AusBonsai

hi all, i have this larch bought on ebay about 5 years ago, i put it in a large terracotta pot with a free draining mix, diatomite,zeolite,coarse sand,coco, etc,, it has been growing very slowly and has die back in areas,, checking inside the pot with my fingers revealed almost no new root growth this season, also showing root rot,i suspect the mix was too fine, 2mm particles,, i have since done an emergency repot a few days ago, in the same mix i have cedars thriving in.(larger particles,4/5mm..any tips on after care,i am misting and watering with seasol,not using fert at all, it is out of the wind and in part shade, its losing the small needles,the larger ones still look ok for now,, any tips on after care would be good, i am monitoring the small new buds every day for growth.... i reckon ,i will need lots of luck with this one, i already lost an 9 year old Japanese maple this season ,due to root rot.... cheers...joe

I can't give you an answer. but I can suggest you join your local club and take it along for advice there. Or alternatively take it to a nursery for advice. Out of interest what soil mix/substrate did you have you maple in that died of root rot?

Luke308 wrote:I can't give you an answer. but I can suggest you join your local club and take it along for advice there. Or alternatively take it to a nursery for advice. Out of interest what soil mix/substrate did you have you maple in that died of root rot?

debco bonsai mix

All larch species are very much cool climate trees and I suspect yours is hating the hot dry weather.
Here in Olinda which has a relatively cool climate its possible to grow Japanese larch in the garden but the european species almost always die.
Craigw

craigw60 wrote:All larch species are very much cool climate trees and I suspect yours is hating the hot dry weather.
Here in Olinda which has a relatively cool climate its possible to grow Japanese larch in the garden but the european species almost always die.
Craigw

i reckon youre right, didn't help getting scorched in the heatwave either, the decline has been slow and steady, although we do have frosty nights in the adelaide hills, i thought it would be ok, it is a very weakened tree,last season it was wired just before growing season which was a no no , if it bounces back, i'l be amazed, still .lots of growing left in adelaide, my larch popped 6 weeks later than you guys higher up, so it still has time for one last growing spurt, the needles did extend to about 3 inches, so it still showed some vigor in areas, just have to wait and see.. cheers craigw

Definately lack of cool weather.

Do you know someone in the hills that can baby sit it for a year or so,

grant

Grant Bowie wrote:Definately lack of cool weather.

Do you know someone in the hills that can baby sit it for a year or so,

grant

hi Grant, it has been in the hills for the last five years, came from a cooler climate,i forgot which state.. i think it was Victoria... cheers

Larch and Yew struggle here in Perth, which has a very similar Climate to yours I gave up trying a long time ago. Other ones that do not like the hot dry climate of ours,
are Thuja canadensis, and any of the Picea's.

Cheers Pup

Japanese larch do well here in the central highlands. I am experimenting with a large European larch to see if i can acclimatise it for my conditions. I am under the impression that they do well for a while and then start to decline.We will see. They also brown off and die if you wire them at wrong times of year, more correctly the tips do. The Japanese larch will certainly die if they are kept in our hot Aussie sun. Dappled shade with early morning sun is best.

bodhidharma wrote:Japanese larch do well here in the central highlands. I am experimenting with a large European larch to see if i can acclimatise it for my conditions. I am under the impression that they do well for a while and then start to decline.We will see. They also brown off and die if you wire them at wrong times of year, more correctly the tips do. The Japanese larch will certainly die if they are kept in our hot Aussie sun. Dappled shade with early morning sun is best.

Thanks for the info bodhidharma, the larch has been in full aussie sun 8 hours plus.. a day . that will teach me a lesson , if it survives,it will need heaps of work,, has anybody tried thread grafts with larch?...maybe i'm getting a bit ahead of myself here.. cheers .joe

the larch has lost its battle, a combination of things that it did'nt like, the weather in Adelaide, wiring before growing season,full aussie sun,root rot, too many things against it.. . oh well,ive got some nice cedars and pines that are growing good..