JM katsura from Morisons - looking very sorry for itself! But for £4.50 I couldn't leave it behind! Is a repot wise because of the roots being wrapped in burlap (if that's what you call it?) I have eracenous soil, akadama and a kaizen bonsai mix on hand. Not able to go out to get supplies right now, hoping one or a mix of these will do the job? Other general care advice to nurse it back to health appreciated! Leaves quite droopy generally but some completely dried up. Was very dry so I've given it a good drink. Roots coming out the bottom of the pot. Cheers!
Hi C., If you keep it frost-free I'm sure it will survive. I suppose you've bought it recently ? If that's the case, it was probably kept in a greenhouse, or even for over a week in the supermarket, so it needs to adapt to its new environment. I bought a couple of cheap maples from Morrison's in 2015, while on a school trip. On the first day, we were waiting for the host families on the car-park, so I went inside the supermarket and saw these cheap trees, 1/3rd the price I would have paid in France. They were just leafing out. At the end of the week, I bought them before we left, and they were in full leaves. I think you should wait for it to recover before slip-potting it.
Good afternoon C, first of all is that an up to date photo? If so then that tree has been forced and this does it no good at all. Next is to give it a drink and some shelter from frosts and see how it looks in a few days. If it then perks up, then I would consider slip potting it only this year. You can do that this weekend as the weather starts too warm a little. Then next Spring I would do a full re pot into the next size up. Or into the ground. Good luck with hopefully your bargain Katsura.
Cheers for this Alain, great advice. Yes was bought earlier today - only popped in for a coffee! Yes it has a couple of new leaves which look much more what I'd expect from a Katsura, but the rest are green. Will definitely give it some shelter from the frosts - weather is all over the place at the moment. Morrisons can be super cheap, but it does often come as a cost, care wise! But for under a fiver it's worth a go. Posted this on bonsai nut too - one suggestion (from a much respected member) was to layer off both the main branches, due to the lower trunk being a bit messy and possibly grafted (I can't tell). What do you reckon? I didn't really have bonsai in mind for it... But open to thoughts!
Yes only purchased today - definitely way ahead of where it should be. As I just said to Alain, there's a couple of new leaves which are more katsura colouring, but the rest green. Will go for a slip pot (when it warms up), thanks for the thoughts!
I'm pretty sure it's not grafted. Were it for bonsai, I'd air-layer it as suggested, but if you just want to keep it as a "patio tree", or plant it in the ground, I really wouldn't bother.
Totally agree with Alain, although I would wait a few weeks before carrying out the air layering. It doesn't look grafted to me either. So if on it's own roots, possibly or probably not a true Katsura!!? But at that price, it's worth a challenge and you never know !! Good luck C.
'Katsura', 'Orange Dream', 'Little princess', 'Phoenix', and a few others are sold here as small plants in a lot of garden centres. These are not grafted : they are some of the species that can easily be reproduced by cutting, so they are "clones", true to the type, no need to graft them. In mid-summer, you can take dozens, if not hundreds of cuttings and the overwhelming majority of them will survive, especially if you can have a "professional" environment. So after 3 or 4 years, no problem to have a lot to sell. Easy peasy.
That's interesting Alain, as over here in garden centres I see mainly grafted, but in Supermarkets and DIY stores the opposite seems to apply. The four you mention, I do have in my collection and all were grafted, hence my thoughts.
@AlainK @Acerholic I think if it is grafted, it's not a bad graft! I really can't tell. But anyway I'll slip pot when warmer and let it hopefully recover. Then see how it goes this year and reassess it's future next year. In all likelihood it'll be another patio tree for the collection!
And why not C. The more the merrier. Do post a photo of it in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see how it gets on.
I think we should bet, I'd make some money : it is not grafted. Definitely not. And anyway, thet's not the point : make sure it can recover, then you can choose to start again this dispute, to me it's totally vain ;-)
This one seems to be improving :) Some nice colours on the newer leaves. Still some crispy ones, best to remove or leave them? Can't seem to fine a definite answer...
Yes they look unsightly C, but IMO I have always let them drop naturally. I know our Bonsai friends might disagree, but I believe we should let nature do it's bit in the garden.
Good to know! I've always taken that approach generally too - with leaves and dead flowers (apart from perennials to encourage new flowers). I figured if growing in nature, they would have to fend for themselves!
Hi @clorgan1. IMO cutting them at this moment isn't gonna help nor hurt. I would leave them and just worry about nursing it back to health. At some point all those long branches will be removed if it's future is becoming a bonsai.
Great, thanks for this! Unsure whether to go the bonsai route with this one yet, not sure there's enough potential. But will see how it gets on this year and review... I'm in no rush :)
;-) Bonsai or not, I think that cutting the leaves and leaving the petiole will help the dormant but at the base of the leaves get more light and so develop faster and better. My 2 €cents worth...
An 'excellent' point Alain. I do remember you saying this a couple of years ago on the forum, hence me saying some Bonsai Enthusiasts might disagree.
