Update: "the Fremont'

Nov. 26 - Update on Fremont Cottonwood

Good News!.a close look this morning revealed no blackened or wilted-looking leaves..hopefully, we've nipped the infection or fungus that was causing the problem, in the bud..watered/Fed (UB)

What Did You Do Today?

Nov. 25, 2025

 Another clear sunrise..no wind..I don't know if the plants are ready to get back to a regular daily routine, but I sure am. I think the first item on the agenda should probably be to see if anybody needs watering..I haven't watered since last Wed-Thur, but with the soaking they got last week & over the weekend, I have been more concerned with drying them out..wet roots invite fungi, which causes root rot, which is the commonest cause of death of containerized plants.

• First up, the Dragon Tree was dry, which slightly encouraged me, because he came out of the rains very wet & not looking well..the combo of cold & wet over consecutive days doesn't allow for any recovery time, so I have had him in the primo, morning-sun spot for 2 mornings now & my intention was to dry him out. I foliar-fed him yesterday & he is looking better. Watered/Fed (UB)
• Using a hygrometer (see My Magic Water-Wand) I checked each plant, but most of trees were well-hydrated, so no takers. Some of smaller plants, mostly succulents, were dry, due to the 50% gravel composition of their potting mix, I think. (it drains better)
• Pruning: did some minor pruning on the Laurel Sumac..strictly cosmetic;
• Removed a complete branch on the Pittosporum having contemplated doing so for some time..each major branch has 2 sub-branches but the sub-branch we pruned was the 3rd sub, which threw the plant our of balance.
• HoneySuckle II showed no effects of yesterdays pruning, where he lost a major branch.
• Spent some time moving plants around, in order to maximize what sun they got, according to what I think each needs.

After the Storm

 Nov. 23, 2025

Today dawned to a cloudless sky, clear blue & no wind..precious sun shines on the patio, after a week of record-setting rain & cold temps (for southern Cal) , the plants & I are looking forward to drying-out & warming-up.

Fact: average rainfall for November, going back 30 years, is a little less that 1 inch; the 2 storm systems we encountered last week dumped 2-5 inches on the region. Our local rainfall ranged from 2.4 - 4 inches, depending on location.

I reported on the Japanese Maple Issue , which was a pre-existing condition, but probably made worse by the extended cold/wet. Yesterday, while moving plants into what sun we had, I discovered a leaf exhibiting the same black splotches, on my Fremont Cottonwood; a native California tree. Also, my Madagascar Dragon looked like a wet-dog when I moved him into the sun; hopefully he will snap out of the "blah's" as he dries out.

Besides these, I'm also worried about the 2 new trees which were potted just hours before the rain began (see Unpacking 2 New Trees). Thankfully, the rest of the "little trees" seem to have come through in good shape & most are showing visible growth, probably due to the clean, fresh rainwater..after being raised on municipal tap water, the rain was like the difference between instant coffee & a fresh-brewed espresso.

Japanese Maple Issue

Nov. 19, 2025 - 

Over the last day or so, I noticed that my Japanese Maple was looking disheveled, but figured it was due to the storm & that JM's don't like being wet & cold. Upon closer inspection, I saw that some of the leaves had discolored tips..in fact, the tips were turning a blue-black color, as you can see in this enlarged photo (left)

I began researching possible causes for this discoloration & learned that it indicates a circulatory problem, possibly root restriction or damage to the roots. Either way, this changes my plan & probably overall strategy for this tree.

Nov. 20, 2025 - Regardless of my long-standing plan to wait until winter & dormancy, it will be necessary to de-pot this plant, today if possible, & take a good, hard look at the roots & the root system for signs of rot, infestation, or constriction due to overgrown or potbound root growth. If there is rot, I will remove the affected portions or treat them if it is an infestation or some sort. Now I have no choice..I'm going to have to re-pot him as a consequence..

I will post updates to this item as the day progresses. 

(to be continued)

 He came out of his nursery pot fairly easily, due to still being semi-saturated from the last few days of rain. This plant was NOT root bound..no circling roots, no feeder roots reaching for the surface. But I wanted to get a better look at the roots than just what I could see,so I began removing the compacted soil mix, in order to get a better look at the roots ball & to see if I could see anything amiss with the potting mix that it had been growing. 

Managed to remove about 50% of the soil..very wet, but not muddy.. what I saw now were the rest of the root ball, & the feeder roots. The mature roots looked normal, but the feeder root growth was all on one side, with a large gap on the opposite side of the root ball.

The only conclusion that I can come to is that perhaps when this plant was potted, a large air space went undetected & created a perfect spot for fungal growth..dark, humid, presence of oxygen.. Since I was going to re-pot, I went ahead & pruned the straggly roots so they were even & re-potted.

Now it's just a "wait & see" as to whether or not this tree can recover, given a fresh start in well-draining potting soil. Additionally, I am foliar-feeding the affected leaves to help them heal the damage done by the fungal infection.

You can monitor the Japanese Maple's progress as time goes on by "clicking" on Japanese Maple on the right-hand side of the front Page