keeps getting better, can't wait for spring!!!

I look forward to spring and new photos

Nice tree, keep it going and send lots of pictures. Got the same problem with the birds picking the moss.

Sad news lads....
2 chinese elms I bought when I was starting out at this hobby last year are dead.
Untill now I had a hope that they will come to life eventually, but the hope is gone.
Branches are dry and the buds too.
The cause would be probably spider mites as there were webs on the trees and I saw little red spider coming from under the bark.
I have seen the webs throughout the spring but I thought it was some regular spider who made them and didn´t pay attention to it, I just removed the webs by hand.
When I read about spider mites, it was too late already.
They sucked the life out of the small leaves when they were opening.
The tree in the middle is probably from different part of Asia and its leaves were out long before the leaves on the other 2 trees were only starting to open.
Probably that´s why it is still alive - it had enough leaves to survive later infestation.
So my first penjing is crippled and I will have to buy new elms when I get a chance.
Next spring I wil be more carefull and will repetedly spray the trees with insecticides.
Thankfully my other penjings are doing fine.

I am sorry about the death in your family. That is very unfortunate. At least you have the pictures.
This may have inspired me to attempt a slab planting myself.

Damn Kristof that sucks. This was a very pretty arrangement, specially being your first Penjing, it takes talent to build something like that the first time. I've never tried it, but I bet it would come out pretty ugly the first 10 times . Well... at least you didn't lose developed trees; so they are replaceable. Thanks for sharing it, lesson for all of us. I'll be watching for spider mites more closely!!!. I get spider webs on my trees all the time, from actual spiders (hopefully). I'll definitely look more closely.

I'll make it my wall paper for a few day's any way

Krištof wrote:

Sad news lads....

Yep, that's sad. But the slab, stones, hills with moss and plants still looks good. You're talented. I'm sure you'll do better next time.

Thanx to everyone for kind words and support.
I will continue this thread when I get some new trees to replace the dead ones.
I won´t be in a hurry this time and will try to find some mallsai with better potential.
Have a great weekend everyone!

So I didn´t use the slab again but the survivor tree from this one has got a new home and is alive and well.
It was also wintered outdoors 2 winters in a row where temperatures went to -20°C for 3 months steadily.
I won´t do it again though cause the fine branching dried out naturally.