11 year old Acacia Bonsai Diagonsis

PreciousXT

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Hi guys, complete noobie here.

I was gifted with an 11 year old Acacia bonsai, not sure the exact species, however, I am certain its an Acacia.
Its been at home for a while now, not in full sun and been doing very well.

Last week I noticed the leaves started to begin drooping.

Its almost as if its in a confused state between sleeping and awake.
I have noticed come around 6pm the leaves close and in the morning the leaves open again.

Problem is that this is different from when it is in its sleeping mode.... freaking out no idea what is wrong with it, the leaves look sad. There has been no dropping of leaves nor are any of the leaves yellow. I cant see any spots or weird impurities in the leaves either.

Someone send help ^^

Regards
 

Shibui

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2 things will help us work out what, if anything, is wrong.
1. Photos of the tree and of the problem so we can see exactly what you are seeing.
2. A location. The world is a big place and we don't know if you are in summer or winter, cold or tropical. It is best if you add a location to your profile so we see it each time you post. Some idea of where you are will definitely get better suggestions for your area.

Some of the acacia family close leaves at night. That is entirely natural. Maybe the tree has been doing it all the time and you have just started to notice?
 

Lutonian

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Acacia family keeps changing and being split up by botanists, lots of plants in the pea family fabaceae close their leave at night or due to other stimuli being touched for example (mimosa Pudica). Fabaceae is a huge family spread across the globe in all environments.

A picture would help a great deal.

 

PreciousXT

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2 things will help us work out what, if anything, is wrong.
1. Photos of the tree and of the problem so we can see exactly what you are seeing.
2. A location. The world is a big place and we don't know if you are in summer or winter, cold or tropical. It is best if you add a location to your profile so we see it each time you post. Some idea of where you are will definitely get better suggestions for your area.

Some of the acacia family close leaves at night. That is entirely natural. Maybe the tree has been doing it all the time and you have just started to notice?
Yeah so this particular Acacia specie does close it leaves at night which I know is normal.

Location Is Cape Town, South Africa.

Here is a picture.
 

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Forsoothe!

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If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you.







<----It will show over here.
 

Carol 83

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I have noticed come around 6pm the leaves close and in the morning the leaves open again.
I have a Rabbit's Foot Acacia. It does the same thing (maybe not at 6pm, never documented the exact time) Even under lights it and my BRT's seem to know when the sun goes down and close their leaves. If they didn't open again in the morning, then I would worry something may be wrong.
 

SeanS

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Is there a particular reason that It was fine for a while in the house and now its not ? I'm so confused haha.

It also receives direct sunlight for about 3 hours every morning.
It probably took a while to figure out that it wasn’t where it was meant to be (outside) and now is telling you it’s unhappy. Trees belong outside, especially trees that have adapted to survive in the African bush
 

PreciousXT

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I have a Rabbit's Foot Acacia. It does the same thing (maybe not at 6pm, never documented the exact time) Even under lights it and my BRT's seem to know when the sun goes down and close their leaves. If they didn't open again in the morning, then I would worry something may be wrong.
I can clearly see its not happy and has nothing to do with the opening and closing of leaves during sleep time. Hence, I am quite worried about it. I have put it outside now.
 

PreciousXT

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Here are some photos which might be a bit more clear ( taken today) .
 

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Shibui

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Could you guys also tell me how often I should be watering it as well as how much water I should be giving it ?
I do not know your acacia but in general bonsai cannot be watered by a timetable. You must water as they need it. Too little and they can die of dehydration. Too much water can cause root rot and kill the plant slowly.
We water when the soil start to get dry. How often that is depends on the weather, type of plant, size of pot, type of soil and where it is at the time. You can push a finger into the soil to check moisture levels under the surface. Some people push a wooden stick or skewer into the soil and leave it there as a moisture gauge - pull it out each day to check if it is wet or dry.
Water when the soil is just starting to get dry. Do not water if it is still wet in the pot.
When the pot does need water you need to give it a good soak with a watering can or a gentle spray on the hose. It is important to make sure the whole pot gets properly wet when you do water it. Misting is not good enough as that only wets the surface and deeper roots stay dry.
It is summer in SA now so the tree will need watering often. I water my bonsai every morning and every evening at this time of year except when we have good rain. It can be a good idea to give the whole pot a soak in a tub or bucket every week or 2 to make sure the whole root ball is properly wet.
From the look of those leaves the tree is very dry and getting dehydrated. Soak the pot immediately for an hour then let it drain.

If it has been too dry the tree may drop the leaves entirely but don't worry as most are pretty tough and will grow new leaves when it gets water again.
 

Mikecheck123

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My acacias droop like that when they aren't getting enough water. What's your routine like?
 

Bnana

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It seems to be in proper, well draining, soil. So overwatering is less of a problem.
With enough water and sun (full sun for most of the day) it should be fine.
Having it inside with only three hours of sun behind a window is just not enough light for this species.
 
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