I just received my first ever bonsai as a gift from my husband on Valentine's day. The instructions that came with it said to soak the pot and humidity tray in about 2 in of water every other day for about 5 minutes, and that is what I've been doing. The soil is very moist and hasn't felt dry since I received it. I have had it sitting near a SE facing window where it gets plenty of afternoon sun. I began misting the leaves as soon as I noticed the drying but it has only gotten worse!!! I also noticed black spots on the leaves the day I received it, but no webbing anywhere. Also, some of the smaller buds on the plant are turning completely black. What can I do to help this plant survive and what could I be doing wrong? It is of the utmost importance to me that I keep this plant alive and healthy! Thanks for your help!!!!
Gardenia Bonsai leaves are drying up
- Thread starter sheena
- Start date
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Sounds like the tree is drowning. Once the plant starts the death spiral there is not much one can do to correct. Once the root hairs are dead the tree can no longer function normally and more water just compounds the issue.
Remove the humidity tray, that is death to a bonsai, remove the tree from the house if you live in a temperate climate, if you don't try a brite window in the garage. Stop the water and check daily with a chopstick pushed in for soil sticking to the stick. When it starts to dry out, try misting again and then water sparingly until signs of growth show.
No new buds within a week or two may be curtains for this one.
Welcome, and good luck with your Valentines present, Al
Remove the humidity tray, that is death to a bonsai, remove the tree from the house if you live in a temperate climate, if you don't try a brite window in the garage. Stop the water and check daily with a chopstick pushed in for soil sticking to the stick. When it starts to dry out, try misting again and then water sparingly until signs of growth show.
No new buds within a week or two may be curtains for this one.
Welcome, and good luck with your Valentines present, Al
Eric Schrader
Chumono
If you've only had the tree since Valentine's day and it's now dying then you are likely not the cause of the problem. While drying a tree out completely can kill it in a week there is almost no chance that anything else you've done in that amount of time could have killed it.
The problem with many bonsai that are sold at retail is that they are half dead when sold. It's unfortunate that this makes many people think that it's hard to grow bonsai.
Photos would help for diagnosing your particular problem.
Some basics advice:
Check the soil daily and water only when the top 1/2"-1" of soil has dried out. It should not feel damp like a wrung-out sponge, but dry. Water the tree from the TOP using regular tap water and water until there is water running out the bottom - watering 2-3 times over the coarse of about 5 minutes will make sure that any dry pockets have a better chance of getting wet.
Keep the tree outside - if you live in a climate where it freezes in winter then keep it indoors or protected during the winter preferably in a place where it still gets a good amount of light.
Fertilize using any fertilizer that you have or can find about once each month- be sure to follow package directions for potted plants.
Once you are able to get the tree to grow (and I mean sending out branch shoots, or flowers or something big, not just one leaf) then start worrying about the trimming and training.
Good luck.
Cheers,
Eric
The problem with many bonsai that are sold at retail is that they are half dead when sold. It's unfortunate that this makes many people think that it's hard to grow bonsai.
Photos would help for diagnosing your particular problem.
Some basics advice:
Check the soil daily and water only when the top 1/2"-1" of soil has dried out. It should not feel damp like a wrung-out sponge, but dry. Water the tree from the TOP using regular tap water and water until there is water running out the bottom - watering 2-3 times over the coarse of about 5 minutes will make sure that any dry pockets have a better chance of getting wet.
Keep the tree outside - if you live in a climate where it freezes in winter then keep it indoors or protected during the winter preferably in a place where it still gets a good amount of light.
Fertilize using any fertilizer that you have or can find about once each month- be sure to follow package directions for potted plants.
Once you are able to get the tree to grow (and I mean sending out branch shoots, or flowers or something big, not just one leaf) then start worrying about the trimming and training.
Good luck.
Cheers,
Eric
edprocoat
Masterpiece
Yeah I doubt you had anything to do with hurting the trees health in the short amount of time you had it. Most of the trees that set in stores are hurt by the time you get them. Keeping it inside is hard on the tree too. You need lots of light, maybe a grow light would help. Watch what you get on the tree, spray cleaners, air fresheners cooking fumes etc. are harmful to trees kept indoors. you do not have to spray them directly on them either just being in the area can hurt them, also as said above water trays are fairly useless, I doubt they provide any humidity at all, they do allow you to water without it running on your furniture though. If its cold outside and you heater is running that will really dry a tree out. I am not familiar with gardenias but there are probably those here who are and would be happy to help you.
Good luck.
ed
Good luck.
ed
I called the company that my husband got the tree from and they have now sent me a new one (along with crediting us $20 for our troubles). This tree, at least to me, looks much healthier than the last. I am still determined to try and save the other one though. I have been setting it outside on the warm days we have been having and letting it get lots of warm sunlight. I have noticed that the soil is slowly starting to dry up. Once it has dried on the top 1 1/2 in then do I water it again? Or do I need to wait? Here are a few photos of the unhealthy one, along with a photo of the two side by side.
Attachments
Eric Schrader
Chumono
Since it's potted in a peat moss mix just make sure that you let about the top 1/2 inch become dry and then water it. When you water make sure that the entire root ball gets wet. Peat moss potting soil has a bad habit of shedding water once it gets too dry - so if you notice the water going around the soil rather than through it water a few times in a row or soak it in a tub of water or your sink until it has gotten thoroughly wet. Then let it go until dry again etc.
Long term - bonsai growers usually use a free-draining mix that is more coarse than what you have there. This is to allow more air into the roots and remove the overwatering issue.
Long term - bonsai growers usually use a free-draining mix that is more coarse than what you have there. This is to allow more air into the roots and remove the overwatering issue.
What type of mix would you recommend using?
Eric Schrader
Chumono
I use a mix of equal parts 1/8" Lava rock, Pumice and Akadama for small trees. Since you have only two trees you might find a local club and ask someone if they have a gallon of soil you could purchase. The components are somewhat of a pain to source if you haven't done it before. Other people use Turface - a surface product for baseball fields - instead of Akadama. People also use a mix of lava, pumice and redwood or fir bark. You can use a lot of things. The simplest solution for beginners is often to ask for soil from someone else. Second to that look for a small bag of "Cactus Mix." If you use that take a look at it and think about whether or not it will be free-draining. I generally sift out all particles smaller than 1/16" so that they don't clog the air space in the soil. If you use a cactus mix it will likely have peat moss in it, at least some of which should be sifted out.
Also - once repotted into this type of mix the plant will generally require watering more frequently.
Good luck.
Also - once repotted into this type of mix the plant will generally require watering more frequently.
Good luck.
Bill S
Masterpiece
Started reading all the opposite advise to Als due to time frame, wrong, I got 4 about the same time, it's a watering issue I do believe, they don't fare well either over or under watered. I did both over and under watered, the under watered dryed out the leaves which are being replaced with new buds, it didn't take long, only a couple of weeks. The over watered yellowed and dropped off, it is doing ok now as well.
Carefully dry down the soil and water as a normal house plant when it dries down, not on a schedule.
Carefully dry down the soil and water as a normal house plant when it dries down, not on a schedule.
