F.benjamina
Posted: December 13th, 2008, 3:24 pm
I've just read Antonio's post about his benjamina and defoliation, so thought I'd just throw this in. I've never defoliated any of my trees (I lack the intestinal fortitude to do so! 
) but this was entirely natural. I had to be away for a week in the height of last summer, with temperatures in high 40's, so I watered everything well, threw humidity trays around with gay abandon, and gave my husband strict instructions. (I should say here that he's looked after my trees previously with no problems.)
While I was away, the temperature hit 52 for 2 consecutive days - and the benjamina didn't like it at all! In fact, it dropped all of its leaves - there wasn't one left on it. After a few well-chosen words (it wasn't his fault, but what's a husband for if not to blame when things go wrong
) I transferred it to the "intensive care ward", soaked it, drained it, sat it on a tray full of moist stones, and prayed. I kept it just moist, and kept topping up the water in the tray as it evaporated, making sure the drainage holes were clear of the water. It took a couple of months, but after I'd told it I was going to throw it out if it didn't get its act together (literally), I was really amazed to see some tiny bits of green peeping out from the trunks. I really thought it was completely dead.
These pictures were taken in October, 2008, approximately 9 months after the initial trauma - the dead sections of the trunks extend to varying degrees, around the top 1/3 to 2/3, and I haven't removed them because I rather like the effect, despite many opinions that deadwood doesn't belong on broad-leaf species. The black blob you can see is just a stone holding 2 trunks apart, as I don't particularly want them to fuse. It needs more work of course, particularly a trim and tidy up and a repot into a larger pot, and that will all happen in due course. I'm just thrilled it's still here - after its complete (natural) defoliation. (I still don't have the wherewithal to defoliate deliberately!)
In no particular order -
Scorpio
) but this was entirely natural. I had to be away for a week in the height of last summer, with temperatures in high 40's, so I watered everything well, threw humidity trays around with gay abandon, and gave my husband strict instructions. (I should say here that he's looked after my trees previously with no problems.) While I was away, the temperature hit 52 for 2 consecutive days - and the benjamina didn't like it at all! In fact, it dropped all of its leaves - there wasn't one left on it. After a few well-chosen words (it wasn't his fault, but what's a husband for if not to blame when things go wrong
) I transferred it to the "intensive care ward", soaked it, drained it, sat it on a tray full of moist stones, and prayed. I kept it just moist, and kept topping up the water in the tray as it evaporated, making sure the drainage holes were clear of the water. It took a couple of months, but after I'd told it I was going to throw it out if it didn't get its act together (literally), I was really amazed to see some tiny bits of green peeping out from the trunks. I really thought it was completely dead.These pictures were taken in October, 2008, approximately 9 months after the initial trauma - the dead sections of the trunks extend to varying degrees, around the top 1/3 to 2/3, and I haven't removed them because I rather like the effect, despite many opinions that deadwood doesn't belong on broad-leaf species. The black blob you can see is just a stone holding 2 trunks apart, as I don't particularly want them to fuse. It needs more work of course, particularly a trim and tidy up and a repot into a larger pot, and that will all happen in due course. I'm just thrilled it's still here - after its complete (natural) defoliation. (I still don't have the wherewithal to defoliate deliberately!)
In no particular order -
Scorpio
