Buttonwood Question
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Eastern Bonsai
Poink88
drgonzo
Norma
Mitch Thomas
Billy M. Rhodes
bonsaisr
11 posters
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Buttonwood Question
After being sprayed with systemic insecticide, the buttonwood is showing signs of recovery.
Iris
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Buttonwood Question
Here is the final answer. I found out that the culprit was specifically chilli (sic) thrips, a devastating pest in Florida. The literature suggested switching from one insecticide to another to prevent immunity buildup, so I followed up with a few treatments with spinosad. Of course the tree has been trimmed a few times, & the tools sterilized.
This is a recent photo. The foliage is a bit sparse, because it was recently trimmed. The deadwood has been carved but not yet treated.
Iris
This is a recent photo. The foliage is a bit sparse, because it was recently trimmed. The deadwood has been carved but not yet treated.
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Buttonwood Question
Do you know what a schmendrick is?
A schlimazl is someone who can't grow Fukien tea in Florida.
A schlemiel is someone who tries to grow Fukien tea in Central NY without a greenhouse.
A schmendrick is someone who gave up trying to grow Fukien tea, etc.; now she's trying buttonwood.
Actually I've been trying to grow buttonwoods for 20 years. I've learned a few things.
1. Don't put a buttonwood on your front porch where it can get stolen.
2. Don't try to grow a buttonwood taller than a foot (30 cm) under lights. The bottom part doesn't get enough light & they can't make up for it over the summer.
3. The rule about repotting only in the summer is VERY STRICT. If you grow under lights, many tropicals, such as Ficus, can tolerate potting in the winter, but not buttonwood.
4. DO NOT prune & style a buttonwood immediately before repotting. It may work in Florida, not here.
5. Watch out for potting shock.
I recently witnessed something I have never heard reported from Florida. At the moment I have two buttonwoods. I repotted them in July. Just as I read in the literature, they had some very long stringy roots wound around the pot. You can't trim these initially, because the feeder roots are at the end. I bent them back & forth & shoved them in the pot the best I could. I used my regular potting mix (aquarium gravel, diatomite granules [similar to Turface], ground bark, 10% charcoal) with some extra bark. I put plastic bags over them & put them on a windowsill to recover.
They wilted, especially the one I've been reporting about. The other one, smaller, recovered before long. It started growing new leaves while the older ones were still wilted.
This buttonwood was a disaster. The entire canopy turned to rags and hung there. I was sure it was dead. But I noticed that only two or three leaves fell off. The foliage was completely wilted, but did not shrivel or turn brown. I put both of the trees in water basins and put them out on the shade stand (early morning sun only). This tree lingered at death's door for about three weeks. I said a misheberach (prayer for the sick). Then one day a single leaf at the top started to straighten up. The next day a couple more. Cue strains of Disney's "Night on Bald Mountain." It took about a week, but the dead stirred, rose up from the grave, & came to life as if nothing had happened.
Iris
A schlimazl is someone who can't grow Fukien tea in Florida.
A schlemiel is someone who tries to grow Fukien tea in Central NY without a greenhouse.
A schmendrick is someone who gave up trying to grow Fukien tea, etc.; now she's trying buttonwood.
Actually I've been trying to grow buttonwoods for 20 years. I've learned a few things.
1. Don't put a buttonwood on your front porch where it can get stolen.
2. Don't try to grow a buttonwood taller than a foot (30 cm) under lights. The bottom part doesn't get enough light & they can't make up for it over the summer.
3. The rule about repotting only in the summer is VERY STRICT. If you grow under lights, many tropicals, such as Ficus, can tolerate potting in the winter, but not buttonwood.
4. DO NOT prune & style a buttonwood immediately before repotting. It may work in Florida, not here.
5. Watch out for potting shock.
I recently witnessed something I have never heard reported from Florida. At the moment I have two buttonwoods. I repotted them in July. Just as I read in the literature, they had some very long stringy roots wound around the pot. You can't trim these initially, because the feeder roots are at the end. I bent them back & forth & shoved them in the pot the best I could. I used my regular potting mix (aquarium gravel, diatomite granules [similar to Turface], ground bark, 10% charcoal) with some extra bark. I put plastic bags over them & put them on a windowsill to recover.
They wilted, especially the one I've been reporting about. The other one, smaller, recovered before long. It started growing new leaves while the older ones were still wilted.
