Cause and Prevention of Bonsai Tree and Plant Diseases

Bonsai tree diseases can be very dangerous, and even fatal, to your plants. By recognizing the signs and treating the problem quickly, you will increase the chance of recovery and help prevent the spread of infection. Some trees are more susceptible than others to particular diseases or fungi, so it is important that you research your species and understand which illness are most common for your type of plant. Although an early sign of disease may be a late sign to react, however it's still on time to take necessary measures to save the tree from dying off completely. Diseases may manifest during change of season from fall to winter or from spring to summer. Transitions are the greatest enemy to detect diseases timely. From Chlorosis to root rot, there are hundreds of different diseases, however this article tells you about the most common diseases found in plants. It would madness to cover all diseases at once in a single article and a one pager would certainly not be sufficient. The PH soil scale may play a role in plant health too as it may not always be bacterial, please check my blog post information on different soil for different crop.

Cause and Prevention of Bonsai Tree Diseases

Once you know what causes the various bonsai tree diseases and illnesses, it will be much easier to know how to keep your plant healthy. When it comes to protecting your bonsai, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Improper care can cause your tree to become sick or stressed and make it more susceptible to illness and disease.

A strong, healthy plant is much less likely to contract viruses or develop fungi and moulds, so the best prevention is to give your tree everything it needs to stay in good health and protect itself from bacteria and disease.

You can prevent bonsai tree diseases by:

• keeping your tree clean and free of dust and debris
• keeping soil free of fallen blooms, fruit, or leaves
• providing sufficient lighting, fresh air, and ventilation
• making sure that soil is properly aerated, not too compacted, and replenished when needed
• repotting to prevent your plant from becoming pot bound
• applying fertilizer correctly
• using proper pruning techniques and applying wound paste to encourage healing

Signs of Bonsai Tree Diseases

There are several bonsai tree diseases, viruses, molds, and fungi that can affect your bonsai, and recognizing a few common signs will let you know when your plant may be in trouble. Most diseased trees will show at least one of the following symptoms:

• distorted or discolored leaves and flowers
• loss of leaves out of season
• yellowed, wilted, dried, or falling leaves
• slow growth
• wilted or drooping branches
• dieback – the gradual dying of shoots and leaves beginning at the tips

Treatment of Bonsai Tree Diseases

Once you discover the presence of disease, the first priority is to make sure that you prevent it from spreading to the rest of the tree or to other plants in your collection. It is important to examine your bonsai regularly for signs of illness or infection. This will allow you to catch any problems early, and take all the steps necessary for a quick recovery. If left unattended, some bonsai diseases can cause severe damage, or even death.

If your plant becomes infected, you should:

1. Immediately remove your tree to a secluded location away from other plants to prevent cross-contamination or the spread of disease and infection.

2. Remove all affected leaves or infected growth.

3. Spray healthy foliage with a recommended fungicide.

4. Check for possible causes of disease such as root rot, poor ventilation, or over-moist soil.

5. Sterilize all tools used in pruning the affected tree.

6. Place the treated tree in a well-ventilated area with proper lighting to prevent reinfection.

Common Bonsai Tree Diseases

Black Spot: This fungus mostly attacks foliage and will appear as black spots or patches on the leaves. Eventually, the leaves will yellow, shrivel, and drop off. Once a leaf is infected, it must be removed from the tree to prevent spreading. Spray healthy foliage with a fungicide. Since water will encourage spores to travel to other parts of the plant, it is important that you do not water your tree until after all the affected areas have been removed

Leaf Spot: Similar to Black Spot, this fungus is characterized by white, black, brown, or grey spots (depending on the species), on leaves or small twigs and branches. Typically, blemishes will be white at first and then change to a darker color as the disease progresses. Eventually, lesions will develop, and foliage will wither and die. Any affected leaves, fruit, or branches must be removed immediately, the soil cleaned of any debris, and healthy foliage sprayed with a fungicide.

