I noticed a few days ago my corkscrew willow had started wilting at the top of the newest growth.There were times when I saw the tops wilt because I know it needed water and it would perk up within a few minutes after watering it. Since then I've been watering it regularly and after the heavy rains it continues to droop so I don't think it's from lack of water. I'm wondering can you over water a willow? Or, maybe it needs repotting but is this the wrong time? Just a little background...I bought this tree at the auction over a year ago. It was very sparse with just a few leaves and two long skinny branches. I decided to repot it and saw that it had very little roots. Just a few long spindly ones and with no root ball to hold together and that was it. I was so worried about trimming them back but I did and it was mid-summer when I did this so doubly worried. It spent the winter in my barn and low and behold in the spring there was all this new back budding. I was so thrilled but wasn't sure it needed to be repotted? Once again...๐ I was worried that it didn't have enough roots to repot and didn't want to disturb a good thing so I didn't repot it. It's been growing like crazy since the spring and putting out new shoots as you can see the before and after. I noticed that the drainage was slowing down when I watered it and started wondering if maybe the akadama was breaking down too fast? Or, maybe it was root bound? Maybe the roots aren't getting enough oxygen now and that's why the tops are wilting? I thought I would try to lift the tree out of the pot to see what's going on with the roots but that baby is tucked in tight! I used a pallet knife around the sides to try and loosen it but that did little. Worried if I tug too hard on the trunk the roots my rip. My options: I can break the pot to try and minimize damage to the roots and just up-pot it too a bigger pot with new akadama? I'm thinking it's too late in the season to do any root pruning? Or, maybe I should leave it alone for the summer and wait 'till next spring to repot and root prune? My gut is telling me the tree is in trouble and some measure needs to be taken. Since there is still is a lot of growing season left it may be more detrimental to the tree to continue growing in this state than doing nothing? But...really not sure so I'm in need of some advice. What do you think?
Hope you're all doing well and I really miss our meetings! Stay cool and safe.
Roxanne
Taken this spring
New back budding
Now July 4th
See the drooping?
itโs a root issue caused by overwatering if i had to guess. how big are the drainage holes if you tilt pot does water come out of bottom. also was soil sifted for dust when you orig potted it i assume its bonsai soil? i would have went to a larger pot to allow for growth than slimed it down in a few years . for now make sure it free draining tilt pot slightly to one side and mix peroxide with the water when u water which should be cut way back .