BRT curled up, closed pale green leaves

[BRT_newbie]

Hi Bonsai Nut community. I inherited this Brazilian Rain Tree from a friend who left NYC back in mid-March.The BRT was placed close to a south-facing window that receives lots of light. I would submerge the pot in water for 15 minutes once a week. It was doing really well until I left for two weeks and my roommate was in charge of watering it. When I came back, the leaves were no longer opening, seemed shriveled and paler in color. I know this because I still have a cutting that I had placed in a jar of water that seems to have the normal looking leaves. My roommate tells me she watered it as I instructed, but I'm worried that with the recent heat-wave in NYC it needed water more often.

Is the plant dead? What should I do?

** The pictures were taken outside for better light, but this plant is an indoor plant.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Your BRT probably got too dry while you were gone. But do not worry. BRT routinely drop leaves when dried out. They quickly grow a new set of leaves once watering resumes.

Pick off the dried leaves, go back to watering the way you used to, and in 3 to 6 weeks, the tree should sprout new leaves.

Where the BRT comes from is a wet-dry tropics, with a short, bone dry period every year. It is adapted to dry seasons. It could easily go a couple months bone dry, if the dry period is only once a year.

 

[leatherback]

second Leo.

In addition: Consider top-watering the plant. I water my BRTs when I water all my other bonsai in summer, which means, daily (Note: I have a very open soil). Dunking pots in water often compacts the soil a lot, which is why I avoid it. If once a week dunking worked well, you might have to water with a can twice a week. But as always. Water when to pot starts to go dry, rather than on a fixed schedule. (But I understand this can get tricky if you only have one!)

 

[BRT_newbie]

Thank you for the responses! @leatherback, I just tried top-watering the BRT but the water went through it pretty quickly. Typically with my other plants that has happened when they were root-bound. Is this normal for the plant to not absorb so much water right now because it's stressed?

 

[leatherback]

Hm.. In the substrate that your tree seems to be in, it should not. Does the rootbal connect fully with the pot ?

 

[BRT_newbie]

@leatherback I'm super new to this, but should I try to take the plant out of the pot to check?

For reference, the soil my plant is in is the generic soil the bonsai shop sold it to my friend in: Granite, Pumice, Calcined Clay, Peat Moss, Fir Bark & Charcoal

 

[leatherback]

For reference, the soil my plant is in is the generic soil the bonsai shop sold it to my friend in: Granite, Pumice, Calcined Clay, Peat Moss, Fir Bark & Charcoal

This sounds like proper bonsai substrate, which indeed will flush all the water easily. Here frequent watering needs are normal.
I would not lift it from the pot, certainly not when it is weak as it is.

Probably best to continue what you were doing, as this is what worked for you. As your substrate is not pure organics, what I suspected, compaction is less of an issue. (I would still prefer watering from the top, but as dunking works for you..)

 

[Paradox]

BRT like water. Once a week isnt enough.

Mine get watered every day most of the year and every other day in the winter for a month or two when they have a semi dormant period.
They dont truly go dormant but their growth slows down when its the coolest in thier winter space in my basement.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Shoot the bitch.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Shoot the bitch.

Who? Why? What's wrong with you?

 

[Forsoothe!]

It's a joke Leo. Lighten up.

 

[Clicio]

Where the BRT comes from is a wet-dry tropics, with a short, bone dry period every year. It is adapted to dry seasons. It could easily go a couple months bone dry, if the dry period is only once a year.

@Leo in N E Illinois , BRTs are from the coastal areas of the southeast region in Brazil. The forests near the ocean are called "Mata Atlântica", and it means high humidity, lots and lots of warm rain in the summer, and dry winters. Not really bone dry, but it doesn't rain a lot.
From the Brazilian wiki:
"BRTs are found in restinga and sandy scrub areas of the Atlantic Forest, in the coastal region of Rio de Janeiro. It prefers sandy soils, but with the presence of organic matter. It grows under full sun, and although it tolerates periods of drought, it prefers humid climate, developing better in areas with high rainfall. It is on the list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in the category "in critical danger"."
So that's why it's difficult to get seeds even here, it's a protected species and the Conservation Ministry doesn't like to see precious seeds going for... bonsai.
Mine are watered daily and love it.
I have never tried watering them only once a week, but I am quite sure that in our climate they would take it very badly...

