An ill-treated, mistreated Podocarpus

A very few of you may recall this large podocarpus I dug from my daughter's home in semi-tropical, St. Pete Beach, Florida in 2004. (That's my then 2-year-old granddaughter standing beside this scanned picture I took immediately after digging it.) I dug it 2 days after Christmas that year.



The first ill treatment of this tree came a week or so later, when I drove it north to our home in Tallahassee -- where the average low at night was in the upper 30s (F). Somehow, wrapped in plastic most nights, it survived that and the next winter there. Here it was the next spring.



Then, in 2005 we moved farther north and and upward -- from elevation 300 feet above sea level to 1200 feet above sea level. Average winter lows here are in the upper 20s (F). The last winter we had temperatures as low as 9 F. It stayed outside and took it, though it has declined. But it clings to life. I was no longer able to move it in its large black "pot" so this spring I cut away all the dead parts (including roots) and moved it into this smaller pot which, struggling, I can move in and out. I also did a bit of carving and cleanup on the trunk. The tree had been riddled with carpenter ants in St. Pete Beach, so it had quite a hollow in its trunk where they'd made a home.

Here are pics of the four "sides" of this tree.

The front:



Left:



Back:



Right:



I've tried to get it to backbud down its trunk, but it's just too unhappy with its life up here. I'll be able to lug it into my sun room this winter, so it may become a bit happier with things, but I'm sure it wishes it had never met me. It looks a bit odd with that topknot of feathery foliage.

My question(s): Is it worth more messing around with, or should I just dump it, or (maybe??????) find someone who can give it a bit better care than I can now.

Jim,

want to send the tree to Florida? I'll nurture it back to health for you and grow some more branches. When the time is right I'll send it back to you. If you want to throw in any more tropicals that need growth, pack em tight and mail them.

-dorothy

It's worth thinking about, Dorothy.

JimLewis wrote:It's worth thinking about, Dorothy.

Sure, let me know.

-dorothy

JIM,,,in my opion,, You have done way much work with this tree to give up!! it really does look good with all the carveing ect. you have done.. get some help to move it around !!! try for lower branches,,keep going,, it will be a good tree...nice tree take care john

Well, since it may be a few years before I get myself to Florida in a car, I'll probably have to do that, John.

We'll see.

I am open to suggestions as to any direction I could take, though.

Hello,
He look like good .
He needs a lof of care with fertilise and a lot of Water during 2-3 years but i think you're a good Bonsaika


It's my opinion
Thank you

I'm crossing my fingers that you can get it to back bud. If not, would pencil grafting some branches to some key locations be an option after you have got it vigorous and healthy again? Lovely nebari and dead wood work. If it dies, my standards are such that I would keep it as a dead stump in a pot since its such a great looking nebari, haha. My standards aren't as high as yours though Jim

A little question, Is it possible to Graft many branches on a podocarpus.
If yes what's the methode.

I'm crossing my fingers that you can get it to back bud.

Louiis

Not sure where I'd graft. There's only a thin strip of "live" wood on this one (next to last picture).

so then is it even possible for it to back bud anywhere but in that thin strip? If not, seems you will have to really fill out the top and force branches to droop to create a nice canopy?

Or you could cut a channel in the dead wood and attach a young podocarpus to fill in some of the space lower down the trunk. Sort of a 'semi tanuki'

"tis a thought.

But meanwhile, I do still have this one:



It has weathered the cold nicely.

That's a nice one, but what's it planted on?

That's an old roof tile from one of those old Florida homes that was being torn down near my daughter's house. I "rescued" three of them.[u]