AusBonsai

Please tell me what I am doing wrong?

This is a Banksia Integrifolia which I purchased from a nursery for $10 in 2013. The tree was doing very well responding to slip potting and feeding to gain some girth. In December last year I decided to chopped and start reducing the size of the root ball. The tree was doing well with new shoot as you can see but in the last 2 weeks or so, the new shoot start to die despite following all advice I found on this forum.

Is this tree salvageable or is it destined for the green bin?

Any advice most welcome.

Thanks.

Jay

Looks like it may have been kept too wet from the look of green around the base and your new roots may have suffered root rot. Gently lift it out. If you see white or light brown roots it may have been underwater (less likely) and if darker brown and mushy then definitely over watering.

Your mix looks good. What are the drainage holes like on your pot?

What sort of position was it in, as in light, air movement, etc. ?

Have you been fertilising this tree?
If so what have you been using?

Also check for curl grubs in the pot. They love my banksias here.

Note that some of my banksias, especially B. marginata, are prone to sudden death like this and I still have not worked out a reason - possibilities are : phytopthera root rot fungus? underwater for just a day or 2? just not a suitable strain of banksia.
All of the WA species I have tried have died off. They don't seem to like East coast climate or conditions. Many also die in the garden as well.

Possibly the tree was just in poor health to start with and unfortunately couldn't handle the process.
Or yes staying too wet after potting and reduction of foliage.

Grant

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I decided to closely examined the pot, the soil and the tree itself. And here what I found:

1. The pot has plenty of drainage hole. I used a large orchid pit which I purchased from Ray Nesci.
2. There was no signs of curl grubs. Roots were all brown.
3. The soil was soggy despite using an open mix which I used for all my plants.
4. Fertiliser used was osmocote for natives
5. I cut the small branches followed by the large ones only to noticed they were brown inside with the bark slightly 'mushy'.

Conclusion: Root rot by overwatering.

This one is already in the green bin.

Jay

I†'s all part of the fun mate, the more you kill the more you learn

Banksia to me, desire more specific care than others. I've got maybe 20 different species in development which get treated the same, but my couple of Banksia get fertilised and watered to what suits them rather than what suits me.

Many of my trees are 'growing' in the big green bin!

PAC wrote:Many of my trees are 'growing' in the big green bin!

Excellent quote

Banksia =- really good drainage and open soil to stop it staying too wet.

Ken

If the consensus is that this tree has had it's day, then why not see if there is more to be learned during it's final days? I'd recommend ripping it from it's pot, shoving it into the ground and ignoring it with the possible exception of poking your tongue out at it once a month and perhaps giving it a nancy name. You never know, there may be some info to be gained from watching this guy make a come back; or not. Not that my experience with them is great, but they've always struck me as a tough species deserving a second chance.

Wayne R wrote:If the consensus is that this tree has had it's day, then why not see if there is more to be learned during it's final days? I'd recommend ripping it from it's pot, shoving it into the ground and ignoring it with the possible exception of poking your tongue out at it once a month and perhaps giving it a nancy name. You never know, there may be some info to be gained from watching this guy make a come back; or not. Not that my experience with them is great, but they've always struck me as a tough species deserving a second chance.

Good Call Wayne, never give up till it is a finished bonsai!!.

JC