Help with Podocarpus

16 years ago

Hi,

I am an inexperienced bonsai person. I've had this podocarpus for years, with the plans to eventually work on it. I noticed last week that the bark is coming off. I've enclosed some pictures. I am concerned that it is going to die. If anyone can give me any advise, I would appreciate it. I would hate to lose it. I have several pictures, but I can't figure out how to load them. Can someone help with that.

Thanks,

Karin

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Comments (5)

lucy
16 years ago
If there's green under the bark, your tree is alive, otherwise it isn't. Podocarpus needs relatively cool conditions (should live outdoors year round in your zone) and to be able to get fairly dry between waterings... does this match up with your care?
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akarinz
Original Author
16 years ago
Can someone tell me how to post a picture, so I can show what the actual trunk looks like?

Thanks,
Karin
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Make sure that the top of the plant is pruned so that it’s narrower than the bottom. When the top is too wide and/or too dense it blocks light from reaching the rest of the plant. At this point I’d drastically prune them. I’d follow the tallest/bushiest branches to the lower part of the plant and cut them so that they’re maybe 6” to no more than a foot or so above the ground, varying the height so that they’ll fill in in a way that looks more natural. I’d prune the rest of the taller shoots to a point below where they’re most bushy. If you use an electric hedge clipper such as are typically used by your average landscaping crew you’ll end up with what you now have.
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Take a small knife and scrape a tiny ( 1/4 inch or so) bit of bark away from the bottom of the brown area. If it's creamy white or soft green and moist under the bark, that part is still alive. If it's dry and tan or brown, then that area is dead. Do that every foot or so up the top of the tree. At some point if you find dry/tan/brown under the bark and it continues up from there, you can assume that portion of the tree is dead and can cut it off there. Also, alive branches and trunks will feel cool when you hold them, dead area feel warm or the same temp as the air when held. The parts that are still creamy white/soft green and moist under the bark will probably re-sprout again in the future. But it may not sprout until spring. Those brown leaves will not turn green again, but if it's on a live branch (as tested above) when the branch leafs out again in spring, the brown leaves will probably be pushed off by the new growth and fall. Podocarpus are pretty tough trees and in about 2-3 years it will look great again, just don't forget to water during heat waves. Even if it's on an automatic irrigation system, if the temps go over 90*F, it's a good idea to supplement with a hose, as you've found out the hard way. Podocarpus may prefer acid soil, but they are very adaptable and tolerate our neutral to slightly alkaline soils and water just fine. It's really almost impossible to change the pH of a native sol anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that. Don't use peat moss, it is expensive and dries out too easily. Better to use a nice 3-5" thick mulch of composted shredded fir bark instead. It will help keep the soil cooler in summer and reduce evaporation. If you have "Mow N Blow" gardeners who use a blower, try Shredded Bark, also called Gorilla Hair. It resists being blown away by the gardeners better than many other mulches. I'd also give it a good all-purpose fertilizer in spring, around March/April to help it grow again. Always water before and right after fertilizing, never feed a dry plant. Good luck, I think it will be fine. This post was edited by BarbJP on Tue, Dec 30, 14 at 18:21
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lucy
16 years ago
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akarinz
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you Lucy. I added the picture to the photogallery, under container plants. I forgot to add the board's name, but obviously it is under my user name, "akarinz". I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks again!
Karin
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lucy
16 years ago
Hi, unless there is green under the bark higher up after you make a scratch (what's already de-barked is not going to tell you anything) but I have a feeling it's long gone. When bark comes off by itself (and it's not because it naturally flakes/peels by nature when otherwise healthy) plants are usually dead.
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Help with Podocarpus

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