 

[Forsoothe!]

@Leo in N E Illinois , BRTs are from the coastal areas of the southeast region in Brazil. The forests near the ocean are called "Mata Atlântica", and it means high humidity, lots and lots of warm rain in the summer, and dry winters. Not really bone dry, but it doesn't rain a lot.
From the Brazilian wiki:
"BRTs are found in restinga and sandy scrub areas of the Atlantic Forest, in the coastal region of Rio de Janeiro. It prefers sandy soils, but with the presence of organic matter. It grows under full sun, and although it tolerates periods of drought, it prefers humid climate, developing better in areas with high rainfall. It is on the list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in the category "in critical danger"."
So that's why it's difficult to get seeds even here, it's a protected species and the Conservation Ministry doesn't like to see precious seeds going for... bonsai.
Mine are watered daily and love it.
I have never tried watering them only once a week, but I am quite sure that in our climate they would take it very badly...

I can't imagine the relative size of a pot that would hold enough water for one week. Something is wrong here. Exactly how long has this supposed care been given? All thin leaved Acacia have responded about the same for me: underwater, loose the whole canopy, return to normal watering and the grow a new canopy. Do it often enough and the plant runs out of gas.

 

[leatherback]

BRT like water. Once a week isnt enough.

I have never tried watering them only once a week, but I am quite sure that in our climate they would take it very badly

I can't imagine the relative size of a pot that would hold enough water for one week.

I agree with these responses, as it was my personal gut feeling too. That being said:

I inherited this Brazilian Rain Tree from a friend who left NYC back in mid-March.The BRT was placed close to a south-facing window that receives lots of light. I would submerge the pot in water for 15 minutes once a week. It was doing really well until I left for two weeks

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Obviously, the OP, @BRT_newbie , did or does use a water retaining potting mix. I do suggest that @BRT_newbie reads the post from @Clicio several times. As our friend Clicio is from Brazil, and knows first hand what the BRT home climate is like. I sit "corrected" in that I recognize that i had inaccurate information. It is a great feature of this forum, we have enough members across the world that we can get information from someone who has first hand information about a Brazilian species. Thanks Clicio

 

[Clicio]

... information from someone who has first hand information about a Brazilian species. Thanks Clicio

Leo, this forum is amazing for many reasons, but by far its best feature is...
the members.
I feel a real sense of community in this non-space, and I've been learning like a madman from you more experienced people in bonsai.
Thanks to you and to @Bnut of course!

 

[Clicio]

** The pictures were taken outside for better light, but this plant is an indoor plant.

No BRTs are indoors plants.
Trees from the rainforest should be outside in Spring, Summer and Autumn, and inside or sheltered if the temperatures drop below 45ºF.
They are tropicals, so growing a BRT in a temperate region is always a challenge.
I'm not saying it is impossible because there are many, many good examples of BRTs in the Northern Hemisphere, but one must work more to keep them alive in NYC than another grower from, let's say, South Florida.

 

[BRT_newbie]

The plant used to look like this with leaves opening and closing with the sun. Sometimes leaves would yellow and fall off, but new growth would always appear. Otherwise it seemed like a pretty happy plant.

Based on the above comments, I'll adjust the watering to daily. Thank you to everyone who chimed in. Is there a way to tell if I've killed the plant? Are there additional things I should be doing to help it make it through?

 

[Carol 83]

If you scratch the bark a little and it is green, it's still alive. Sometimes they take awhile to start growing again. You need some more trees, so you don't "love" this one to death.

 

[BRT_newbie]

You need some more trees, so you don't "love" this one to death.

Hehe that's why I have a cutting I just potted. I'll follow the water recommendations for this new one too.