Watering a baobab tree

Hello

last year the leaves started to fall from the plant during late November. This year they've already fallen and a few one that is left have a lot of plant lice. Can this be a result of over fertilizing this year? The leaves that have fallen were mostly "burned" ones but even the really green ones that are doing fine have plant lice now.

Can it also be a sign of not watering the plant despite the two months earlier this year?

Thanks in advance.

Usually lice is an indicator of bad air circulation.

Definitely not over fertilizing.

Wet the undersides of the leaves regurlary, during the day, not at night, wet leaves at night will encourage fungus.

Do you keep your tree indoors?

Cut the infected leaves off. Your tree is going dormant now so its perfect.

Love and light

I've kept it indoors since august, but before that I put it outdoors regularly.

I also have one baobab grandidieri, it is tall and thin and doesn't seem to have any lice, but the leaves are about to dry out. I believe that one is going dormant too.

Thank you for all advice, Andre Beaurain.

This is an amazingly helpful thread. Thanks to everyone who's contributed.

I have this baobab (A. digitata) that I've grown from a cutting. Last year it went dormant in September and woke up this past May. Now, in late November, it looks very healthy and green and shows no signs of going dormant at all. I live in New York City and it's certainly getting colder than 18C/64F at night in my apartment. I'm confused about what I should do now. Should I keep watering because it's still green and healthy? Or should I stop watering in the hopes that will force it to go to sleep until spring?

Thanks for any advice.

I've got about 15x baobabs or more and have seen quite a difference in when dormancy starts. All are kept indoors in the same environment from Sept onward here in the bottom half of the UK. Some have already lost all their leaves, others are still very green - I even have some trays with two trees in them where one is already dormant but the other is still quite green. I stop watering when the leaves start to lose their colour as the trees go into dormancy. So I would water sparingly in your case until there is a sign of dormancy arriving. I'm not an expert by any means however so will be interested in what others may post on this topic. As you can imagine, having a dormant tree and a non-dormant tree in the same pot does prove to be a slight headache!

Good luck and keep us posted!

MKBonsai

Dear Erh 1103

Your tree does look very healthy. In nature the rain will stop...Ill do the same. Its not good for the tree to go right through winter, we all need our rest.

I do know of some people like Billy who water their baobabs all winter in the Americas. But I dont know the condition of his trees.

Baobabs are a little later than other trees in and out of dormacy. My Baobabs are only know getting their leaves, and other trees already showed spring in September.

MKbonsai, I would rather not water a green tree than watering a dormant tree.

If I go into the Aridarium to see how the plant are doing, and I think they need water....then I wait another 2 days. More often people kill succulent trees with overwatering than under.

Love and Light

I have read through this entire thread, and the behavior of the baobab, as described here, is quite similar to my pachypodium. I hope all contributors post updated pictures- this is all quite interesting and I am amazed that so many in such far flung climates grow such plants. My Kudu lily winters under lights in my tropicals room, but near the outside wall radiating winter cold. It has begun to lose its leaves a little ahead of schedule compared to previous years, and now about half are gone. Sooo... time to stop watering. Since the bark stays green all year- well, silver gray green- and I've read it coninues photosynthesis all year, I have considered it to not be in 'total' hibernation. Thus I have historically tested the turgor in the caudex every week or so (by a hand squeeze). When there starts to be some give, I water, which ends up being about every 4-8 weeks or so. Afer the watering, it gets hard as a rock again. My plant has done well for the last several years, but compared to what? It is the only one even close to its kind that I grow. Obviously I am not getting root rot and plant death, but maybe I am damaging tissue with this winter watering and thereby slowing its growth. What do you think?

Dear Precarious

You seem to be a bright lad that learns quickly.

You will have enormous success with Succulent bonsai...

As you noticed Pachypodiums need a little more care in winter. ( also depends on the species, I think we mentioned before that Pachypodium saundersii is one of the easier Pachypodiums, but species like Pchypodium brevicaule, and the true Halfmens( " Half human")Pachypodium namaquanum.....same as Baobabs, you just leave to have a deep slumber though winter.

Love and Light

Haha you toy with me Andre. I'm still in pullups when it comes to growing things, so I'm lucky that Saundersii is forgiving. If I were ever feeling brave enough, where would a person order baobab seeds? Are there any concerns with exploitation and endangerment?

My compliment to you was actually very serious.  Im serious. I know it doesnt happen alot....

Adonsonia digitata seeds you can obtain from Seeds for Africa( http://www.seedsforafrica.co.za/search?q=adansonia)

The other varieties you must contact somebody from Madagascar. That can proof to be difficult.... hi hi

Love and Light

Thanks for the information Andre, and thank you for the compliment too!

Hello dear friends,

For the upcoming season I would like to know how important it is to change soil every year?
I switched last year in May and used fertilizer.
I've noticed that the earth has dropped/sunk about two centimeters in the pot.
Is it nessecary to change every year?

Just top up your pot with a layer of well rotten kraal manure. The tree she will love it.

If you don't have access to the wild west the top up with normal compost. If your tree is young then transplant next year only.

Love and Light

Andre Beaurain wrote:Just top up your pot with a layer of well rotten kraal manure.  The tree she will love it.  

If you don't have access to the wild west the top up with normal compost.  If your tree is young then transplant next year only.