Efficient multi purpose handheld sprayer

Mold or Mildew: Mildew is a fungus that thrives in damp environments with insufficient sunlight and poor ventilation. A White (Powdery Mildew) or Black (Sooty mold) substance appears on the foliage, stems, or branches and can cause distorted growth, discoloration, and loss of vigor or dieback. It is impossible to completely eliminate the mildew from infected leaves, therefore the affected foliage and shoots must be removed as soon as possible. Spray the tree with a fungicide to prevent reinfection. Sometimes, Black Sooty Mould can be caused by an infestation of aphids or scale insects. Removing the pests by hand and/or spraying your bonsai with a mild insecticide will help eliminate the insects, but infected foliage will still need to be removed and a fungicide applied. Make sure to place your tree in an area with sufficient sunlight and ventilation.

Rust: This is a fungal disease that appears as yellow, orange, red, or brown raised bumps or blisters on the undersides of leaves. Eventually, the leaves will curl up and fall off. Although Rust infections are not usually fatal, they can cause severe damage to your tree. It is important to remove the affected area and treat the healthy foliage with a fungicide. Remember to place the plant in a well-ventilated area to prevent reinfection.

Chlorosis: This is a condition caused by a lack of chlorophyll and results from a damaged or compacted root system as well as nutrient deficiencies such as a lack of iron. Leaves will turn yellow but the veins will remain green and the plant will begin to wilt. Adding chelated iron to the water and taking proper care of your tree's roots will help treat chlorosis.

Root Rot: Improper drainage can cause roots to turn brown and mushy. Leaves will also become

Excellent book by Leslie Buck

discolored, branches may weaken and break off, and growth will be stunted. Affected roots must be pruned away and the bonsai transplanted into fresh soil. Make sure that your choice of container and medium allows for sufficient drainage so that roots are not overwatered.

Scab or Canker Diseases: These diseases can appear as a fading of leaf color, poor growth, or a swelling of the bark. Many canker infections develop after pruning, and treatment requires cutting out the infected areas and then applying wound paste. Other scab and canker infections may be caused by too much nitrogen or improper fertilizing. By following recommended fertilizing and pruning procedures you can prevent the occurrence of these diseases.

Red spider disease: The red spider is a common pest in both indoor and outdoor gardens. Bamboo bonsai plants are susceptible to this mite, as it eats the foliage. In addition to the red coloring, other species of red spider mites are yellow, orange or even green. They mature in only three weeks and start spinning webs on the bonsai trees. Many are resistant to pesticides, so some gardeners introduce predatory mites, including Phytoseiulus per-similus, to eradicate the problem. Gardeners might introduce one or two predatory mites per bonsai tree.

While prevention is the best way to stop the spread of disease and infection, there are times when even the healthiest plants fall victim. Recognizing the signs and beginning treatment immediately will help give your plant the best possible chance of recovering while also protecting the other trees in your collection. The bottom line is that prevention is better than healing. Prevention also costs less and the loss of a Bonsai can be avoided. I have written an article on Bonsai healing methods which goes one step further in Bonsai healing. If you wish to obtain more often updates on Bonsai world you can feel free and subscribe to newsletters. (see the right column at the bottom) In addition, your experience and comment or suggestion below is highly appreciated. Thank you!

     Japanese Av Star

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

More Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback's or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

Awesome Organic Fertilizers - Review

Choosing the right fertilizer for your lawn can be a real challenge especially if you are just starting out and don’t exactly have a clue what to use. However, when it comes to choosing lawn fertilizer products, there are three important elements that are needed for the proper growth of your lawn and plants. These are: hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.

While these nutrients are readily available in the environment, there are also certain nutrients that are not readily available to plants especially those that do not exactly stay long in soil and need to be replenished on a regular basis.

Each of the nutrients contained in lawn fertilizers have a critical role to play in the overall health and survival of your plants. By applying fertilizers, you can be sure these nutrients are available to them.

Among the important macro-nutrients among plants include phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Secondary nutrients that are also required include magnesium and calcium but both in lesser quantities. You should also check for boron, copper, manganese, cobalt, chlorine, zinc, nickel and molybdenum to complete your list.

Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer

With the much publicized adverse reactions of chemical fertilizers, the availability of organic varieties presents a great alternative for many. Milorganite is an organic nitrogen fertilizer that can be used on a variety of applications such as shrubs, lawns, vegetables, trees, flowers and even gold courses.

