A dying carmona

CliffWaves

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Hello friends.

I am a new bonsai owner (since early february/late january). I have been gifted a carmona by a friend who happened to find a few bonsai at a flower shop. She didn't know the first thing about bonsai, and for that matter neither did I at the time.

She knew I have an appreciation for (and practice methods of) zen buddhism, and japanese culture, so she thought this would make a nice gift.

I only later realized carmona is a high demand and otherwise difficult bonsai to maintain. I have done my best to take care of it, but as of the early middle weeks of this month, I caught corona. This has impacted my ability to take care of the bonsai as the infection affected my health in an unusually violent manner. Most affected was the watering schedule; Where the carmona prefers to be watered every 1 and a half days, I would water it every 2 or 3 days.

I ask for your assistance. The pictures attached detail the progress of the carmona: First picture is day one, second picture are the first bright sunny days of spring (having been fertilized and watered thoroughly). After a few weeks of warm spring (sunny, 15 degrees celsius), the temperature dropped locally to 0 degrees celcius and the sun wouldn't shine for an extended period of time.

The 3rd picture details this fact. The tea tree would shed one or two dozen leaves every day. My watering, air, misting and fertilizing schedule hasn't changed. Or, it has recovered since I recovered from corona. I use liquid fertilizer every week, more or less as instructed on the bottles. The bottles recommend a diluted dose of fertilizer every 2 weeks aprox, but every 1 week during the spring period and once every month during the winter period.

I believe it has suffered most harshly from the lack of sun in the region I live in. This isn't something I can control ultimately. But if you think there is something I can do to prevent this carmona from dying, please let me know.

The final 2 pictures are from today, where the yellowing and browning of the leaves has worsened to its greatest extent. What is the ideal course of action now?

Thank you.
 

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Eckhoffw

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Hmmm. I wouldn’t fertilize for awhile. Stressed roots/plants won’t take it up.
I would suggest trying to see if the center of the root ball is getting wet after watering.
Sometimes it is hard to water it properly after a root ball has dried out.

I would plop it out of the pot and do a gentle examination of the roots.
If the center is dry, soak entire root ball in water for a few minutes, then put back in pot. 🤞
 

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. In the bar at the top of the B’Nut page you are on are four symbols: right to left is a magnifying glass for searching; a bell for the number of notices for you; a letter for the number of private messages for you; and your logo where all your preferences are accessible. If you left click on your logo you can see “ Account Details”. Left click on that and you can scroll down to location and enter as specifically or generally as you like.



<<<<< It will show here.

Fukien Tea is probably real close to being the hardest to keep as bonsai. I wouldn't start messing with the roots or doing anything but trying to provide the plant good light and water. It has gone from an ideal situation to whatever you have which is less. They do not like to have changes and respond accordingly. Feed once a month from early spring to early autumn. Touch the soil with your fingertip and water if dry and skip if damp. While you are getting used to differentiating between dry and damp touching the soil you can lift the pot and touch through the drain holes to confirm one way or the other. I see you are sky-high and your windows don't open, I think that means this will be a houseplant year-around. I also assume this is your sunniest window. If that is a shade half way down, put it all the way up so the plant is in more open light. If you have hardware stores where you can buy one or two mirror tiles you can set the plant on the them and get more light to the leaves. You might need to get a plant light, but I don't like that cluttering up my windows so I suggest that only as a last option. If your window faces SE, S, SW, or W the plant can probably get used to that. Your location in the world matters, so do add that. I have a personal rule, never throw away a plant until it has been dead for 6 months. Plants can go to sleep when conditions are poor, only to wake up in a dumpster somewhere.
 

CliffWaves

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Hello friends.

I checked the root ball yesterday, it was in decent condition but dry and particularly overgrown on the drainage holes, which meant that the bonsai was receiving and ejecting water unevenly. I put it in a water bucket for 10 minutes and restructured the earth in the pot. Now it is more compact at the top but the bottom should filter adequately.

My windows can open partially or completely, but aside from placing this in the balcony (plentiful access to sunlight all day, but always colder than 15 degrees celsius outside of spring/summer), my room's windowsill is as good as any other place in the house. It used to get at least 6 hours of sunlight and warmth every day reliably during its lush period. There is no choice to be made, it will live indoors for now.

I have pulled up the blinds (more than what you see in the 1st picture), it receives about as much sunlight as the apartment's position and window will allow.

I strongly believe that if the bonsai won't be receiving sunlight and warmth reliably soon it will likely perish from stress, so I believe a plant light will be necessary soon. There is enough space for that thankfully.

Its situation hasn't worsened terribly since we last spoke, still a few falling leaves but a little less than before. If you have recommendations for what kind of lamp I should be getting to help the bonsai, please let me know.

This is the kind of lamp I could potentially afford: https://www.emag.ro/lampa-full-spec...&X-Section=search&X-MB=0&X-Search-Action=view

Thank you. 🙏
 
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CliffWaves

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Hello friends.

It has been a month, and I understand this thread is probably buried now, but I wanted to report that in the month I have been absent the bonsai has made a full recovery and is now flourishing.

A while ago it shed a small bit of branch from its trunk. I have since planted it into the ground.

Here you can see it is also flourishing.

So thank you for your advice, it has proven pertinent in helping this bonsai and its spawn manifest harmoniously. I will return to the community in case there are anymore problems.

🙏
 

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sorce

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How'd I miss the entire tale of that Rona and a Mona in Romania!

Welcome to Crazy!

I reckon it might have just been the change in "climate".
Our heat is finally off just last week.
Tht is a change enough to cause Mona to Moan.

Sorce
 
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