Love and Light

Thank you again Andre Beaurain for your help.  
In two months the plant will be two years, I believe that is young, is it ok to use fertilizer instead since I will not change the soil this year? Or will that top layer of compost as you advised be like fertilizer? Any suggestion of a good compost mixture?
Take care.

Best regards

When is it best to cut or trim branches, when the plant is dormant or during bloom season?

Anytime.  When dormant or when growing.

Love and light
Andre
www.riebeeknursery.co.za

Hello all,

This baobab is about 9 year old. It has just been defoliated because of spider mites. It has been growing on a Belgian windowsill - never goes outside.

In 2008


In 2016

Anne

This season some leaves on the new grown branches have become rare and deformed.

Why is this? Any suggestion of treatment?

To Anne, well done for growing this in a windowsill, looking very good!

Plantfever you problem could be a deficiency in either boron, which affects the leave base or calcium which effects the leave tip. But I'm almost sure this is the cause of mealy bug that sucked on the new growth, sometimes almost impossible to see until problem becomes bigger.

Inspect the crown of your plant and in and under the leave petioles, They can either be brushed of with a soft brush or use a systemic insecticide if you want to be sure.

Love and Light
Andre

Andre Beaurain wrote:To Anne, well done for growing this in a windowsill, looking very good!

Plantfever you problem could be a deficiency in either boron, which affects the leave base or calcium which effects the leave tip.  But I'm almost sure this is the cause of mealy bug that sucked on the new growth, sometimes almost impossible to see until problem becomes bigger.

Inspect the crown of your plant and in and under the leave petioles,  They can either be brushed of with a soft brush or use a systemic insecticide if you want to be sure.

Love and Light
Andre

Thank you, I think you're right. I have one another baobab plant where the leaves have become deformed too, I wonder if it comes from the soil(?) because a month ago I changed the soil and they use the same mix from same places.
I've observed some very small bugs/larvaes, even in 10x magnification they appear very small. In the picture below it is even more zoomed in.

Hello,

Many of the leaves have turned to yellow and dried out. Normally this happens in november, not during the summer.

Is this a sign of pests? Bad roots? Soil?

Do you have any advice for me?

Thanks in advance.

I have a Adansonia digitata from Senegal, it was grown from a cutting and is now four years old. The first two years was touch and go, but I now have a healthy tree that has a thick stem and growing well.

I live in Cape Town, on the Atlantic Coast. The plant stands on an exposed patio during summer (long, very hot, lots of wind, no rain). I bring it in late autumn, early winter as we have sudden cold spells that drops below 10 deg Celsius and it can rain a lot.

Apart from the first year, my plant has never gone dormant in winter, and actually goes through a growth spurt every year when I bring it in. As you can see from the photo, leaves still green and lots of growth everywhere. The leave damage you see is from a blanket that goes over it at night to protect it from the cold as the sun room has large windows and can get very cold at night (no heating/aircon).

Worried, read that if you don't allow/get trees to go dormant, the can suddenly go dormant and die.

Do I force my tree to go dormant by not watering it and leaving it in the store room? Going to be traumatic.

PS, I have only repotted it once, without root trimming.

PS2, I have the same/similar issues with my two thorn trees, but they stay outside (I think it is because of the winter rain).

Almost all leaves have turned into yellow or dried out now. Should I empty the soil and check the roots? Do anyone know what it can be, or have any advice for me?


2bealive, very nice tree. : )

Plantfever wrote:Hello,

Many of the leaves have turned to yellow and dried out. Normally this happens in november, not during the summer.

Is this a sign of pests? Bad roots? Soil?

Do you have any advice for me?

Thanks in advance.

How is your plant doing now?, should be dormant now and firm?

Those leaves looks as if they had red spider mite...

Love and Light
Adnre

2bealive wrote:I have a Adansonia digitata from Senegal, it was grown from a cutting and is now four years old. The first two years was touch and go, but I now have a healthy tree that has a thick stem and growing well.

I live in Cape Town, on the Atlantic Coast. The plant stands on an exposed patio during summer (long, very hot, lots of wind, no rain). I bring it in late autumn, early winter as we have sudden cold spells that drops below 10 deg Celsius and it can rain a lot.

Apart from the first year, my plant has never gone dormant in winter, and actually goes through a growth spurt every year when I bring it in. As you can see from the photo, leaves still green and lots of growth everywhere. The leave damage you see is from a blanket that goes over it at night to protect it from the cold as the sun room has large windows and can get very cold at night (no heating/aircon).

Worried, read that if you don't allow/get trees to go dormant, the can suddenly go dormant and die.

Do I force my tree to go dormant by not watering it and leaving it in the store room? Going to be traumatic.

PS, I have only repotted it once, without root trimming.

PS2, I have the same/similar issues with my two thorn trees, but they stay outside (I think it is because of the winter rain).

Your Baobab looks great. It even starts with its adult foliage.

You don't need to worry about our cold, 5 degrees isn't even cold in the world of plants, you need to worry only about the winter rain.

It doesn't go dormant because you regulate the temperature. Sooner or later the tree will want to rest me thinks.

Show us what it looks like now, should be in full growth.

Love and Light
Andre
Acacias alias Senegalias doens't worry about the winter rain... In fact they love it. It is probably a light issue.