[IBC] New ficus
 

2 weeks ago I got a new bonsai, a ficus benjamina. I reppoted it in a
deeper pot and cut and trimmed some roots. I put it in my room...which has
a lot of sun and can get very warm. However I dont think the tree liked
it...as almost all its leaves have fallen..about 10 or so remain and these
are turning yellow. I'm really afraid it will die...so I moved it to
another..cooler, less sunny room this morning. Can anyone tell me how I
can prevent the tree from dying and how I can help it adapt?

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In a message dated 9/30/2004 3:07:02 PM Mountain Standard Time,
writes:

2 weeks ago I got a new bonsai, a ficus benjamina. I reppoted it in a
deeper pot and cut and trimmed some roots. I put it in my room...which has
a lot of sun and can get very warm. However I dont think the tree liked
it...as almost all its leaves have fallen..about 10 or so remain and these
are turning yellow. I'm really afraid it will die...so I moved it to
another..cooler, less sunny room this morning. Can anyone tell me how I
can prevent the tree from dying and how I can help it adapt?



Yes. Stop moving it. Ficus benjamina are notorious for disliking change.
They respond by dropping all their leaves. Put it back in the warmer,
sunnier location and LEAVE IT ALONE. It will releaf causing you a great deal of
relief. ;-) Don't overwater in the winter and it should be fine.

Best Regards,
Daniel Avrin
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate
intensity."
THE SECOND COMING by W.B. Yeats

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

In a message dated 9/30/2004 3:07:02 PM Mountain Standard Time,
writes:

2 weeks ago I got a new bonsai, a ficus benjamina. I reppoted it in a
deeper pot and cut and trimmed some roots. I put it in my room...which has
a lot of sun and can get very warm. However I dont think the tree liked
it...as almost all its leaves have fallen..about 10 or so remain and these
are turning yellow. I'm really afraid it will die...so I moved it to
another..cooler, less sunny room this morning. Can anyone tell me how I
can prevent the tree from dying and how I can help it adapt?



Yes. Stop moving it. Ficus benjamina are notorious for disliking change.
They respond by dropping all their leaves. Put it back in the warmer,
sunnier location and LEAVE IT ALONE. It will releaf causing you a great deal of
relief. ;-) Don't overwater in the winter and it should be fine.

Best Regards,
Daniel Avrin
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate
intensity."
THE SECOND COMING by W.B. Yeats

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

Folks,
Several times I've read notes by Jim Lewis about how he thought gorilla
glue was excellent glue. I've been the "epoxy kid" for many years, and
while up at the True Value a few weeks back to get some epoxy I found myself
reading the Gorilla glue bottle labels. One interesting note was that you
needed to dampen one of the pieces. I thought, that's good since you can
never get bonsai wood dry anyhow! I asked the sales guy if he had much
feedback on it. Yes, it was good, but he said it had about a year shelf
life. I thought I'd give some a try, pretty expensive and if a shelf life
of a year I certainly didn't need a pint!! so I got the small bottle.
It sat in the garage a few weeks until two days ago when I accidently
snapped a natural jin on an old yew while repotting. I thought this would
be a great test of it.
Label says 100% waterproof...OK, we'll see.
It says that it foams to 2-3 times it's size while curing over a couple
hours. Being familiar with insulation/packing foam I figured I'd give it a
try first, so I squeezed out a line on a dampened board and about two hours
later was about 3 times the size and pretty much set up hard.
So, I squeezed some into the cracked jin ( fairly large) and about two hours
later added a bit more. Then next day did a tiny more to touch up. Worked
great! filled the cracks/space nicely . Did not foam out, but if it had it
sets up so slow you could wipe it easily. Seems very sturdy and should
re-coat with jin coloring fluid fine.
Only one limitation I see is the slow setup ( over 5 min epoxy) and setup is
so slow you couldn't hold it until done and pieces would fall apart if not
clamped in some fashion ( I used a couple cable ties to hold in place until
hard)
All in all, my pro-opinion is...good stuff, especially if waterproof and
since it works on damp wood!
Regards,.
Dale Cochoy, Wild Things Bonsai Studio, Hartville, Ohio
http://www.WildThingsBonsai.Com
Specializing in power wood carving tools.
Yakimono no Kokoro bonsai pottery of hand-built stoneware

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