Fukien Tea losing leaves - oh No !

Karjef

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bonsai.jpg bonsai 2.jpg bonsai 2.jpg Hi !
My first bonsai was delivered a few weeks ago. I live in the mountains in NJ. The weather was very cold (-4).
It looked great when I first brought it in. Now, the leaves have been turning yellow and falling off. I have a humidity tray, have been watering it every 3 days. The water runs out pretty quickly. So I do this 3 times. It's near glass doors (glass is all the way across living/dining room). I mist it about every other day. For the last couple of days, I've been putting a white plastic bag (sticks on each side to hold it away) to create even more humidity. It's not helping. At this rate my tree will be bald very soon.

I've wanted a bonsai for so long. This one is 6 yrs. old.

I welcome all suggestions
Thanks
 
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MidMichBonsai

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Hi !
My first bonsai was delivered a few weeks ago. I live in the mountains in NJ. The weather was very cold (-4).
It looked great when I first brought it in. Now, the leaves have been turning yellow and falling off. I have a humidity tray, have been watering it every 3 days. The water runs out pretty quickly. So I do this 3 times. It's near glass doors (glass is all the way across living/dining room). I mist it about every other day. For the last couple of days, I've been putting a white plastic bag (sticks on each side to hold it away) to create even more humidity. It's not helping. At this rate my tree will be bald very soon.

I've wanted a bonsai for so long. This one is 6 yrs. old.

I welcome all suggestions
Thanks

Do you have any pictures. There are many things cause trees to drop leaves but it's hard to tell without pictures.
 

Karjef

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Dan,
I just added them. Thanks for taking a look.
 

Nybonsai12

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Fukien teas are moody and drop leaves when irritated. This could be the result of shipping from wherever it came from to its new atmosphere.
With that said, don't overwater. Take a chopstick and stick it down into the soil about an inch or so. When it comes out dry or close to, then water. I may be in the minority but I had one for many years and it liked the soil to dry between waterings.
 
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elena999

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Hi..Im a newbie too. I have had my fukien tea from last spring.It was outside all summer then I took it inside late fall. The leaves yellowed and lots fell off. I put it under light..away from drafts, it dosent like change. mine is not near a window or heat vent. Its done great this winter..It seems to like misting. I have mine on a pebble tray..Its even flowering. Good luck..Hope that helps.....Elena
 

Karjef

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Fukien teas are moody and drop leaves when irritated. This could be the result of shipping from wherever it came from to its new atmosphere.
With that said, don't overwater. Take a chopstick and stick it down into the soil about an inch or so. When it comes out dry or close to, then water. I may be in the minority but I had one for many years and it liked the soil to dry between waterings.
Thanks. It came from Pro Flowers which is based in CA.
 

Karjef

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Hi..Im a newbie too. I have had my fukien tea from last spring.It was outside all summer then I took it inside late fall. The leaves yellowed and lots fell off. I put it under light..away from drafts, it dosent like change. mine is not near a window or heat vent. Its done great this winter..It seems to like misting. I have mine on a pebble tray..Its even flowering. Good luck..Hope that helps.....Elena
Elena, How often do you mist it?
 

larlamonde

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View attachment 69583 View attachment 69584 View attachment 69584 Hi !
My first bonsai was delivered a few weeks ago. I live in the mountains in NJ. The weather was very cold (-4).
It looked great when I first brought it in. Now, the leaves have been turning yellow and falling off. I have a humidity tray, have been watering it every 3 days. The water runs out pretty quickly. So I do this 3 times. It's near glass doors (glass is all the way across living/dining room). I mist it about every other day. For the last couple of days, I've been putting a white plastic bag (sticks on each side to hold it away) to create even more humidity. It's not helping. At this rate my tree will be bald very soon.

I've wanted a bonsai for so long. This one is 6 yrs. old.

I welcome all suggestions
Thanks

Dont do anything drastic. It will be fine. These trees often react like this when there climate changes. Spring will arrive soon and you can put it back out and it will regain its vigor.
 

Karjef

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Larlamonde,
At what temperature do you let it sit outside? How long should it stay in the sun or should I find a spot that
is only partially sunny?

