OK so I posted a while back about an elm yamadori I got that had next to no fine roots with it. I used the black bag method to keep the air around it humid. Basically just had the tree covered with a black bag for around two weeks, opening the bag every couple days to let some fresh air in.
Anyway, the tree has started to bud now, which is giving me some hope that it’ll live. But my question is, once it’s budding, do I still keep the black bag on? I’ve had trees develop foliage in darkness before (during shipping), and the foliage is usually extremely weak and extended, very little chlorophyll and so it’s sensitive to sunlight as well, and liable to die off.
Given that this is a yamadori in a condition that is less than ideal, having no roots and all, would I keep the bag on, despite the possibility of it losing its entire first flush? I’ve taken it off now and I’m just compensating by misting the tree throughout the day. I work from home so it’s not a problem for me to tend to it obsessively.