Help! My Serissa is not dying!

Bill S

Masterpiece
Messages
2,494
Reaction score
28
Location
Western Massachusetts
USDA Zone
5a
Will I'll try to get some of my pic's up, if the ol clunker cooperates.

Now, Thank You, Thank You, Iv'e taken a beating with a wet noodle for a few years now:D for suggesting that these can be a great little tree. And wow look at all the others that hid whilst I got my woopins:D

You are correct they don't respond well to pampering. You will find too as bonsaibaka stated that they won't be bothered much by a light frost or two, in fact I have seen them respond better than getting them in before the cold hits( the usually stated 50 degree mark).

You are correct as well with the pot issue, they tend to like a little more room, and with the small pot comes the drying out too soon issue, they will not like drying out, this one is better overwatered, but try not to.

I have 2 varieties, the foetida(sp), which is the thousand star, and a few of the don't know the variety name at this moment, but the flower looks like a trumpet shape, and have white or pink blooms. The 1000 star seems to take all the supposed issues with these better than the other type(trumpet shape), maybe that is the key to the rift between liking and hating these trees.

The other thing that comes to mind with these is to becareful with moss etc around the trunk, I find they can rot easy enough if given the chance.

I'm assuming you use the clip and grow method, I will occasionally use weights or guy wires, other than that clip and grow works well with these, if for no other reason the wood snaps fairly easy, and the bark will strip off easily as well, when trying to wire.

Nice part about these is if you loose the leaves or don't like what you have grown, chop it, and they will come. These bud back like crazy, so imagination, and growing location are really the only limits.

Nice little tree, try to get some pics up soon.
 

bmbeyond

Seed
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I've noticed with the serissas I have. You can get one that's a real trooper of a plant and another that no matter what you do it's a piece of fickle crap. If I'm not to lazy over the holidays I will take a pic of my favorite Serissa which is also a shohin. I sure once it finds out it's a favorite it will flip me the bird and die just to spite me.
 

grouper52

Masterpiece
Messages
2,377
Reaction score
3,718
Location
Port Orchard, WA
USDA Zone
8
My, my, my, my, my - MYYYYY Serissa! (An unlikely attraction)

Take a good look at my serissa
It's the only one I got . . .
It's not much of a bonsai
But I never seem to get a lot . . .

Or, for those more steeped in old show tunes:

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
I gotta love my tree 'til I die.
Can't help lovin' this tree of mine.

Maybe its ugly, maybe won't grow,
Maybe I'm crazy, well, maybe I know.
But I can't help lovin' this tree of mine.

I certainly plan to refine the image over time, but it is disconcerting how much I like this tree even in its current state. :eek: Can't figure out why. :confused: Certainly wouldn't put up with this kind of nonsense from any other variety of tree. Oh well, love is blind! :D

Black pines come, black pines go.
An hour of pomp and show. We know
Black pines come. Ah, but over the sands,
The silent sands of time, they go.

Wise men come, ever promising
The world class trees to know.
Wise men come, ah, but over the sands,
The silent sands of time, they go . . .

Lovers come, lovers go,
And all that there is to know, lovers know,
Only lovers know.

I'll up my meds tonight, and go to bed now.
 

Attachments

  • serissa.jpg
    serissa.jpg
    85.9 KB · Views: 114

AndyWilson

Mame
Messages
106
Reaction score
21
Location
South Africa
Will i must ask, whats with the small upright branch on the first branch?

That aside i simply love the roots on this guy,the pot too.
 

grouper52

Masterpiece
Messages
2,377
Reaction score
3,718
Location
Port Orchard, WA
USDA Zone
8
Will i must ask, whats with the small upright branch on the first branch?

That aside i simply love the roots on this guy,the pot too.

Oh, you just gotta ask, Andy, don't you! :)D )

What that is is a branch on my new, my first serissa, a tree so legendary in its orneriness and finickiness that I never even thought to get one until now. Haven't had it long. I bought it, I got it home, I scraped the moss off the roots, I put it in a nice window location. I water it occasionally. I admire it daily, even the numerous wacko branches. We're just sort of getting to know each other at this stage, sizing each other up, establishing some rapport. Beyond that, I'm not tempting the Fates by even considering anything so potentially offensive to it as trimming it yet! I'm not pampering it, mind you, but I'm not pushing my luck with it yet either! :D :D :D
 

Bill S

Masterpiece
Messages
2,494
Reaction score
28
Location
Western Massachusetts
USDA Zone
5a
Good plan grouper, when spring comes, then take off the course growth, and work the pruning to balance the branch strength. Then watch it take off.
 

Jan Olav

Sapling
Messages
30
Reaction score
1
Location
West coast of Norway
USDA Zone
8
Will, is it still not dying?
Here is one of mine, living and doing fine. Just the odd pruning and repotting. It sits in one of my pots. I really enjoy this tree, it gives me kind of a karate kid feeling when it`s pruning time. Wax on wax off snip snip
 

Attachments

  • Serissa-fine.jpg
    Serissa-fine.jpg
    92.3 KB · Views: 80
Last edited:

jjbacoomba

Mame
Messages
112
Reaction score
1
Location
San Antonio, Texas
USDA Zone
8b
Very nice tree ya got there Jan. I think I may have overwatered mine. It has lots of very darkblackish leaves, look wilted. The rest of the tree looks just fine. I will hold back on watering and see what happens. Thanks for posting your tree.
 
Last edited:

Smoke

Ignore-Amus
Messages
11,668
Reaction score
20,724
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
I'll bet it's dead now......
 
Top Bottom