Thanks,
 

Cypress187

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How fast should te leaves get back when a fukien tea is upset (i shocked my fukien tea because i put it from cold outside to warm inside and i think i killed it / im pretty sure its dead)?
 

elena999

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Elena, How often do you mist it?

I mist a few times a week and when I water it every other time I water, all of it..leaves too. I believe the leaves will return quickly once it feels like its in a stable enviorment.
 

Karjef

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My Fukien seemed to like a makeshift tent (grocery store white bag) in the last few weeks of winter. It's grown back and has numerous flower buds. I no longer use the tent as the weather is around 55-60 during the day and 45 at night (house is kept at 65 at night). The buds however never seem to bloom into flowers. They are white and puffy and then they fade away. I'm keeping the rock humidity tray and water it once a week. Lately, I've been misting it once in between. Do I need to water more than once a week? Also, I'm running it under a shower faucet about 5 times. Is this good? Should I keep it outdoors during the summer? Here are some picturesIMG_0710.JPG IMG_0711.JPG
 

Skinnygoomba

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I have two tropicals and in the middle of winter there is very little light in my house, so they were only getting sun 2-3 hours and maybe one hour of that was direct sunlight. So, they dropped leaves in Dec/January and now they have resumed growing again.

A couple things I have learned; when you water them bring them to a sink or a place with a drain and water them like you do outside, which for me is with a copper watering can. Trying to water them until it dripped into the tray or other fiddly method proved unsuccessful. I maintain the drip tray but not for purpose of keeping them humidified.

For humidity I run a humifier in the house in the winter, as is, so I simply moved it to where the trees are and they appreciated being in the direct path.

I tried a few fertilizer sand Dr Earth appears the most agreeable with the plants and with my house (it smells but the smell goes away after a day or so).

They will go back outside in a week or two when temps are consistently over 50 at the low end.

I am rank ameteur, so please default to advice given by more experienced ahead of mine, but I chose to share since this winter was a success for me.
 
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MidMichBonsai

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It should be outside all summer. Move it outside when the temps are consistently above 50 as stated above and give it full sun. This a tropical plant and if you give it lots of water and full sun in the summer, it will thrive. Once it has been outside, you can wait until the temps get down to 45 or so in the fall before bringing them in because this happens gradually and the tree can adjust. Since it's been inside (and warm) all winter, it's best to wait until you have temps reliably above 50 for moving it out.

If you want your flowers to bloom, try a simple fertilizer. I use Dyna-Gro's Bonsai Pro fertilizer but many others will work as well. It lasts forever because it's a concentrate that dilutes to 1/4 teaspoon/gal of water. That being said, unless you're getting ready to show the tree, you may think about intentionally removing the flowers. I do this because the tree puts a lot of it's energy into making the flowers and helping them to bloom, energy that could be used elsewhere. The only time I leave the flowers on is if I'm about 3 weeks out from displaying the tree somewhere. It's up to you and if you want the flowers, there's no harm done to the tree but if you want to maximize health and vitality, remove them intentionally.

Good luck.
 

Karjef

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Thank you Skinnygoomba and Dan,
So is once a week watering enough? Is misting in between good ?
 

Skinnygoomba

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I can tell you what I did, but your situation is going to specific to your tree and as mentioned previously I have 11 months in this hobby. I offer my expertise in sharpening because that is where I have expertise, in bonsai I am an amateur.

I will try to answer your question with my recent experience and hopefully others will chime in if it needs correction.

Here is what I did;

I have a drawf cherry and a Natal plum, each take in water at different rates. They have received more sun recently and have been taking in water even quicker than before so my watering interval has increased. When I fertilize them....they take in water more rapidly. They have been pushing new growth for about a month or two and have been very happily taking in more water.

My watering interval at the depth of winter was every three days, but currently it is every other day. I provided moisture with the humidifier when my house needed it as well, I am not currently doing that.
 

DLH

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Can anyone see a tiny white bug on the tree(larger leaf towards the top) in photo #1 ???
Anyone have any idea what bug it might be? most likely???
 
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