This 36-pound bag contains 4% iron that is non-staining, which is just the right amount to bring out that attractive lush green hue. You can actually apply this fertilizer any time within the growing season and it’s known to work well with any type of climate.

The organic fertilizer is composed of heat-dried microbes and has met the EPA standards, which imposes one of the stringent criteria in the industry when it comes to protecting the health, safety and environment.

Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer is a superior blend of fish bone meal, feather meal, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, soft rock phosphate, fish meal, mined potassium sulfate, humic acid, seaweed extract, pro-biotic seven champion strains of beneficial soil microbes plus Ecto and Endo Mycorrhizae. Primary Uses: Feed tomatoes, Summer vegetables, Winter vegetables, Herbs, Root crops, Established vegetables and During transplanting. 5-7-3 formulation. This is the second year I have used this product and I even begin to say just how awesome it is!! Last year I had tomatoes that weighed over 2 lbs and lots of them. And the bloom boost is the best I have ever found, my flowers are just going crazy, and the flowers last a long time. I totally recommend this product!!

Safer Brand 9333 Ringer Lawn Fertilizer

A green lawn is a healthy lawn, and a healthy lawn is a product of a thriving ecosystem within your soil. That’s why Safer Brand has created Lawn Restore II – an organic fertilizer that immediately goes to work to ensure the proper balance of natural elements in your soil, in turn giving you a healthier, greener lawn in just 3-5 days. Backed by over a quarter-century of research and development, this formula is the best choice for any turf; use it to promote greening in fresh sod, or bring life back to existing grass. Number One reason to use, It's safe for humans as well as pets. Well I should qualify this, its the safest I have found so far.

Shin Nong PRO ORGANIC All Purpose Fertilizer

100% Natural & Organic fertilizer for All Purposes and easy to use. Maximizes microorganism activity for healthier and stronger soil & plants. It provides organic matter essential for microorganisms. It is one of the building blocks for fertile soil rich in humus. Develops bigger & stronger root to improve the structure of the plant and increase it’s ability to hold water and more nutrients. Greater resistance to disease and insect attacks. Never harms soil & plants. No danger of over-concentration. Once a healthy soil condition is reached, it is easier to maintain that level with less work.

This is an amazing fertilizer! I started growing an avocado tree about a year ago and my fertilizer didn't work on my tree. After countless types of fertilizer, I came upon this Pro Organic All Purpose fertilizer. I used it on my tree and after about a month it started growing! I strongly suggest you buy this if you plant anything.

DR. Earth Pure and Natural Fertilizer

Ideal for providing balanced and fast nutrition for all vegetables, flowers, bedding plants, potted plants, all trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials and even spot-treating lawns. Rich in wild-caught Alaskan Fish Bone Meal, Wild-caught Alaskan Fish Meal, Valley Grown Alfalfa Meal, High Country Feather Meal, Naturally-mined Potassium Sulfate, Aged Bat Guano, Cold Water Kelp Meal, Micro-active Micro nutrient-rich Seaweed Extract (synergistically boosted with 11% micronized humic acids for maximum bioavailability).

How Fertilizer Helps Your Lawn

Fertilizer helps to provide the required nutrients in the soil that plants, including lawn grass, need to successfully grow. Three of the elements that are vital include carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. In addition, there are other nutrients, which are quickly depleted from the soil that require replenishing. This is accomplished through the application of fertilizer.

Macronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium come in second behind oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, but are still important. Secondary nutrients such as magnesium and calcium are not as important, but smaller amounts can give your plants the boost that they need. Micronutrients including manganese, cobalt, copper, iron, chlorine, boron, molybdenum, zinc and nickel complete the nutritional checklist to ensure that your lawn is receiving all of the nutrition that it needs to thrive. These are the ingredients that a high quality fertilizer should contain. Read more about how to apply lawn fertilizer.

Different types of fertilizers

The two main types of fertilizers are granular and liquid. Liquid forms act very quickly as they are absorbed into the plant. These are usually purchased in a concentrated form that you dilute with water and apply every 2 to 3 weeks. They may either be applied with a watering can or hose-end sprayer.

