Help with Collected Lodgepole Pine

[bonsaichile]

Hi! I collected this lodgepole pine in April, 2018. In the last couple weeks, the lower branch started dying. No idea why. I have not changed my watering nor fertilizing routines with it. Any idea what is going on? That branch was weak when I collected it, and I always thought of jinning it as part of the final design. The branch did set terminal buds before starting to lose its needles. SHould I wait until next year? The buds don’t look like they are shriveling up, so maybe they will extend? If not, should I go ahead and jin the branch now? Thanks!

 

[0soyoung]

The branch did set terminal buds before starting to lose its needles. SHould I wait until next year? The buds don’t look like they are shriveling up, so maybe they will extend? If not, should I go ahead and jin the branch now?

Most likely the buds will have withered and turned brittle by next summer.

So, the choice you have is to wait and see if I'm correct, Or rip the bark off now - it will never be easier to remove the bark.

My personal choice would be to wait and see.
Meanwhile buy a scraper, like Bjorn and Mauro use, to get the bark off later, sometime.
Curious minds wanna know.

 

[bonsaichile]

Most likely the buds will have withered and turned brittle by next summer.

So, the choice you have is to wait and see if I'm correct, Or rip the bark off now - it will never be easier to remove the bark.

My personal choice would be to wait and see.
Meanwhile buy a scraper, like Bjorn and Mauro use, to get the bark off later, sometime.
Curious minds wanna know.

Thanks for the reply, 0so. I am leaning towards waiting as well. Any idea what may have caused the branch to shes its needles?

 

[0soyoung]

Sorry, but I don't.

 

[sorce]

Does it live on that angle?

I would be concerned with water as in that stance, it is likely that branches roots could have been compromised.

But it looks weathered well. Seems purposefully abandoned since the top is working well enough.

Humans are lazy, trees are efficient.

Sorce

 

[bonsaichile]

Does it live on that angle?

I would be concerned with water as in that stance, it is likely that branches roots could have been compromised.

But it looks weathered well. Seems purposefully abandoned since the top is working well enough.

Humans are lazy, trees are efficient.

Sorce

yes, it does lice at that angle. It is in pure pumice, but the root ball still has the original dirt and the sphagnum I used to wrap it at the collection site. It might veru well be that the tree abandoned that branch. It was very weak when I found it in the mountains

 

[KillerButts]

They must make a plastic slip that large somewhere. Maybe some more humidity from the slip will keep those buds alive. Just a thought my newbie butt would try. If your prolly going to loose it anyway. Gently seal it after a misting? Or leave the end at the branch open? I don't have the experience to tell you. Maybe someone will pipe up that's done it.

 

[PiñonJ]

The tree is probably just giving up on that branch. But I would check the foliage for mites and other parasites.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I second @PiñonJ
Check for borers too.