My two BC don't look good

August44

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I have had two BC for about 3 years now and they have done very well for me. I keep them protected in the winter as I live in a zone 6A. It finally stopped freezing just the other day so I went to take them out and the branches wanted to break off very easily and they did not have any sign of life. I popped one of them out of the pot and the picture shows how the roots looked. The color was good and lots of new growth, so why would the branches all be dead and no buds showing any where. I keep them watered all winter and they never froze or even close. I'm nowhere close to an expert on these trees. Help appreciated.
 

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Since they're young, what came off may not have been branches but leaf stems. BC can grow relatively long leaf stems that can look something like a new shoot. Those long stems can hang onto the trunk/branch for a while until they're jostled or knocked off...Looks like you still have branching and the roots don't look bad...
 
Since they're young, what came off may not have been branches but leaf stems. BC can grow relatively long leaf stems that can look something like a new shoot. Those long stems can hang onto the trunk/branch for a while until they're jostled or knocked off...Looks like you still have branching and the roots don't look bad...
These have always been potted in soil and kept in a big tray of water during the growing season. I fertilize them during that time too. So are you saying just keep doing that and hope they come around? Should I do anything with the roots or the trunks? I'm tempted to just remove all the branches and force them to grow new ones, but not sure how that would work. Thanks for help.
 
These have always been potted in soil and kept in a big tray of water during the growing season. I fertilize them during that time too. So are you saying just keep doing that and hope they come around? Should I do anything with the roots or the trunks? I'm tempted to just remove all the branches and force them to grow new ones, but not sure how that would work. Thanks for help.
I’d just put them in the tab and let them be.
 
As I stated before in my BC study thread, I do not dunk my weak BCs. I believe the excess water put stress on the BCs. On healthy BCs, the stress results in growth of favorable attributes (root flare, more taper etc..). However, on less than healthy BCs, the water result in poor growth.
For my weak BCs, I put them in a pot with high organic potting soil with drain holes on the bottom. The trees will be well watered and fertilized. It usually take 3 months for the growth to take off. Once it does I will dunk the tree.
In winter month, I drain my BC pots. I don't leave them with standing water level.

For your trees, I think they are late in budding out but don't look at all like they are dead. Even healthy BCs will shed some of the small side branches down low in favor of the growth at the top.
 
As I stated before in my BC study thread, I do not dunk my weak BCs. I believe the excess water put stress on the BCs. On healthy BCs, the stress results in growth of favorable attributes (root flare, more taper etc..). However, on less than healthy BCs, the water result in poor growth.
For my weak BCs, I put them in a pot with high organic potting soil with drain holes on the bottom. The trees will be well watered and fertilized. It usually take 3 months for the growth to take off. Once it does I will dunk the tree.
In winter month, I drain my BC pots. I don't leave them with standing water level.

For your trees, I think they are late in budding out but don't look at all like they are dead. Even healthy BCs will shed some of the small side branches down low in favor of the growth at the top.
Thank you for coming aboard Cajun. I will follow your advice.
Should the pots be bigger that the root ball, way bigger or what advice there?
 
Thank you for coming aboard Cajun. I will follow your advice.
Should the pots be bigger that the root ball, way bigger or what advice there?
Mine are usually in pots 2” bigger than the root ball.
 
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