlined above. Keep it out of the wind, too. Fertilizer
shouldn't hurt anything. In fact, for some of the fungal
problems, use of a high-N fertilizer is about the only "solution"
and it is doubtful.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by John Quinn++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++