Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Kaone · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Hello. I'm new to Bonsai and need some advice please.

I was given a Bonsai plant for Xmas (at my request) and up to a few days ago it was doing well. I live near Oxford in England, but had the Bonsai in my study which is quite dark.

I've been watering it by soaking it when the earth is dry (about once a week) and a lot of new leaves have grown.

However recently the leaves have started to shrivel-up and the branches seem to be losing leaves from the end backwards.

I don't know what type it is - there are two photos at http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn113/Kaone7/

Any advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks

Stymie · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Hello Kaone, welcome to BonsaiHelp.
Your little tree is Carmona microphylla also known as Ehretia buxifolia, common name Fukien tea.
Unfortunately, If the photograph was taken in its usual place, it isn't getting anywhere near enough light. It needs to be fairly warm too. A minimum temperature of 15C (60F) would be ideal. The planting medium should be kept evenly moist at all times. Water from above to maintain this. The complete submersion is only necessary once for a tree which has dried out completely. Once a week doesn't seem enough to me. The water should drain right through, pulling fresh air in behind it and appearing through the drain holes within 20 seconds at most. Let us know if this happens okay and give it the best light possible. Don't attempt to feed it until we have it hale and hearty. Keep in touch, we'll soon have it happy again if you follow the advice.

Kaone · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:01 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Thanks very much for identifying it for me.

I have just moved the little chap downstairs where hopefully he'll get more light. Is direct sunlight ok?

Where the leaves have died at the end of a branch, is it best to leave it or to prune it back?

Thanks again,

Stymie · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Direct sunlight at this time of the year is fine. It only needs to be broken slightly during the hottest months. Leave the branches for now, they may yet leaf out. You didn't answer my question about the water draining through freely. I didn't ask idly.

Kaone · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:42 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Sorry, I hadn't realised that the watering test needed to be done straight-away.

I've just watered it from the top, and the water started coming through at the bottom almost immediately - say 5-10 secs.

The tree is now in the dining room (open-plant to lounge & kitchen so it should be warm enough. It's also quite near to a window so hopefully it'll get enough light.

I think the problems for the tree may have started when I turned it round, as the front was a lot more bushy than the back. Could this have upset it?

Stymie · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:07 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

The drainage sounds fine.
We do try to turn indoor kept trees so that they don't become lop-sided. This doesn't usually cause any problems apart from Serissa which reacts to any movement
Your main considerations are now; the stronger light, warmth and keeping the planting medium just moist.

Kaone · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:21 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Thanks - I'll let you know how it gets on.

emorrin · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:59 am Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

The Carmona microphylla likes humidity so a humidity tray would be good for it. A misting here and there would also help but not totally necessary. I have a couple of Carmona microphylla indoors and usually water them every 2 to 4 days. I do not keep to a set schedule. This particular plant doesn't like to be too wet. If it is too wet, some leaves will turn yellow. They also don't like to be too dry either. When the soil looks dry, stick you finger in the pot about a half inch in to see if it is still wet. If it is, wait another day to water. If it is dry, it needs to be watered.

One thing you can do is use supplementary lighting to add more light. Fluorescent lights work well. For one plant, you can use a common small lamp and buy compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) instead of using a regular incandescent light bulb. Put the top of the lamp only a couple of inches near the top of the plant.

Surrey John · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Kaone (and Don) - I'm not an indoor bonsai person, all mine are outdoor trees, but I think the principle is almost certainly the same. I just want to suggest that watering from above, then looking for drainage through the hole, might just overlook the possibility that water could be going down the sides between the soil and the pot - especially if you have been experiencing dry soil (as I think you have). I would overcome this by dribbling water from a fine spout (not a rose) all over the soil surface starting at the trunk and working outwards in gentle circles - that way I could be sure that I was saturating it.

Just a thought! Hope it helps. Kind regards, SJ.

Kaone · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

Many thanks for all the helpful advice.

If I understand correctly, my main mistakes have been to let the earth get too dry (as no leaves have gone yellow), and not give it enough light.

I'll also look into humidity trays and lamps, although the latter doesn't seem too eco-friendly!

Are there any particular varieties that are recommended for beginners?

Stymie · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Poorly Bonsai - help please!

emmaaston1 · White Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Meath

Hi Koane,