Fukien Tea losing leaves

[RyGuy55]

Hi everyone, I've been having trouble with the health of my Fukien Tea bonsai and while it's recovering, I don't know what went wrong. I got the tree almost 2 years go, February 2011. The pamphlet I got with it said it was 35 years old - it's quite large. It was fine for the first year. After that (spring last year) it stopped growing.

Beginning of summer-
My mom happened to see it around June and said it had aphids. I used some pray and it recovered immediately, growing like crazy.

End of summer-
Around September it started losing leaves. From summer through September I kept it outside in partial sun and we happened to get a lot of rain - maybe water every other to every three days. I brought it inside to a sun room when it got colder out and the leaves started falling. They would turn from the hearty dark green to lime green, then to yellow, get crusty, and fall. That sun room still hit like 50 degrees at night and it was being watered twice a week or so. By the end of September about 70% of the leaves were gone and I brought it inside where it was a constant 65-75 degrees.

October-
I researched this all over the internet and it seemed like 25% of people said the tree wasn't being watered enough and 75% said it was being watered too much, so I opted to only water it once the soil dried (which takes about two weeks). It lost up to about 90% of the leaves, but then by the end of October it started getting new sprouts that have been slowly growing.

Now-
So the tree is still in 65-75 degrees, partial sun, I water it once every two weeks when the soil dies and I spray it with a water bottle every day. I have this plant food http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/dyna-gro-orchid-pro-7-8-6 but I'm nervous to use it as I hear trees in not great shape can get stressed. I know this was a very long winded post, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding definitive care for this type of tree and although it seems to be recovering, I want to make sure I'll get a full hardy tree back.

Oh, and one random thought - the sun room had a propane stove in it that got used occasionally at night. Could that have possibly caused the leaves to fall?

Thanks in advance for all help, I really appreciate it.

 

[Poink88]

WELCOME to B-Nut!!!

Please post pics....and update your profile so we will know where you are.

My Fukien teas usually drop leaves yearly (IIRC) but they are replaced fairly quickly...almost as they drop.

I also know that once you let them dry out totally to the point that the leaves wilt, those leaves will most likely drop but again, will be replaced quickly.

Moving it in and out could be causing the problem too...I do not move mine unless it gets close to freezing. I used to bring it in around 35*F but plan on playing a bit safer now and will do it at 40*F.

Low humidity (caused by the propane heater) might cause the problem too. The worst is if it has root damage/rot already...usually caused by too much water.

BTW, mine are kept in a covered porch and get watered about twice a week (and I am in TX). They are basically "neglected" other than the watering and occasional pruning.

 

[stacy allen muse]

????????????

 

[Stan Kengai]

If you only have to water every 2 weeks, your soil is holding WAY too much water. This could be caused by a number of things, but, given the severity, it's more likely a combination of things. Too much organic matter in the soil, being severely rootbound, and obstruction around the drainage holes (by roots or salt build-up) are likely culprits. You can't do anything about the first 2 this time of year, but you might want to try cleaning up and loosening around the drainage holes. Often when plant roots can't get enough oxygen (because soil too heavy or compressed), roots will mat around the drainage hole seeking air. Take a needle or something similar that will fit through your drainage mesh, and try to loosen the soil/roots around the holes. Insert your needle into each hole of the drainage screen (don't go too deep, only 1/2" at most), and wiggle it in a circular motion. Good luck.

 

[ecce_lex]

Hi,

I have a small 7yr old plant that traveled 2000 km by plane in a paper bag - it promptly shed its leaves upon arrival and, as others mentioned, they were quickly replaced.

I water it once a week or so, and when it's thirsty the leaves loose their shine. It's been flowering for more than 2 months now and to tell you the truth, it doesn't seem to be the frail, sickly plant others describe.

Don't move it around and keep light, humidity and temperature constant.

 

[RyGuy55]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. It's good to hear that not only was my tree not in danger of dying in the lower temperatures, but also that leaves falling isn't necessarily a sign of the tree dying. As suggested, I think the soil is due to be replaced - it's the same pot and dirt as when I got it 2 years ago. All the reading I did just led me to believe that the plant was super sensitive to everything and it made me apprehensive to do anything other than water and trim.

