AusBonsai

Hello,

Ok so I think I have made a stuff up and concerned.

Was told by a so called Bonsai expert, that for issues with Crab Apples and Cherry Blossoms in this current time of the year, you can use copper sulfate to help them protect themselves, is this true, has anyone done or heard of this?

Issue, I have done this to the Crab, seems fine, but the Cherry Blossom, it seems to have killed off the moss around the roots, and the roots look slightly, burned or darkened, very worried, because the blossom is a great tree.

HELP?

Firstly, did he say copper sulphate or lime sulpher Did you dilute it Did you mist spray or pour it straight onto the tree The only time i use Copper sulphate was if a tree has a problem e.g..Gumosis or similar.

There is an old method to kill trees, drill a few holes into the trunk, and pour in some Copper Sulphate. Another variation is to hammer copper nails into the roots and the trees will die.

Let us know how you go, but a lesson to all, if you have not used treatment before, then do some research first

Ken

Onya Kenny !!! You go girl !!!

Yes I definately diluted it, the copper sulfate 10ml to 1 litre of water, and I just poured it into the soil surrounding the root systems. it was because I was discussing with him the white powder infest I had, had on my Crabapple foliage, and he mentioned this was a way to help these trees and cherry, because of the fruits etc, inlcuding potential fire blight.

Touch wood, the tree itself looks ok, I am just worried about the scorching around the based of the trunks. Just checked it again before writing this reply, and the tree looks ok, plenty of buds still looking healthy, that were mostly there PRIOR to my efforts, but as I said the moss and roots look blackish and scorched.

The Crabapple looks fine, no problems mind you.

He also mentioned yes, Lime Sulphur to apply in the Autumn months.

Any ideas on what to do to try and ensure saviour?

You can flush the sulphate out by leaving it under the tap (with it running) or you can probably repot it if it is dormant. I have only ever applied copper sulphate to a tree that was suffering with a disease and have not heard of this treatment (pouring straight on to the root system) before. I have misted foliage with it also.

To be honest, I did it approx 2 weeks ago, and I only noticed it really earlier this week, so would it still help now flushing it, or would the damage be done, so to speak, were the moss etc is, it is still fairly moist around the root system.

Would a re-pot also help 2 weeks later?

To know if damage is severe in reality would the trees start to wilt or lose colour etc, because apart from the roots, the remainder does look healthy?

There is an old method to kill trees, drill a few holes into the trunk, and pour in some Copper Sulphate. Another variation is to hammer copper nails into the roots and the trees will die.

Ken, I have never heard of this being deadly! - I believe this is an old method to prevent curly leaf on peach trees - hammer a few copper nails into the trunk and the tree will not have curly leaf. Put in new nails every few years.

A bit of copper sulphate should not hurt a tree. It is the main ingredient in bordeaux and Copperoxychloride that is sprayed on millions of fruit trees and grape vines every year. Its more usual to spray copper sulphate on the foliage to kill fungal problems

the white powder infest I had, had on my Crabapple foliage,

may be a mildew? so copper would one correct treatment but on the leaves not the roots.
Copper is quite toxic to soil life though so probably no worms or bugs in the rootball now.

Copper is quite toxic to algae and possibly moss? which may explain the moss dying. Change in root colour may just be a chemical reaction with other elements eg iron on the outside of the roots
Bodhi's recommendation - flush well or repot will get rid of any free solution left in the rootball if you are worried.

shibui wrote:
Ken, I have never heard of this being deadly! - I believe this is an old method to prevent curly leaf on peach trees - hammer a few copper nails into the trunk and the tree will not have curly leaf. Put in new nails every few years.

A bit of copper sulphate should not hurt a tree. It is the main ingredient in bordeaux and Copperoxychloride that is sprayed on millions of fruit trees and grape vines every year. Its more usual to spray copper sulphate on the foliage to kill fungal problems

the white powder infest I had, had on my Crabapple foliage,

may be a mildew? so copper would one correct treatment but on the leaves not the roots.
Copper is quite toxic to soil life though so probably no worms or bugs in the rootball now.

Copper is quite toxic to algae and possibly moss? which may explain the moss dying. Change in root colour may just be a chemical reaction with other elements eg iron on the outside of the roots
Bodhi's recommendation - flush well or repot will get rid of any free solution left in the rootball if you are worried.

Learn something new everyday
I suppose it is like many things in life, a little bit will not hurt ( and may well be beneficial) but a lot will kill

Ken

As Shibui said copper is not good for moss at all and will kill it ...copper sulphate is good for killing snails with though

I think this afternoon I saw some new buds trying to sprout, so to be safe I might just re-pot to ensure the nutrients in the soil help it coming into the warmer months ahead.