Help! Is my tree dying??

bern41

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I inherited this from my grandfather shortly before he passe away. I was told it was a hearty bonsai that didn't require much water. I've kept in indoors near my glass door so it gets plenty of light. When I got it a year ago the leaves were full but now it's looking shabby. I water it 2-3x a month, when it looks dry. Can anyone tell me (a) what kind Of bonsai do I have and (b) what to do to help it regain that lush look? Thank you
 

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sorce

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Watering it in that pot is probly not soaking the entire rootball.

That is a Big Ass tree.
In a small Ass pot!

I'd chop it all the way down, roots too, and throw it back in there with fresh soil.

Sorce
 

Gregory DeNinno

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Looks like a schefflera. They can do reasonable well inside but get leggy if not given enough light. They are not very cold tolerant. Hard to tell why it looks so grumpy but likely a combination of not enough water and not enough light.
 

Vance Wood

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Looks like a schefflera. They can do reasonable well inside but get leggy if not given enough light. They are not very cold tolerant. Hard to tell why it looks so grumpy but likely a combination of not enough water and not enough light.
It is a Schefflera, they don't need a lot of water but they do need some. They also need to be repotted at least once a year to stay healthy. This one is probably critically root bound.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I agree it is a schefflera. I have several in my landscaping. They are tropicals, and don't need a ton of water, once established, though they do need some (ie they can not grow natively in Southern California without irrigation). They grow like weeds in Hawaii. In California, with the dry air, mine do best with a little protection from the sun. They recover well from being cut back hard and will back-bud on old wood. In fact, mine do best when being constantly cut back so that they are pushing young growth (similar to an azalea).

Your tree looks like it is suffering from dead/damaged roots. I would get it out of that tiny pot and into loose, airy soil and hope for the best. Try to put it outdoors in the summer in full sun. A big tree like that needs a larger pot.

11Fubanyan.jpg
 
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bern41

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Thank you all for your prompt replies. So it sounds like I need to get a bigger pot and cut it back. So I'm clear, you can't really cut this back to much yeah?
 

Bonsai Nut

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No you cannot... as long as the trunk and roots are not rotted. If the trunk and roots are rotted, you can cut off the branches above the rot, and you have a pretty good chance of getting the branches to root if you dip the cut end into rooting hormone, and plant the cutting in loose loamy soil. Otherwise, schefflera will bud back on old wood just fine - particularly if they are in strong light.
 

namnhi

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I don't think the tree will live. Most of the trunk looks like already dead. I don't think this can be saved.
 

_#1_

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Looks like 90% of leaves dried out and dead! :confused:

But there's still some healthy leaves though...
 

AlainK

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Water it, remove it from its present pot, put it in a much bigger pot (volume x 3) with dry new free-draining soil (30% coarse sand, 70% slightly acidic soil/loam), don't water it for a few days, and I think it should recover.

So far, it's not a "bonsai" if it has ever been, but once it has recovered it will become a nice plant that will remind you of your grandfather.

When it's healthy again, you can take cuttings (these root pretty easily) : the "offsprings" will be the best tribute to his memory, they can travel and please, and even delight new people.

If it dies, buy another one, and remember him.

I know how you feel: I offered a Crassula ovata to my late father some 20 years ago. My mother kept it for years...

5 years ago, it was about 80 cm tall and wide in a 50 cm wide/deep pot. It flowered every winter in the lounge.

It was on the balcony and I didn't bring it back inside before a cold night - she was too weak to do it herself.

When I saw it had been cooked dead from the frost, I felt so ashamed of myself, and so sad. And very angry at myself.

But there are plenty of little Henri K.'s Crassula in many places, including my home, and most people probably don't know that part of them is his legacy in a way. The kind of thought that makes me smile.

Two of the ones I feel in charge of keeping alive:

20141009190838-f2e199f6-me.jpg


20160423190011-4fdac8e8-me.jpg


Funny how some people link plants with people...

And I'm not a bahá’í - though I wouldn't mind, I'm an atheist.

I'm not looking for any imaginary "reward" in a "paradise" that don't exist - my weight in Coca-Cola, 1,001 virgins, a disease-free world, etc. ... But I think that a straw can displace a mountain.

Good luck with your Schleffera, and remember:
 

_#1_

Omono
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Maybe take the tree out the pot and submerge the rootball in water for 5-10 minutes, then put in larger pot w/ better draining soil?
 

bern41

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A lot of good suggestions. Going to our local garden store tomorrow anf gonna try to save this guy. Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond to this newbie. Hopefully we'll revisit this thread in the future with some more welcoming pics.
 

BK Bonsai

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I once neglected my schefflera and it looked pretty bad, but with some TLC it bounced right back into a beautiful tree. I would re-pot it into a bigger pot, and use a soil mixture of 50% lava rock, and 50% peat moss. After that I would place the tree in a bin filled with water up to the soil line, and let it soak for a couple of hours. Then when it recovers a bit, I would definitely trim it down much shorter. Trust me it will respond great to that. That's how i saved mine and it's looking lovely.
 

bern41

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How far back did you get it? I have it in a bigger pot now and watered it up.
 
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