Granular fertilizers are sprinkled on the surface of the ground by hand for smaller areas or with a mechanical spreader for larger areas. They are used in a dry form so will require watering after they are used. Granular fertilizers are divided into two different classes. Quick-release fertilizers usually last for 3 to 4 weeks before any additional applications are needed.

This type is water-soluble nitrogen and is good for any general fertilizing use. Slow-release granules are water-insoluble nitrogen fertilizers that are intended for specific uses. They come in either sulfur-coated coated with lasts for around 8 weeks or polymer-coated coated with lasts for up to 12 weeks.

Different types of lawn fertilizers

Your lawn has changing nutritional needs at different times of the year. Here are a few tips for helping you to select the right fertilizer formulation that will help to encourage the establishment of new grass and to keep it healthy throughout the seasonal cycles.

Starter fertilizers and winterizes

These mixtures are recommended for new lawns and as they are heavy on phosphorus to encourage healthy root growth. For the last fall application, a winterizer that is also heavy on phosphorus will provide nutrients for root preservation during the winter months.

Weed and Feed

Fertilizer formulations that are known as Weed and Feed mixtures contain weed killers in a dual purpose mix that kills broad-leaf weeds while nourishing lawn grass. This is useful for helping to eliminate noxious weeds such as crabgrass and dandelions. When a weed and feed product contains post emergent weed killers, they are intended for weeds that are already present and can be seen. Those containing pre-emergents are intended for killing weeds at the germination stage, but do not kill weeds that have already broken through the ground.

What to look for in lawn fertilizer

The bags that contain the fertilizer are clearly marked with a set of three numbers. The numbers represent, in this order, the amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium that are included in the fertilizer. The numbers are known as the NPK. These are the main ingredients. Nitrogen helps in the development of leaves and for producing a healthy green color. Phosphorus promotes root growth and Potassium or potash also assists root development and helps plants to become more disease resistant.

The numbers represent the percentages of the given nutrient, so you will know which ingredients are predominant. This is helpful in choosing a mix that will either promote more leaf growth, green your grass or reinforce the root system. Inert ingredients are necessary for helping to distribute the fertilizer, so don’t be alarmed if there is a fairly high percentage in the bag. This does not lessen the effect of the other ingredients and it can actually be beneficial in preventing chemical burn.

In the event that weeds become a problem, the application of a weed and feed blend will help to eradicate any broad-leaf weeds such as dandelions, which can become a nuisance. Look for weed and feed products that are formulated to kill the types of weeds that you see most in your lawn grass. In most cases, these are clearly indicated on the bag.

Conclusion

Lawns require very specific formulations with include nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. There are different mixtures that serve a variety of purposes for lawn health. Fertilizers that are intended for other plants may not work as well for grass, so when shopping, look for the fertilizers that are specifically designed for use in lawn care.

Even if your lawn looks green and healthy, it is important to remember that grass has the need for nutritional elements that may initially exist within the soil, but may be fairly quickly depleted. Replenishing the nutrients is accomplished through the application of the recommended formulation of lawn fertilizer. You now have the information about what your lawn needs to maintain good health throughout all seasons of the year. By following the simple tips included in this guide, you are prepared to choose the lawn fertilizer that will work best to promote optimum lawn health. 

Once the hottest period is past, in late August or early September (depending on the region), temperatures return to normal, below 30°C (86°F), and plants then readopt their normal growth activity. This is also the moment when attention needs to be focused as much as possible on fertilization, which needs to supply the plant with the substances it needs to develop, consolidate new growth, reconstitute exhausted reserves and strengthen itself to best cope with the winter season.

In autumn, it is preferable to use fertilizers that are low in nitrogen, which is better for encouraging vegetative growth, especially for young plants and those that are in the construction phase. The feed also needs to be rich in phosphorus – to stimulate root growth and prepare a good flowering for the spring – and in potassium, to strengthen the plant, increase the roots’ assimilation capacity and consolidate the new growth that has been produced during the season.

Chemical fertilizers, which should be used with great care, can be put quickly to use by plants. Conversely, the nutrients of organic fertilizers need to break down by fermentation to be assimilated: this is why they can only be used by the roots 20 to 30 days after they have been applied.

More interesting articles on Bonsai can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

  Jav