Dying maidenii

[alkatrope]

It was growing beautifully until about two weeks ago I put it in a bigger pot.

Same potting mix, no more fertilizer than has been in there since the re-pot a few months before. It was on the windowsil inside but the new pot is too big and I've had it sitting outside near the back door (there is cover above it etc).

It's going yellow and leaves are falling off - if someone could help me save it I'd be very grateful, I raised this little guy from seed almost a year ago!

[Hellonasty]

Looks like a nutrient defeicency and or shock of bringing it outside. The stem is pretty thin this is probably due to it being inside. I would personally fert, put in total shade, but a nice bright area, and water well for at least a few days. My Obtusifolia was looking like that at the strt of last year and it pulled through.

Have a good look at the soil make sure there are no mealy bugs or ants screwing with the root system it is possible since you just moved it outside. Also look for scale or mites on the stems and leaves but I doubt this would be the case. Acacias are generally tough as they come but when young are still vulnerable.

Nice looking plant.

Edit : Try and keep it out of the wind. Again Contrast between outside/inside that is causing the shock to the plant.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Hellonasty

[Shroomeup]

Shit man thats no good. Was there much of a root system when transplanting? Sometimes natives need abit of time to adjust.

[alkatrope]

Root system looked pretty extensive. Lots of thin white around the edges when pulled out for transplant.

It does get these bugs, tiny little white things. They mainly attacked it when it still had its baby leaves, attaching in clusters to the undersides. They would leave a honey-like syrup on the surface under the leaves.. But I don't think they caused this.

I will take it inside tomorrow.. What fertiliser do you recommend? I put those slow release balls (for trees & shrubs) in a few months ago and you can still see them if you dig around, they do crush very easily now.

Thanks for the help so far!

[foolsbreath]

I think a low nitrogen fert is best for acacias, and it doesn't hurt to take add a small amount of soil from around some healthy wild acacias to get some symbiotic fungi in there

This increases nutrient uptake in particular phosphorous. The AM and VAM fungi work best with a shot of gypsum and allow a low fert regime ie 1/2 to 1/4 of what you would normally use

[Kenny Blister]

Is it important to source soil from a wild acacia of the same species, or does it not matter?

I'm about to repot a couple of obtusifolia and collected some soil from an acacia section (no obtusifolia there but a few other healthy species) of an arboretum here, which is incubating in native potting mix.

[alkatrope]

Thanks, fooly

[alkatrope]

So, I've brought it inside and put it in the lightest room out of direct sunlight.

Just under the top of the soil I've put about a handful of organic fertilizer (pellets made of b&b, fish meal - 4%N, 3%P etc), and I took some soil from a nearby huge Acacia and put that just under the top-soil, also.

Gave it a water to soak the fertilizer in, but the soil around the roots was already damp and very solid.. I hope root-rot isn't an issue.

So, I guess I just sit and wait? Should the yellow leaves turn green again, or will they still drop off but new ones will grow?

I'm hoping that top bit (3rd photo) comes back to life.

If anyone has anything to add, that'd be great - thanks

[foolsbreath]

Is it important to source soil from a wild acacia of the same species, or does it not matter?

I'm about to repot a couple of obtusifolia and collected some soil from an acacia section (no obtusifolia there but a few other healthy species) of an arboretum here, which is incubating in native potting mix.

Nah its pretty general in families mate, and not just confined to acacia's, but I think acacia's benefit more than others from this symbiotic relationship.

Good hosts are obviously Acacia as well as Casuarina, Allocasuarina, Eucalyptus and Melaleucas

THIS site gives a good rundown of the action in more general terms, while THIS CSIRO site gives the technical version

It is important to choose soil from a healthy stand as there are other less friendly diseases that can be picked up from soil, although I have never had a problem. Look for galls, wilt, dead areas, poor growth or canopy degredation to good a reasonable measure of health

Good luck peeps!

[The Dude]

I've heard that even just walking around a plantation of some acacias (ie: the endagnered one) could transfer diseases or fungi to plants that are far from desireable. I guess that's just the particular acacia in question that needs to be worried about though. I've got quite a healthy but small Maidenii going, I was thinking before I transplant into a bigger pot I might do this acacia symbiotic fungus collection, I just don't want to screw up any wild trees in the process.

