I'm wondering if anybody else has encountered this problem. I just recently planted a Wollemia Nobilis in the ground in part shade, about three days ago. There is a HUGE amount of new growth on the plant, both laterally and apically - about four or five inches on it's leader. Yesterday morning the new growth, which is bright green and still very soft, was stiff and turgid. Later yesterday afternoon, it wass "wilting" and flacid and the needles were curling inwards toward the center. Then, later at in the night (I checked on it for the third time that day, truly I am a nut), the new growth was stiff and looked healthy again. ANy idea what is going on, and is it indicative of stress or internal plumbing problems? I would be alarmed, but I have seen this before on a piece of new growth on a potted wollemi, and after the month or so that it took for the new growth to turn leathery like all the other growth, the problem ceased. Any ideas? What exactly is going on with the plumbing of my tree, and is it a response to planting shock, too wet of a surrounding soil, etc? Anybody else experience this? Some before-and-after photos (is HTML disabled in this forum?)
<a href="http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/joe_blowe/?action=view¤t=IMG_3128.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/joe_blowe/IMG_3128.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <a href="http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/joe_blowe/?action=view¤t=IMG_3130.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/joe_blowe/IMG_3130.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It sounds to me like it may not be getting enough water. Mine is in a 3 gallon pot with well-draining soil, and it gets watered every day. Since you're in Oakland, sunlight shouldn't be aprob, so it sounds like the heat getting to it and it not having enough to drink. What's your soil like there?
Soil is pretty sandy, not much organic material. The soil was wet at the time of this happening, so it's confusing. Basically 5 hours of wilting a day and then back to normal. Would've been cool to see on a time-lapse film. Ah well.
Hmm, well, I never thought I'd say this considering I live in Houston, but maybe yours is getting too much sun... Specifically, if you have a drier heat, that may be the issue. We usually have 90 - 100+% humidity here, so mine's swimming...
My wollemia is doing exactly the same - the new growth has been wilting and the weather is not too hot yet, not over 90F and the soil is wet, but not soggy, as I water it constantly. My first one died after i planted in ground in a Zone 8A (SC).
No... it's been in the pot for 2 years now and it did not grow much. Every time it grows, it grows mostly in "width" and the top growth became wilting and dried out and the top of the stem dried out as well, I had to severely trim it now and placed inside of a house now. It's been watered well. I don't think it was too overwatered. I know if this one dies, I will not buy another wollemia. The soil is a good mix of the ingredients suggested on NG site. I even fertilised it this spring with the right amount of fertiliser. Perhaps it still got overwatered or overfertilised. In fact also I moved it on several occasions when there was too much rain outdoors or too hot in the sunroom. Perhaps it hates the moving, but why would it dry out while the soil is moist? P.S. It got to mid 90s lately a lot, but is that a problem? I moved it indoors now.
I have had one potted wollemi pine for two years too. It is doing fine. This spring I replaced the pot for the second time since getting it. I did that when I saw new roots protruding from the bottom holes of the pot (the moment is not that important I guess). I used simple soil which is recommended for starting from seed, nothing special. But what will happen if I keep replacing with bigger pots each year :) Probably I will have to trim the roots at some point and use the same pot or smaller. 90 is not too warm I have not much experience. But for the last 4 years I have been growing conifers and not only, from seed, replaced lot of pots, transplanted many. What I learnt is that too much attention, or doing everything by the book, can be even worse, though unexplainable. Conifers would sooner die or suffer from too much water, rather than not enough water. Or from lower temperature and light (actually they enjoy sun). About watering, the best method for me is to weigh the pot in my hands, and when it gets light, it is the time to water. Conifers are definitely ones of the most difficult to keep in pot. The pot must have many large holes at the bottom. Though wollemi pine is said to be easy to be grown in a pot due to its weaker root growth, it is still a conifer.
My Wollemia Nobilis just dried out and all branches fell off, it looks dry and dead. This is my second one. The first one died as well. I gave it a good soil, regular water and light. I will not buy or attempt to grow this tree again. No wonder it almost became extinct. Perhaps we should let it rest.
Watering of wollemi pines must not be overdone as they dont like really wet feet and should be left to dry out a little bit between watering,otherwise it is killing with kindness the most common problem with cultivating these trees.treat them as you would a bunya pine or a norfolk island pine but dont put in direct sunlight or they will fry,as where they grow are in gullies or what you yanks call canyons.
