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Forum Member
 
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Last Login: 17/01/2012 22:49:51
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hello
i have a chinese elm that i acquired about two or three years ago, towards the end of last year a brown looking gelatine type of stuff appeared on the surface of the compost, i have seen it before on one of my trees ages ago but didn't think much of it...
this elm hasn't really done very well at all since i've had it, it was potbound and had lost it's (broom) shape, so i repotted it when i got it..
i've just repotted it again and the compost at the surface was very slimey and some of the thicker roots were very rubbery, i cut these out as they just weren't right, also, there wasn't very much fibrous root and yet there are hundreds of small but definitely swelling roots...
here's the 'stuff'
sorry, i don't seem to have a pic of the whole tree
does anyone know what it is?
seems to be something to do with the rubbery (probably rotting) roots...
john
ps, forgot to say, the compost below the surface was very sandy/gritty and should have been an open mix but was actually soaked.....
i used to be indescisive- but now i'm not so sure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/]
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Forum Guru
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Last Login: 2 days ago @ 13:41:48
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| Hi It looks like swell gell that has been added to retain water. If you repot it in a mix of one part sharp sand, one part horticultural grit and one part compost it will not be possible to become overwatered. This is what I use and I have never had a root problem, even though my trees are normally on an automatic watering system, and get watered whether or not it rains! (Which it does a lot in Leeds) This year I am adding half a part of akedama to see what happens.
Best regards
Keith
Leeds UK----------------------------------------------------- "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
-- Anais Nin "valde bonsai ex ferreus opus" (see I can do latin as well!) The Human mind is like a Parachute, They both need to be open to work!
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Genius
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Last Login: 25/05/2011 10:11:13
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That's interesting. Thanks for the information. I had the same sort of stuff appear on a bonsai last year and wondered what it was.
Penny
...Location: Trowbridge, Wiltshire...
Webshots
http://www.picturesofengland.com
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 17/01/2012 22:49:51
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keith
you mean the gel that retains moisture?
i usually mix my own compost and have never used this gel, unless it was added to the ordinary potting compost that i used (by the manufacturers)
i don't really hold out much hope for the tree as the roots were very bendy to the point of being what i can only describe as 'rubbery'...
i'll have to just wait and see whether there's any new buds on over the next few weeks....
john
i used to be indescisive- but now i'm not so sure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/]
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 08/06/2009 21:22:48
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Yes john most manfacturers add moisture retaining gel to there compost, so what I do is use composted back which doesn't have the gel added
UK- zone 8
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 25/02/2008 08:39:29
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| It might be one of the slime molds which i've seen grow on soils which have potting compost in. the potting compost doesn't drain as well so is ideal for mosses and things like slime molds.
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Forum Member
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Last Login: 17/01/2012 22:49:51
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cheers smithy
i think you may be correct as the surface was very slimey and smelled very 'earthy'
i re-potted it last week and a couple of days ago a damned squirrel removed about a third of the compost and chewed through a large root, the root was left on the table right next to the tree, one of the tree rats came back, had a drink from the bird bath and then departed, probably the wisest move that it's ever made as if it had still been there when i got back with my rifle, it would have been departed
i can't believe that i used to feed them with peanuts, they are now going to be fed lead
i'm still hoping that it will survive, though with the rubbery roots and the nuisance grey removing the good roots, i very much doubt it
john.....
i used to be indescisive- but now i'm not so sure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/]
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