This buttonwood was a disaster. The entire canopy turned to rags and hung there. I was sure it was dead. But I noticed that only two or three leaves fell off. The foliage was completely wilted, but did not shrivel or turn brown. I put both of the trees in water basins and put them out on the shade stand (early morning sun only). This tree lingered at death's door for about three weeks. I said a misheberach (prayer for the sick). Then one day a single leaf at the top started to straighten up. The next day a couple more. Cue strains of Disney's "Night on Bald Mountain." It took about a week, but the dead stirred, rose up from the grave, & came to life as if nothing had happened.
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Re: Buttonwood Question
Shame on you Iris, "Night on Bald Mountain" was written by Modest Mussorgsky in the late nineteenth century. He didn't grow buttonwoods, though.
Treedwarfer- Member
Buttonwood Question
After I wrote it, I KNEW someone would say that (it's Modeste Moussorgsky). Of course I know who wrote Night on Bald Mountain, for the past 60 or so years. But the images I kept seeing while the tree recovered were from Fantasia.
Did you ever see the wonderful slide program somebody made to go with Pictures at an Exhibition?
Iris
Did you ever see the wonderful slide program somebody made to go with Pictures at an Exhibition?
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Re: Buttonwood Question
> (it's Modeste Moussorgsky) <
Touché.
I do see the connection with broomsticks sprouting leaves, though!
No, I haven't seen that slide program, unfortunately. But way back in the, heavens, seventies, A Japanese musician called Isao Tomita recorded and entirely synthesized version of Pictures from an Exhibition with his own unique "orchestration". Quite revolutionary at the time.
Touché.
I do see the connection with broomsticks sprouting leaves, though!
No, I haven't seen that slide program, unfortunately. But way back in the, heavens, seventies, A Japanese musician called Isao Tomita recorded and entirely synthesized version of Pictures from an Exhibition with his own unique "orchestration". Quite revolutionary at the time.
Treedwarfer- Member
Buttonwood Question
I need a new definition. A schlimazl is someone who can't grow Fukien tea in Florida. A schlemiel is someone who tries to grow Fukien tea in Central NY. A schmendrick is someone who tried to grow Fukien tea in Central NY, then she tried buttonwoods.
But what do you call someone in Central NY with three dead pine trees and two healthy buttonwoods?
Of course! I should have known immediately, Moishe Kapoyer (Moses Upside-Down). A very old comic strip character who did everything backwards.
Iris
But what do you call someone in Central NY with three dead pine trees and two healthy buttonwoods?
Of course! I should have known immediately, Moishe Kapoyer (Moses Upside-Down). A very old comic strip character who did everything backwards.
Iris
Last edited by bonsaisr on Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:34 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Add another comment.)
bonsaisr- Member
Re: Buttonwood Question
bonsaisr wrote:
But what do you call someone in Central NY with three dead pine trees and two healthy buttonwoods
SIRI
BigDave- Member
Buttonwood Question
Sorry, the only SIRI I know of is an app on iPhone. I don't see the connection. My buttonwoods and figs are in the plant room under lights now, as our nights are getting chilly.
Iris
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Re: Buttonwood Question
bonsaisr wrote:Here is the final answer. I found out that the culprit was specifically chilli (sic) thrips, a devastating pest in Florida. The literature suggested switching from one insecticide to another to prevent immunity buildup, so I followed up with a few treatments with spinosad. Of course the tree has been trimmed a few times, & the tools sterilized.
Great move, spinosad is amazing stuff and works on trees that don't like oils (buttonwood, fukien, etc.) Works great on fruits and veggies as well.
nickalpin- Member
Buttonwood Question
Unfortunately, spinosad does not work on Hemiptera, which includes the scales and mealy bugs, the most common pests of pot plants.
The buttonwoods continue to appear healthy. I bought another dwarf mugo pine.
Iris
The buttonwoods continue to appear healthy. I bought another dwarf mugo pine.
Iris
bonsaisr- Member
Re: Buttonwood Question
bonsaisr wrote:Sorry, the only SIRI I know of is an app on iPhone. I don't see the connection.
Iris
sorry a little too cryptic...you said...
But what do you call someone in Central NY with three dead pine trees and two healthy buttonwoods?
Of
course! I should have known immediately, Moishe Kapoyer (Moses
Upside-Down). A very old comic strip character who did everything
backwards.
Iris
What do you call her... SIRI... IRIS backwards
BigDave- Member
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