I bought this tree about 6 months ago, its about 3 years old ...
I have started fertilizing it for about 2 months now, after the last
time it looked considerably worse the next day. I had been told I could
Miracle grow at about half the dosage listed on the box. I really don't
know what to do now to help it get better. The leaves on the
underneath of it have always been brown (I was told this was normal)
but now the leaves on the top have started to turn as well since the
last fertilizing.

I have been watering it regularly since I got it. I spritz the leaves
daily and don't allow the base to dry out at all. I would greatly
appreciate any advice on what to do here to care for it.

I wrote Chris offline, and found out the tree is *indoors*. So my
feeling is that the tree is a goner, but has anyone kept a blue moss
cypress indoors successfully? If so, you should respond.

Nina. Suddenly, it's 90 F.

chris wrote:
I bought this tree about 6 months ago, its about 3 years old ...

chris wrote:
I bought this tree about 6 months ago, its about 3 years old ...
I have started fertilizing it for about 2 months now, after the last
time it looked considerably worse the next day. I had been told I could
Miracle grow at about half the dosage listed on the box. I really don't
know what to do now to help it get better. The leaves on the
underneath of it have always been brown (I was told this was normal)
but now the leaves on the top have started to turn as well since the
last fertilizing.

I have been watering it regularly since I got it. I spritz the leaves
daily and don't allow the base to dry out at all. I would greatly
appreciate any advice on what to do here to care for it.


Your last paragraph worries me. Of course I have no idea
where you got the tree from, or whether they knew anything
about growing bonsai, but few conifers will live for long if
their owners "don't allow the base to dry out at all."

If the needles are turning brown, it may be too late.
However, stop watering so much. Let the soil go almost dry
between waterings. Water from the top, NOT by submersion,
and don't fertilize every time you water. A sick tree
probably can't use the fertilizer.

The tree MUST be outdoors. Morning sun is fine while it is
ill. Full sun, or nearly so afterward. Winter and summer
-- unless you live in Alaska, in which case some winter
protection is desirable, but it still should not come into
the house.

Good luck, but I don't think you should get your hopes up
too much.

Jim Lewis - - This economy is a wholly
owned subsidiary of the environment. - Gaylord Nelson

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You most likely have a root zone problem--root rot. If the foliage is crispy, the tree will most likely be lost. If not, you should consider allowing the root pad to dry out between watering. Blue Moss Cypress does not like excessive water and does quite well in extreme heat.

This is not the right time to be working with root pads, so I would suggest that you consider repotting only if you suspect root root is present. If the pad is solid, pop it out of the pot and check the roots. If they are black and dead, you will need to cut away the dead roots, soak the tree is fungicide, and they repot with fresh soil. Place the tree in indirect sunlight for 2 weeks or so.

Do not attempt to growth this species indoors.

Cordially,

Michael Persiano
members.aol.com/iasnob

-----Original Message-----
From: chris
To:
Sent: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 07:04:11 -0700
Subject: [IBC] blue moss cyprus - need advice


I bought this tree about 6 months ago, its about 3 years old ...
I have started fertilizing it for about 2 months now, after the last
time it looked considerably worse the next day. I had been told I could
Miracle grow at about half the dosage listed on the box. I really don't
know what to do now to help it get better. The leaves on the
underneath of it have always been brown (I was told this was normal)
but now the leaves on the top have started to turn as well since the
last fertilizing.

I have been watering it regularly since I got it. I spritz the leaves
daily and don't allow the base to dry out at all. I would greatly
appreciate any advice on what to do here to care for it.

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

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

I got it at a mall ... which I only just found out that they typically
only sell dying trees, unfortunately I didn't know any better when I
got it.

I've received a bunch of constructive responses, unfortunately the
common theme seems to be to not get my hopes up. I will let it dry out
a bit and then check the roots. Also I live in a townhouse and I
wouldn't trust placing it outdoors, that is another thing they didn't
tell me when I bought it (that it should be left outdoors).

I had been fertilizing it every 2 weeks for the past 2 months. On the
base of the tree some green moss has started growing. Is this normal? I
was assuming that is why it is called 'blue moss'?

Thanks to everyone for all the help.

Why not take the tree back and demand your money back? There is the better Business Bureau that you would be glad to report this type of business tactic. Also, a letter to the local newspaper is another thing that you promise the business manager...

Am I being naive???

Carl L. Rosner

chris wrote:
I got it at a mall ... which I only just found out that they typically
only sell dying trees, unfortunately I didn't know any better when I
got it.

I've received a bunch of constructive responses, unfortunately the
common theme seems to be to not get my hopes up. I will let it dry out
a bit and then check the roots. Also I live in a townhouse and I
wouldn't trust placing it outdoors, that is another thing they didn't
tell me when I bought it (that it should be left outdoors).

I had been fertilizing it every 2 weeks for the past 2 months. On the
base of the tree some green moss has started growing. Is this normal? I
was assuming that is why it is called 'blue moss'?

Thanks to everyone for all the help.



Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7

www.carlrosner.com
http://www.yessy.com/arteacher3725
http://rosner.becanz.net

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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

OK I was able to check the roots. On the bottom there's a mesh but
there are actually roots over that as well. I did not see any black
roots, dark brown but not black however it's hard to see underneath the
mesh, to remove the mesh I would have to disturb the roots that have
grown around it an those roots looked good, meaning brown, parts light
brown. It looked like a jumble of roots and what looked like sand mixed
in, hardly any actual dirt, everything seemed pretty tightly packed.