Here are pictures of the tree in its pot and the leaves that are coming in.

http://i.imgur.com/8l653.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vNLHM.jpg

 

[Poink88]

Doesn't look too healthy but it has great potential. I'll probably remove the lowest branch if this is mine.

 

[RyGuy55]

I know it's looking pretty pathetic right now, but it's been beautiful with thick full branches of leaves and white flowers. No one commented on this before, but like I said in the first post, I have this food:

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...chid-pro-7-8-6

Is it safe for my tree? Also, if anyone would be kind enough to recommend a good article on food for bonsais and repotting/chaning soil I'd be grateful.

The tree is continuing to recover. It now has new leaves popping up in all the spots that it lost them and the dark green color is returning.

 

[edprocoat]

Oh my gosh a Fukien tea losing its leaves !!!!

There should be a button a visitor here at B-Nut could push that would automatically post this thread, "what have I done wrong my tea is losing its leaves......"

They will come back, teas are finicky little trees and seem to lose their leaves everytime you pay attention to them.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

I know it's looking pretty pathetic right now, but it's been beautiful with thick full branches of leaves and white flowers. No one commented on this before, but like I said in the first post, I have this food:

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...chid-pro-7-8-6

Is it safe for my tree? Also, if anyone would be kind enough to recommend a good article on food for bonsais and repotting/chaning soil I'd be grateful.

The tree is continuing to recover. It now has new leaves popping up in all the spots that it lost them and the dark green color is returning.

RyGuy, its never a good idea to fertilize a weak tree, but now that its coming back you should be fine. The fertilizer your are using should be fine, I like more balanced stuff like 10-10-10 personally. Two weeks between waterings is way too long. That means the roots get wet and do not get fresh oxygen for too long a time while its damp. You need to repot the tree with new mix. There is tons of info here on soil, basically you need something to allow it to hold water for a time and something that allows the water to drain through the mix. A simple one I have used is part of the original soil, (my preference) with part either coarse sand or another substance that allows draining, I have used aquarium gravel or fine pea gravel with success. Optimally when you water it should drain out through the bottom of the pot in a minute or two. Teas also do not like to totally dry out either. There are plenty of viable mixes utilizing akadama and other exotic sounding ingredients and those that will tell you they are the ONLY way to go, and you can search them right here on B-Nut. Keep in mind that those that are non-organic dry much quicker and do not retain as much nutrients in them meaning they need to be watered more often as well as fertilized more often.

ed

 

[RyGuy55]

Great, thanks for the advice. Like people have suggested, I'm going to wait until spring before I repot it, just to be safe. Just as a supplementary comparison, here's a picture of the tree before it began losing leaves:

http://i.imgur.com/gP8vi.jpg

 

[markyscott]

I'm not sure what horticultural zone you live in, but here's what works for me in Houston (zone 9):

1). Grow in a well-draining, inorganic substrate. I have a lot of success with Boon mix sieved to 1/4" particle size, but other substrate recipes could work as well. The key thing is that the fines must be removed.
2). Do not let the soil dry out. I water mine 2-3 times a day in summer. With the substrate recipe above, there is no danger of overwatering.
3). Grow in FULL sun. They sit on my bench beside my pines and ficus'.
3). Fertilize weekly with whatever. I use hosta grow, or fish emulsion. Something organic and balanced. What you use is less important than whether or not you used anything at all.
4). Bring it inside only when the nighttime lows dip below 50. Give it as much light as possible while inside (I keep mine in a greenhouse), and move it outside again immediately when temps exceed 50
5). Repot in mid-summer, when nighttime lows are above 60

Your tree can come back, but give as much light as possible as soon as you can and get it out of that soil as soon as it is safe to do so.

Good luck
Scott

 

[markyscott]

Here's one of mine that has been through quite a few Houston summers in full sun and under the care I recommend. I defoliate at least once annually- twice this season.

Scott

 

[RyGuy55]

Hi everyone - I wanted to give an update. The tree is still looking pretty pathetic. It's been awhile now and no headway has been made with leaves coming back. It has a few, and continues to sprout more, but they fall off as fast as they grow. I really think the soil needs to be changed asap to save the tree.