Good luck with your plant Alkatrope, if it pulls through it will be an inspiration to not give up when your plant is virtually dead. Also to Post pics up here for support in the future. - I had some calea i might've been able to save before. ah well.

[alkatrope]

Good luck with your plant Alkatrope, if it pulls through it will be an inspiration to not give up when your plant is virtually dead. Also to Post pics up here for support in the future. - I had some calea i might've been able to save before. ah well.

Hehe thanks - hoping for the best!

[Kenny Blister]

Thanks FB!

[apothecary]

So, I've brought it inside and put it in the lightest room out of direct sunlight.

...

Gave it a water to soak the fertilizer in, but the soil around the roots was already damp and very solid.. I hope root-rot isn't an issue.

So, I guess I just sit and wait? Should the yellow leaves turn green again, or will they still drop off but new ones will grow?

If anyone has anything to add, that'd be great - thanks

Good to bring it inside for a short hiatus but not TOO long, maybe a week at most because it will take much longer to absorb a potfull of moisture when it is in a shock state and is much more susceptible to root problems.

Better to put it in full shade outside!

Yellow phyllodes will simply not return and the plant will cannibalise them for their remaining nutrients before dropping them. Do not interfere with this process. It will reshoot new phyllodes from the nodes, by my guess, pretty quickly.

I think it was a bit silly to fertilise it, especially with a relatively high N fertiliser at full strength, just as it became unhappy. But too late to change that.

You at least picked a good time to mess with her, as long as the rootball and basal stem are mostly intact, there is simply too much "Spring" in the air for her to miss out, my guess is she will probably be fine with minimal interference.

[alkatrope]

Thanks, apoth.

Yeah I fertilized as was recommended, I'm sure it couldn't hurt too much.. There were two here, one with 16%N and 3.5%P and the other 4%N and 3%P, so I figured 4% was low N but apparently not.

Yup pretty sure everything is still in tact, the transfer went smoothly with little disturbance to the roots.

I am a bit cautious about taking it back outside again, didn't seem to do it much good last time.. But if it starts looking better within the week I'll be more relaxed about it. While it's inside, should I water sparingly? The tray is still 3/4 full from when I watered it yesterday and am still waiting for that to be sucked up.

Thanks

[apothecary]

Nah. Don't water anymore, in fact, remove the water from the tray!

If the N% is higher than the P% and K% then it is a high N fertiliser. Obviously there are some with higher N than others, to promote vegetative growth in 'normal' plants.

[alkatrope]

Alright, thanks

[alkatrope]

In case anyone was interested here're some updates..

Just noticed last week there are these little shoots coming off at the bottom of the stem - very pleasing

Must be a good sign

[Shroomeup]

Good to see mate. Hope she'll be allright

[alkatrope]

Thanks

So far it's looking great, the above new growth has gotten huge since I've been at EGA and there are lots of new ones popping out progressively upwards!

[bio]

Thanks

So far it's looking great, the above new growth has gotten huge since I've been at EGA and there are lots of new ones popping out progressively upwards!

if you can get them in the ground, do it. a little wind protection when they are small, and you'll have big beautiful trees.

(soil in red in that area)

[alkatrope]

Dunno where I'd put it!

[indigo264nm]

^^^Regardless these things are meant to be in the ground and certainly wanna be in the ground. I had one do virtually fuck all for about a year. Now it's in the ground and is probably about 20ft tall, which all happened in maybe three and a bit years.

[alkatrope]

Yeah for sure, when I find a nice spot for it I will definately be putting it in the ground

[alkatrope]

Well I'm back again.. It had been growing happily for the last 1.5 years, the top bit as above died but big shoots came out from near the bottom and took off nicely.

But now the phyllodes are all going yellow.. I haven't changed the pot or position or watering or anything. Fertilizer is Ozsmocote slow release.. Put in quite a while ago.. If that had all been used up is this an obvious symptom?

Any suggestions?

Cheers.

[rogdog]

Nice one, if maidenii can handle a good pruning, we may have a sustainable friend