Serissa Foetida, Dead?

aaron · White Belt Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 2

I've had my serissa since February, and only two or so weeks ago it started looking a bit worse for wear, i kept on top of it ensuring it got the best of daylight available and watered each night. now the leaves that where turning yellow, have gone brown and fell off. and now there is not much of my tree left. is it dead? and how can i save it?

thanks

Aaron

Dick · Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

It's not dead yet.

By "best daylight possible" what do you mean. If it is in direct sunlight behind a window pane, it could be that it's burning up and causing the leaves to die off. If that's the case, the moisture is transpiring fro the leave faster than it's able to take the moisture up through the roots.

Read the A-Z forum entry on serissas for some very sound information and advice. They are very finicky plants for bonsai even though they are probably the most sold to first time buyers.

aaron · White Belt Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 2

i have read your A-Z and it is help full but still no improvement,
i have scratched the bark and it is green underneath, i leave it about 150cm from a window not in direct light but it gets a good amount a day, and is watered each night so its always moist. but yet nothing has changer it has no leaves on it now. a friend gave me some small pellet things for bonsai's and told me to put two in the soil, and still no change should i prune it, re-pot it or just leave it?

Stymie · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

I wouldn't disturb it aaron, its having enough stress already. Don't admonish yourself, this happens to all of us, particularly with Serissa. They do well in humid greenhouse conditions but have to adapt to the life that we subject them to.
Those 'pellet things' that you mention are probably a kind of fertiliser which it could do without just now. If they're just at the surface, perhaps you could remove them until your tree revives. It can't use the feed at present because it isn't sending out any extensions yet and their presence is, if anything, likely to injure roots which can't use it. Keep faith in it and when new growth appears prune back to that and resume feeding. Good luck.

steve · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 11:55 pm Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

At this point I would recomend a humidity tray and outside if possible out of direct sun. They are very difficult trees and outside may do it better than anything right now. You may also give it a dose of Superthrive to help ease it through it's stress. Just to reassert what Stymie said-Don't fertilize until the new growth is coming on strong.

Stymie · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 12:03 am Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

We don't have access to superthrive over here Steve but we make do with stress reliever or rootsafe.

steve · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 12:05 am Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

Oh

, thanks for clearing that up. Guess I'll stick to calling it a vitamin b solution then.

Stymie · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 12:11 am Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

Stress reliever is a humate solution.

steve · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 12:14 am Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

What about a transplant aid? That should contain vitamin b.

GioGio · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Serissa Foetida, Dead?

Hi Stymie, we do have access to superthrive now! I managed to get a bottle from Kaizan Bonsai. Very expensive though, I think I paid over 10 pounds for a small bottle. I used it when re-potting, and it is very good, none of my trees showed any sign of stress after the re-pot.
Smile

Giogio