I'm concerned two fold, for one it is winter and not an ideal time to change the soil, but the tree is kept inside where the temperature doesn't fluctuate past 65-75 degrees f. Also, obviously the tree is weak and in bad shape, so I'm nervous that changing the soil might be the final blow.

So since the tree has been struggling to grow leaves for like 3 months, has been unsuccessful thus far, and it's now winter time, do you guys think changing the soil is my best course of action to save my tree? Thanks.

 

[JudyB]

You should at least lift it out of the pot and see if there is root rot going on. If so, then you'll have to trim it off, might as well repot at that point. Just try to be gentle getting it out. If it's not a root issue, then you have a fungus or bug problem.

Did you try doing what Stan K. suggested??

 

[RyGuy55]

Yeah, drainage isn't a problem, it's the soil retaining the water. When I water the tree it drains properly, the soil just stays damp way too long. I'll take a look at the roots now, though.

 

[markyscott]

When and if you repot, consider using something like this:

http://bonsaitonight.com/?s=Clay+king

For your soil mix.

Light intensity is very important for any plant - my Fukien tea get up to ~100,000 lux (direct afternoon sun) in the summer and grow great. Right now they're in a greenhouse, supplemented by fluorescents and get about 5,000 lux when the greenhouse is fully exposed to the sun. They're barely growing, partly because of the temperature and partly because of the low light levels. I think that's how you want it - high temps=high light levels, low temps=low light levels.

When plants are grown indoors, the challenge is that you have both high temps and low light levels - it's a bad combination because the temperature says grow and the light is just not sufficient to support it. If you have your ft sitting in front of a window with no supplemental lighting, your light levels could be well under 1,000 lux. The people who have reported success have used artificial light. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Sun-System®-G...id=1356215916&sr=8-19&keywords=t5+grow+lights

purports to deliver 16,000 lumens. Not close to direct sun, but better than my greenhouse right now. Look at this site:

http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

and you'll find some great information on how to grow bonsai indoors.

Good luck

Scott

 

[Vance Wood]

If you only have to water every 2 weeks, your soil is holding WAY too much water. This could be caused by a number of things, but, given the severity, it's more likely a combination of things. Too much organic matter in the soil, being severely rootbound, and obstruction around the drainage holes (by roots or salt build-up) are likely culprits. You can't do anything about the first 2 this time of year, but you might want to try cleaning up and loosening around the drainage holes. Often when plant roots can't get enough oxygen (because soil too heavy or compressed), roots will mat around the drainage hole seeking air. Take a needle or something similar that will fit through your drainage mesh, and try to loosen the soil/roots around the holes. Insert your needle into each hole of the drainage screen (don't go too deep, only 1/2" at most), and wiggle it in a circular motion. Good luck.

You left out root rot. Once the soil breaks down the roots sit in water and then they rot. Once the rot they do not function and the tree dies which is what I believe is happening due to the description of the tree. The really odd thing about this whole thing is because of too much water the roots rot; when the roots rot the tree dies because it can no longer take up water. In short because of too much water the tree dies due to lack of water.

 

[RyGuy55]

I checked out the roots, here's a picture of them:

http://imgur.com/naKRt

I can't tell if they're rotten, but there are plenty of salt and mineral build ups that I read are bad and I'm researching root pruning right now.

I just ordered some of this soil:

http://www.bonsaioutlet.com/bonsai-tree-soil-tropical-blend-two-quarts/

As for light, the tree is next to a windowsill that gets absolutely blasted with morning and early afternoon sun. If that really isn't enough I can put the plant next to my tortoise's house that has a 160 watt mercury vapor UV light in it. The bulb would probably roast it with direct contact, but it should work indirectly.

Once again, I appreciate everyone's help. Most of the sites I'm finding on Google are relatively vague and often have conflicting info, so this community has been a great asset. Hopefully the soil will get here soon, I have the week off of work so it's a great time to monitor the tree's health.

 

[JudyB]

Well they don't look black and slimy in the photo.. How do they look in person? And does it smell bad at all?