GARDENING Q&A: Bonsai Probably Faltered In Dry Air Indoors
Q. I have a question about a bonsai plant. I purchased a Golden Gate fig in October. For most of the early winter it was doing quite well. I kept it indoors, watered it as needed and it had filtered sunlight. However, in late January all of the leaves started falling off. Now I simply have a tree with very few limbs and absolutely no leaves. Is my tree a goner? I've tried the limbs and they still seem to be flexible. What should I do to get more growth or should I give up on this one and try another?
A. On our March PBS show, "Virginia Home Grown," one of our guests was Jim Ford, former president of the Richmond Bonsai Society. He received a question very similar to yours during the show. It sounds like your Golden Gate fig didn't quite acclimate to the indoor environment. It could be that the atmosphere in your house, like most, was too dry.
You can move it outdoors now and remove the terminal buds on the end of each healthy stem. Give it a dose of slow-release fertilizer and if it's not too far gone, it should produce new growth. If it's not better in 30 days, think about replacing it.
By the way, Jim keeps his bonsai plants outdoors in winter in a plastic-covered greenhouse. This protects them from severe weather while allowing them to go dormant naturally.
You may want to keep yours in an unheated portion of the house and let it go dormant instead of trying to keep it growing in winter.
Q. I bought an evergreen amaryllis from a local greenhouse and it has not bloomed. They told me it probably wouldn't the first year, so this being the second season, I was really looking forward to a bloom. I placed it outside in part shade last summer and fertilized it in the fall with liquid fertilizer. Any ideas about why this amaryllis hasn't bloomed?
A. Even the evergreen amaryllis needs to go through a cool dormant period to bloom again. Here are the steps that may help for next year. In September, take it indoors and stop watering it. Put it in a cool (55-60 degrees), dry place for 10 to 12 weeks. After 12 weeks (late November/early December), remove the bulb from its original pot and repot it in fresh soil. Leave the shoulders of the bulb (the upper one-third) exposed.
Put the plant in a warm (70-75 degrees) site and start watering as needed. It should bloom in about eight weeks.
Q. When we bought our house seven years ago, we had some trees on one side called red tips. They grew very well for three to four years, providing a natural fence. However, over the past two years or so, they seem to have gotten sick. We see very few leaves and they don't provide a cover anymore. Do you know what might have happened?
A. Photinia, or red tips, have a serious fungus problem called Entomosporium leaf spot. The leaves become infected with black and purple spots, then fall off. This is an increasing problem in Virginia. In fact, many garden centers have stopped selling them.
You can prune them hard to stimulate new growth, then spray with fungicide. Most experts agree you have to treat them three times at two-week intervals. Be sure to get up all the old leaves, because the spores on them will re-infest the plant.
Unfortunately, once this fungus hits, it's hard to control. If you're not happy with the way your red tips look, you may want to replace them with something like bayberry (wax myrtle). You get the same natural fence without the disease.
Richard Nunnally's column appears each Saturday in the Home & Garden section. Send questions in care of the Flair Department, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293.
A. On our March PBS show, "Virginia Home Grown," one of our guests was Jim Ford, former president of the Richmond Bonsai Society. He received a question very similar to yours during the show. It sounds like your Golden Gate fig didn't quite acclimate to the indoor environment. It could be that the atmosphere in your house, like most, was too dry.
You can move it outdoors now and remove the terminal buds on the end of each healthy stem. Give it a dose of slow-release fertilizer and if it's not too far gone, it should produce new growth. If it's not better in 30 days, think about replacing it.
By the way, Jim keeps his bonsai plants outdoors in winter in a plastic-covered greenhouse. This protects them from severe weather while allowing them to go dormant naturally.
You may want to keep yours in an unheated portion of the house and let it go dormant instead of trying to keep it growing in winter.
Q. I bought an evergreen amaryllis from a local greenhouse and it has not bloomed. They told me it probably wouldn't the first year, so this being the second season, I was really looking forward to a bloom. I placed it outside in part shade last summer and fertilized it in the fall with liquid fertilizer. Any ideas about why this amaryllis hasn't bloomed?
A. Even the evergreen amaryllis needs to go through a cool dormant period to bloom again. Here are the steps that may help for next year. In September, take it indoors and stop watering it. Put it in a cool (55-60 degrees), dry place for 10 to 12 weeks. After 12 weeks (late November/early December), remove the bulb from its original pot and repot it in fresh soil. Leave the shoulders of the bulb (the upper one-third) exposed.
Put the plant in a warm (70-75 degrees) site and start watering as needed. It should bloom in about eight weeks.
Q. When we bought our house seven years ago, we had some trees on one side called red tips. They grew very well for three to four years, providing a natural fence. However, over the past two years or so, they seem to have gotten sick. We see very few leaves and they don't provide a cover anymore. Do you know what might have happened?
A. Photinia, or red tips, have a serious fungus problem called Entomosporium leaf spot. The leaves become infected with black and purple spots, then fall off. This is an increasing problem in Virginia. In fact, many garden centers have stopped selling them.
You can prune them hard to stimulate new growth, then spray with fungicide. Most experts agree you have to treat them three times at two-week intervals. Be sure to get up all the old leaves, because the spores on them will re-infest the plant.
Unfortunately, once this fungus hits, it's hard to control. If you're not happy with the way your red tips look, you may want to replace them with something like bayberry (wax myrtle). You get the same natural fence without the disease.
Richard Nunnally's column appears each Saturday in the Home & Garden section. Send questions in care of the Flair Department, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293.
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posted by Davor Novakovic @ Friday, May 27, 2005
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