Can anyone help with my Monkey Puzzle?

Hi guys, I have a Monkey Puzzle, about 2 1/2 years old now so still a young one, anyway over the last 3 months the header of the tree has gone brown and some of the leaves are starting to turn, I can't seem to find out what could be causing this. The two pictures, 1st one was taken in the summer, the 2nd tonight.

 

Not sure what has caused the leader to die off like that but it will change the shape of the tree from here.
What you could do is make the larger side shoot on the left into the leader. Prune out the leader and the other side shoot then put a cane into the pot and tie the remaining branch to make it vertical.
Hopefully that would then carry on as normal, though you would have lost the lower branches.

 

Are you growing it in the house??

Its not really suitable as a house plant, although protection from hard frost is probably advisable for the first few years.

 

Not if you want to keep the roof on:D

 

saw a program a few weeks back where they eat the nuts/fruit from these trees

was on river cottage if my memory serves me right .... these trees grow massive

 

"these trees grow massive"

but not for a long time, sadly. Although they speed up a bit once they get to a few feet tall.

 

they eat the nuts/fruit from these trees

Then when the tree is big enough you find its a male

 

Thanks scillonian very good idea I would be sad to lose the upper branches but sacrifices have to be made so I will give that a try.
Pete yes I am growing it indoors on a windowsill as I live in a flat on the 1st floor and don't have secure garden to plant it outside.

Also yes, these trees grow nice and big but are EXTREMELY slow growers - it's taken 2 years to grow those 2 branches and I have 3 smaller shoots growing towards the bottom and make good pot plants which ensures they won't get that big.

Photo shows the 3 shoots growing.

 

Monkey tree

Hi ,
Now ive a monkey puzzle tree in my garden grown from a small 18inch.

The first thing is as has already been said, they are outside plants only and very root spread plants ,
ie they grow and settle their roots before they start to take top growth,

you can keep them in an unheated greenhouse during the winter, but the sooner you get them started on the root growth the better, that pot you've got it in wont help ref root growth,

clay pots are the better pot as clay tends to dry out and not keep the roots soaked, clay is also a warmer material for the root system.

When i planted my monkey p. i did it in may and made sure the roots had blood/fish/bone mixed in the compost this acts as both a general feed and the slow feed "bone" helps in the root growth.

That brown looks to me like over watering,

Once these tree's do grow they are like razor blades so dont plant it we're your going to touch it very offten.

 

"That brown looks to me like over watering,"

I thought that too ...

 

Hi Moonraker thanks for that very useful, it's currently in a 4" plastic pot I'll look at heading to garden centre tomorrow get a clay one, what size would you recommend as you said it's a root spreader? Monkey stands 14cm tall at the moment.

I was considering getting Westland Bonemeal Root Builder and Westland Fish Blood and Bone All Purpose Plant Food too give Monkey some nourishment.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh also I have found a terracotta pot that I can get in my local garden centre Thai Brown Planter - Woodcote Green Garden Centre in different sizes but I am wondering whether the 22cm would be a good starter.

 

"I was considering getting Westland Bonemeal Root Builder and Westland Fish Blood and Bone All Purpose Plant Food too give Monkey some nourishment. "

I would be inclined to give potted plants liquid feed, rather than granular (not sure what type those are, but the names sound like granular.)

(Other than the 6 month slow-release ones that look like "Hundreds-and-thousands", which I do put on my pot plants)

Sea weed (particularly as a foliar feed) is good for stressed plants (if you think it might be over watering or central-heating stress).

No idea if this applies to a Monkey though, sorry.

 

They are both granular - at least I know the Root Builder is... I believe the fish blood and bone one also is but not totally sure.

I'll have a look at different options in the garden centre wither tomorrow or Tuesday depends when I can get there.

Thanks for the help though.