AusBonsai

Can anyone tell me why my linariifolia has become very twiggy with only foliage on the very ends of the twigs? What have I done to it?

Glenda

What have you fed it? I nearly killed one over summer when I gave it Dynamic Lifter, all it's leaves fell off.
Somehow it did manage to survive though.

Waltron wrote:What have you fed it? I nearly killed one over summer when I gave it Dynamic Lifter, all it's leaves fell off.
Somehow it did manage to survive though.

Just Osmacote Native, and Seasol although it does have some new growth since, but it is all on the ends of the twigs. Will post a photo when I get a chance

Glenda

Glenda wrote:

Waltron wrote:What have you fed it? I nearly killed one over summer when I gave it Dynamic Lifter, all it's leaves fell off.
Somehow it did manage to survive though.

Just Osmacote Native, and Seasol although it does have some new growth since, but it is all on the ends of the twigs. Will post a photo when I get a chance

Glenda

They have that growth habit so to get it compact you have to prune. NEVER go beyond GREEN though, native fertilisers should be OK. I use MiracleGro for Azaleas And Camellias it is low in phosphate, I also use Phostrogen, which I believe is hard to get in the Eastern States now. So you can use YATES fruit and Flower it has the same NPK break down.

Dynamic lifter will turn the soil Alkaline and Linarifolia is a lover of wet areas, which are Acidic, conditions, which favour Most of our Melaleucas. They do like SUN which will help in keeping them from getting leggy.

Cheers Pup

Pup wrote:

Glenda wrote:

Waltron wrote:What have you fed it? I nearly killed one over summer when I gave it Dynamic Lifter, all it's leaves fell off.
Somehow it did manage to survive though.

Just Osmacote Native, and Seasol although it does have some new growth since, but it is all on the ends of the twigs. Will post a photo when I get a chance

Glenda

They have that growth habit so to get it compact you have to prune. NEVER go beyond GREEN though, native fertilisers should be OK. I use MiracleGro for Azaleas And Camellias it is low in phosphate, I also use Phostrogen, which I believe is hard to get in the Eastern States now. So you can use YATES fruit and Flower it has the same NPK break down.

Dynamic lifter will turn the soil Alkaline and Linarifolia is a lover of wet areas, which are Acidic, conditions, which favour Most of our Melaleucas. They do like SUN which will help in keeping them from getting leggy.

Cheers Pup

Thanks for that, Pup.

Ok.

Up front I apologise for being a Bonsai hypochondriac.
I hate losing tree's though and pride myself on keeping them alive.

So this aside I've done a forum search and this was the most relevant thread so I thought I'd continue here...

I've noticed that my Mel Linariifolia looks to be deteriorating.
The scrunchy leaves have been a figment of this tree for quite a while now.
I'm not sure if this natural or something more sinister?

But what concerns me more is the tree has been slowly losing it's green tinge to favour a more red / purple look.

Now I'm aware of the "claret tops" of this species but I don't think this is claret.
It seems to be more purple, unhealthy look to me.

Beyond this the tree has not and does not look to be putting on any new growth (everything else is).

Tree gets treated like most others is likely well watered and it's under a year old so I can't really compare it's seasonal changes.
I know it was greener and much healthier last summer and I can't recall any scrunchy leaves as it grew.
It resides in mostly full sun.

Any help / advise is appreciated.

Are you sure this is a mel linariifolia ? The leaves look too big and too widely spaced

Uh oh. I fear Myrtle Rust has finally hit this forum.

Please look up Myrtle Rust and do a very thorough look over the plant. The contorted growth with yellow pustules gives it away. The pustules are likely not very prominent at the moment with this weather but will become more obvious as it warms up. Please be ready to dispose of the plant and check all other plants in the Myrtaceae family that you have in your yard.

AND DEFINITELY READ THIS, EVERYBODY!
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust

Joel

Hi Bougy.

I can only go by the label mate (which is admittedly spelt wrong with a single "i").
It's a green shed purchase from Bilby Australian tree's.

Joel wrote:Uh oh. I fear Myrtle Rust has finally hit this forum.

Please look up Myrtle Rust and do a very thorough look over the plant. The contorted growth with yellow pustules gives it away. The pustules are likely not very prominent at the moment with this weather but will become more obvious as it warms up. Please be ready to dispose of the plant and check all other plants in the Myrtaceae family that you have in your yard.

AND DEFINITELY READ THIS, EVERYBODY!
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust

Joel

Hello Joel.

Thanks for the reply.

I've had a decent look at both the tree in question and the websites you linked (the vic one and nsw sites).
First up the tree certainly has some contorted growth but I can't see any yellow pustules.
Next this certainly doesn't seem to be affecting any other tree's and I have two other Melaleucas that have come from the same wholesale nursery.
I also have a few other natives that are apparently susceptible to this disease.

Now of interest is that the vic website http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/forestry/pest ... yrtle-rust

Doesn't list this species as having been infected as yet?
Could I really be one of the (un) lucky cases?

Anyway there is a link to email some photo's across to get some advise so I'll send on my photo's to see what they have to say...

In the interim - any other ideas?

Well I am 99% sure someone has swapped labels. I am not even sure it's a mel - could it be a cali ? But there are some trees that cross over so you will need an expert. Mel lin leaves are tiny - only about 5 mm long and small like a sweet tea tree when crushed.

Hi Bougy,

The Mel linarifolia ive always known has longer leaves than 5 mm. I think it might be labelled correctly but it might be that ive been misguided all this time? The Mel linarifolias I grew when younger had leaves about 25 to 30 mm long and were arranged in opposite pattern.

squizz

Not so convinced Bougy..

Maybe you have your Mel's mixed up?

"Leaves opposite to ± opposite, narrow-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 20–45 mm long, 2–3.5 mm wide"

More here: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-b ... nariifolia

I've also had a quick google search and the Mel Linxx I see there seem to look pretty damn similar to my one mate?

We'll see if an expert chimes in - that is not the mel lin I know

EDIT Mine are the dwarf variety Claret Tops. Up here they are like dogs testicles and are a very common roadside planting. A much better example for bonsai - do you have them available across the way ?

I'm sure we do have them as well Bougy.

In the meantime.............

I have sent off the email to the vic dpi and had another search in the forums on Myrtle Rust.
This thread: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9005&p=98780&hilit ... ust#p98780

Was of interest and seemed to fit most closely the symptoms I believe I am seeing here.
Watch this space and feel free to add to the mystery peoples!