My Berberis is very slow growing. Can someone help?!

[bonsai_beginner]

Hey everyone,
Ive had my Berberis stump for quite a few months now (around 6) and it is growing incredibly slow, and by that, i mean almost not at all. Since i got it, only a few little sprouts have popped up on it. Nothing has really formed into anything usable.
I have it in a lot of sun and it gets watered every two days, with long lasting fertilizer pellets sprinkled across the surface.

What can i do to encourage more growth? Have i got it in the correct conditions?
Any advice to help boost this little fellas growth would be fantastic.

Maybe I've left it to get too much sun and burnt it? I'm very knew to this species and bonsai in general. I'm located in Melbourne

This is what it looks like after 6 months of owning it:










Thanks
DK


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[treeman]

The main part of the plant has died (probably from the pruning) What is left is so weak I think it's best to let this one go.

[bonsai_beginner]

Oh that's a real shame! No chance of saving it?


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[KIRKY]

You say you got this six months ago. Can you tell me what you have done to it since getting it. Did you repot it and if so what soil did you pot it into? Did you root prune it? If so, how much root did you leave? You also said you fertilize it what are you using? All this information is relevant to what is, or is not happening to your plant. These things are fairly hardy, I partly agree with Treeman. Pruned too hard. What is left is weak. But there are other reasons too.
Cheers
Kirky

[bonsai_beginner]

Since I've got it I've had it in quite a bit of sun, watered every two days. (Sometimes every day when it gets really hot). It's in well draining soil, I have not re potted or root pruned since receiving it. I have been using Charlie carp as the fertilizer.

I'm really hoping there might be a way of saving this because I quite liked the look of this stump.

But I guess if it's not worth it I should cut my losses hey?




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[KIRKY]

I think treeman got it right you may have to let this one go. There is nothing you are doing that is wrong. The only thing I can think of is the root system. I noticed some major cuts, have you looked at the root system if it doesn't have enough feeder roots, it wont push top growth. If you have a healthy root system, then I have no idea what would be causing the lack of growth. AsI said sun, water, charlie it should all work.
Cheers
Kirky

[bonsai_beginner]

Thanks kirky
I haven't actually checked out the root system as I didn't want to disrupt it Since it was recently dug up.

Would be a real shame to let this little one go


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[matlea]

Having those brown and dead top shoots while still having green shoots may point to root issues as pointed out above. It may survive with good care but then you would probably have to place it into the ground to regrow from scratch.....

[bonsai_beginner]

Should I re pot it now and check the roots? Or will this really push it over the edge and completely finish it?


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[shibui]

I'm pretty sure it is alive and actually growing.
I think Treeman is trying to say that because it has died back and started growing again from low shoots it will take a long time to develop into anything great - that's why he wouldn't bother.
Whether to keep it or not depends on what else you have to look after or what you can replace it with. This could - eventually - develop into something worthwhile but it will take a long time. Do you have the space, time and patience? It is up to you.
Personally I'd leave it alone at the moment and let it recover from the trauma of being collected.

[bonsai_beginner]

Thanks shibui,
I have quite a few others to work on so I think I might do as you said and leave it grow and recover a bit.
Do you recommend full sun? Or whilst it's recovering a bit more shade?


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[KIRKY]

If it was recently dug up it is trying to recover. Just continue with what you are doing. Dappled shade is always good for recovering plants.
Cheers
Kirky

[bonsai_beginner]

Okay thanks
I have shifted it further back so it gets more shade then sun. It was previously in full sun for around 6 hours. Now it's around 3-4 hours


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