To the Root of the Problem
Previously published on ABBA website....a look at a troubled tree and a simple solution...
During
Kokufu–ten week the Chief
flexed his financial muscles and bought this fantastic Black Pine. It
is a
magnificent tree and well worth the hideously extortionate amount of
cash he
paid for it. It was exhibited in Kokufu–ten a few years
previously and it was
in much better condition than it is now. It had the typically lush deep
green
foliage that is common in healthy Black Pines. As you can see in the
picture, the foliage is very much the opposite.Why is it so sick? Could be any one of a hundred different reasons, but the Chief‘s diagnosis is that it had been badly repotted last time and also that it had been living in too cold a place. Originally from the almost tropical southern
In these two pictures you can see the difference between a sickly and a healthy pine.
The problem of the cold climate will take a season or two to remedy, as
As you can see in the picture, there is a massive build up of moss covered surface roots. Very impressive to look at and admire, but unfortunately it is suffocating and starving the tree.
To remedy the problem the Chief simply cut a deep hole in the surface to let water, air and food in. In between the older, thicker roots were areas where the previous artist had filled up with fine soil in order to build up the spectacular looking root base. This had become compacted and choked with moss and decaying roots. Using a pair of scissors and a chopstick, the Chief dug out all of the offending material, and made holes into the centre of the root ball, so that air and water can penetrate and revitalize the tree
The removed
soil can
be seen on the right. The area was then filled up again with a well
draining
soil mixture, larger particles of Akadama, Kiryu and grit, (very
approximately
4:2:2) with flakes of charcoal and leaf mulch as fertilizer, and this
is shown
in the photo below.We have
been
instructed to be careful when watering it so as not to simply blast the
new
soil out with the hose, but also to make sure that it gets enough
water. It has
also been heavily fertilized with standard feed cakes (3:4:4). We shall
wait to
see if the tree improves its vigor this season.
A lack of water
to the root system directly underneath the tree can be a
problem with pot bound trees, trees with large nebari (e.g. Elephant
foot
maples and the like) or satsuki. This can be solved in the short term
by
raising one side of the pot using a block of wood, so that one side is
raised
by about 15 degrees. This will enable water to travel down and through
the
central root system. Care must be taken not to let the tree stay
elevated on
the same side for too long as it will cause a build up of excess water
in the
lower side and subsequently root rot. Alternate every week, but be
careful
moving the pot. In the longer term a problem tree needs to be repotted at the correct time of year. If the tree has had problems in one pot, then it‘s time to change to another. Make sure that there enough drainage holes evenly distributed around the pot, if not; make some yourself with a drill and the correct bit. Correct soil mix is undoubtedly the most important area to consider. Ask a local professional for a good recipe for your area and trees.