Since the local bonsai club dissolved, there has been very little public
display/sale of anything remotely related to bonsai in the Klamath Basin (S.
Oregon).

Yesterday a friend commented to me that there was someone selling bonsai in
a little shopping center parking lot. I was just too curious, and after
tracking down where the guy actually was, I found a white van with "BONSAI"
banners on the sides. Most of the bonsai were some sort of juniper, a
couple of eugenia, a couple olives, and one cotoneaster. I would say that
they were mostly a bit better than mallsai, but nothing remarkable. Prices
seemed reasonable for what I have associated with mallsai. The trees
actually looked pretty healthy.

On the other hand, the pots were nearly littered with little fishermen and
pagoda figures. I didn't want to be poking around in the pots, so I
couldn't swear that the pebble top dressing wasn't glued down. The fellow
was also selling some green fluid in what appeared to be miniature hamster
water bottles labelled "GREEN GREEN" which was from China.

What really warned me off though was that I mentioned that we have a rather
harsh climate, the fellow says "Oh, you can keep these inside"! I smiled
and looked a bit more before wandering off. I can understand someone
wanting to push a sale, but while you can have the trees inside for a few
days, to see "keep" was troublesome to me. Sort of a love-hate thing going
on. Love to see more activity involving bonsai, hate to see advice being
given which will just about certainly end in disappointment. If the club
was in existence at all I would suggest running adds about meetings.
Weather was unseasonably chilly and spitting rain, he didn't have a great
location, so I don't think he sold much (but I saw at least one sale).

I guess it just goes with the territory to be wary of travelling salemen? I
guess I just wanted to share this odd experience which raised such confusing
feelings.

Sam Crowell
Klamath Falls, Oregon

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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

sam crowell wrote:
Since the local bonsai club dissolved, there has been very little public
display/sale of anything remotely related to bonsai in the Klamath Basin
(S. Oregon).

That's too bad. But if there were a couple of you who WERE
interested, maybe between the two of you you could start a
study group and, using one of the better books (perhaps
Dorothy Koreshoff's) guide yourselves through various
bonsai-related topics. Then you could (perhaps) drum up
interest with demos or workshops at local nurseries -- who
ALWAYS are willing to participate if they can sell the
junipers you use.

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.

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************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Sam - That guy was up here in Portland just a couple weeks ago. Your
description matches exactly the description my wife gave me of "a van with
'Bonsai' on the side" holed up on a vacant lot by the highway.

I can't imagine that there are more than 1 of these guys... I hope there
isn't.

Tony.

-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf Of
sam crowell
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 5:33 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] Travelling Bonsai Salesman...

Since the local bonsai club dissolved, there has been very little public
display/sale of anything remotely related to bonsai in the Klamath Basin (S.

Oregon).

Yesterday a friend commented to me that there was someone selling bonsai in
a little shopping center parking lot. I was just too curious, and after
tracking down where the guy actually was, I found a white van with "BONSAI"
banners on the sides. Most of the bonsai were some sort of juniper, a
couple of eugenia, a couple olives, and one cotoneaster. I would say that
they were mostly a bit better than mallsai, but nothing remarkable. Prices
seemed reasonable for what I have associated with mallsai. The trees
actually looked pretty healthy.

On the other hand, the pots were nearly littered with little fishermen and
pagoda figures. I didn't want to be poking around in the pots, so I
couldn't swear that the pebble top dressing wasn't glued down. The fellow
was also selling some green fluid in what appeared to be miniature hamster
water bottles labelled "GREEN GREEN" which was from China.

What really warned me off though was that I mentioned that we have a rather
harsh climate, the fellow says "Oh, you can keep these inside"! I smiled
and looked a bit more before wandering off. I can understand someone
wanting to push a sale, but while you can have the trees inside for a few
days, to see "keep" was troublesome to me. Sort of a love-hate thing going
on. Love to see more activity involving bonsai, hate to see advice being
given which will just about certainly end in disappointment. If the club
was in existence at all I would suggest running adds about meetings.
Weather was unseasonably chilly and spitting rain, he didn't have a great
location, so I don't think he sold much (but I saw at least one sale).

I guess it just goes with the territory to be wary of travelling salemen? I

guess I just wanted to share this odd experience which raised such confusing

feelings.

Sam Crowell
Klamath Falls, Oregon

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****
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************************************************** **************************
****
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

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

That's too bad. But if there were a couple of you who WERE interested,
maybe between the two of you you could start a study group and, using one
of the better books (perhaps Dorothy Koreshoff's) guide yourselves through
various bonsai-related topics. Then you could (perhaps) drum up interest
with demos or workshops at local nurseries -- who ALWAYS are willing to
participate if they can sell the junipers you use.

Well Jim, I actually do continue to have interest in bonsai, and have tried
to drum up interest a couple of times. For my own part, remodelling our
house and expecting a baby this week it putting a crimp in other pursuits!
:-p

Sam

P.S. Later on, I will probably try again, and have thought about teaching a
basic beginners class at the local community college. On my own I am still
trying to keep track of basics info available online and at nominal costs
for potential students. But thanks for the encouragement, ALWAYS welcome!

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