by Steven Hendricks

This article and the following article on page 6 were taken from "BONSAI NEWS" A monthly publication of the Lake Charles Bonsai Society (July 2009). It was originally published in the Fort Worth Bonsai Society Newsletter, Jan 1994 pp4-6. Make sure you read both articles before you draw any conclusions - ED.

Did the leaves of your maples or azaleas burn around the edges this summer? A Japanese maple and Satsuki azalea of mine did burn and badly enough that I fear for their survival. I asked around and heard various theories as to why, but people seem fairly evenly divided between "moisture stress" and "salt build-up in the leaves". Since I can't do anything about the summer heat, I decided to do what I could for the salt build-up. At a recent workshop Warren Hill provided an in-depth look at this phenomenon and the most complete explanation I have ever heard. Warren stated that the leaf burn is a sign of sodium build-up in the soil and the leaves of our plants. It is caused by the retention of sodium by our soils which act like an ion exchange medium.

by Donaly W. Waikus

Editor’s note: The article below is a well considered response to the article, BROWN LEAF TIPS by Stephen Hendricks, which appears above. It originally appeared in the Fort Worth Bonsai Society NEWSLETTER Jan. 1994 pp 4-6

The addition of gypsum as a soil amendment to a potting mix, bonsai or otherwise, bears merit and should be considered. I have used many bags of gypsum on my Illinois lawn and garden to break up the clay, which was its big claim to fame, and I can heartily endorse its use.

The author of BROWN LEAF TIPS did considerable research into his unique problem and came up with a solution for that problem, and he is to be commended for his effort. However, as the scientific method for the testing was not contained in the text, it appears that there may have been other forces at work causing these problems rather than just the clay material. So, before you start dumping your "Turface" and "Solite" or adding any more amendments to your potting soil, here are some things to consider.