Lets help this Fukien Tea live!

[intellem0s]

I got a Fukien Tea from a friend before winter started, and it was in terrible shape. I've been trying to revive it with grow lights and natural lighting, but winter cold months and not adequate lighting made me feel like the tree might have been in a dormancy period..

Now, it's getting warmer and the leaves are slowly starting to come back. I leave the tree outside when it's over 55 degrees and sunny And bring it back inside when it starts to get a little too cold (I live in NY.)

I only water when the soil starts to become dry, this can be once or twice a week, and this is what my tree is looking like now (Attached.)

I think my next step is to look at the root system, and possibly change soil? I need to know that I'm doing all I can for this tree. Thanks in advance !

 

[steve27]

I must say my tree looks the same as yours!I did very similar things with grow lights .Also have some kind
of bugs on it . I have sticky leaves.I been spraying with need oil and a water and dish washing lotion.
they are a very fussy TREE I have another one that I keep with my mon on a south facing window that gets sun most in the day
it was looking pretty sad for awhile and then came back just fine. these plans will allway suffer as a
houst plant. it should recover once you are able to keep it outside they dont like to be moved around that much the littlest think and they drop
leavea. veryy fussy plants! check for any kind of bugs scale ect
IfI new now wha tI know now I would have never bought this plant. and the second one was a gift and I hate to have it die on me.

i WISHI could be of more help to you ! hang in there they do come back!!

 

[Steve C]

I've got a couple FT's myself and have been through the same issues. The biggest things with FT's are too not move them around much. Even a healthy tree will drop it's leaves when you move it from inside to outside so best thing is to leave it inside till the weather stays nice enough to leave it outside. The constant back and forth right now is not the best for it.

My FT's did 'okay" with grow lights, but they did much better when I started using T5 48" dual HO 6500k bulbs over them. They started growing new leaves even inside during the winter with those lights. I set it on a timer to run 16 hrs per day during the winter.

The other thing FT's need is humidity. I place mine in a 20g aquarium during the winter and fill the bottom of the aquarium with gravel and 1" of water then cover the top of plastic. That gives me 90-100% humidity on my digital temp/humidity monitor. Then I will open the top to let the humidity drop to about 50% for a few hours each day so that air can circulate.

I'm no expert at all (only 2 years into bonsai) but that's how I overwinter my FT's here in Mi which is about the same zone as you are and it keeps my FT's happy & healthy.

Moving them outside after the winter they drop leaves. My biggest one I just moved outside recently and it dropped but is coming back now. Yours looks to be doing the same thing so it should have new growth pretty shortly from what I can see.

Also keep a close eye on your soil. FT's seem to not recover from drying out like some others can so make sure it's watered properly.

 

[intellem0s]

they are a very fussy TREE I have another one that I keep with my mon on a south facing window that gets sun most in the day
it was looking pretty sad for awhile and then came back just fine. these plans will allway suffer as a
houst plant. it should recover once you are able to keep it outside they dont like to be moved around that much the littlest think and they drop
leavea. veryy fussy plants! check for any kind of bugs scale ect
IfI new now wha tI know now I would have never bought this plant. and the second one was a gift and I hate to have it die on me.

i WISHI could be of more help to you ! hang in there they do come back!!

Thanks for your response ! It most defiantly is a fussy tree but I enjoy the challenge. I'll hang in there

I've got a couple FT's myself and have been through the same issues. The biggest things with FT's are too not move them around much. Even a healthy tree will drop it's leaves when you move it from inside to outside so best thing is to leave it inside till the weather stays nice enough to leave it outside. The constant back and forth right now is not the best for it.

My FT's did 'okay" with grow lights, but they did much better when I started using T5 48" dual HO 6500k bulbs over them. They started growing new leaves even inside during the winter with those lights. I set it on a timer to run 16 hrs per day during the winter.

The other thing FT's need is humidity. I place mine in a 20g aquarium during the winter and fill the bottom of the aquarium with gravel and 1" of water then cover the top of plastic. That gives me 90-100% humidity on my digital temp/humidity monitor. Then I will open the top to let the humidity drop to about 50% for a few hours each day so that air can circulate.

I'm no expert at all (only 2 years into bonsai) but that's how I overwinter my FT's here in Mi which is about the same zone as you are and it keeps my FT's happy & healthy.

Moving them outside after the winter they drop leaves. My biggest one I just moved outside recently and it dropped but is coming back now. Yours looks to be doing the same thing so it should have new growth pretty shortly from what I can see.

Also keep a close eye on your soil. FT's seem to not recover from drying out like some others can so make sure it's watered properly.

This sounds like very sound advice. Humidity and better grow lights would have most likely helped A LOT in the winter. I'll try that this time around. I was also thinking about investing in a grow tent for the colder seasons, but that's another thread starter.

I do move the tree outside when the sun comes out and inside when it gets cooler, that could be one of the very core issues at this time. Hopefully the weather will remain consistently warm (day and night) so I don't have to trouble it too much. (And then the next thing I'll need is bug prevention advice. oh boy) Thanks for your response

 

[KennedyMarx]

I would just keep doing what you're doing for now. Once it comes back and starts growing strongly you can think about repotting. How bad is the soil it's in now?

 

[greenman63]

(And then the next thing I'll need is bug prevention advice. oh boy) Thanks for your response

I keep several Fukien Tea in my collection, and propagate the berries pretty freely all year round. Right now my mother tree is producing berries like crazy, but I'm in Zone 10b

For bug control, use a mix of 2-4 Tbsp of Murphy's Oil Soap in a 23oz spray bottle (about 5 tbsp to a quart) and spray all over your plants. It will kill most any pests that a Fukien Tea might suffer from, such as whitefly, mites, caterpillars, aphids, etc.

For extra zapping power, add a shot of espresso per quart of water and the caffeine will quickly eliminate the insects (caffeine is a nerve agent and kills them dead). Don't overdo the coffee trick, use only when infestation is at a dangerous level and instant results are required, or if bugs are not controlled with straight Murphy's. Too much caffeine will build up in the soil and could eventually make it retard the growth of your plants. You can also add capsicum (any kind of hot sauce that's not chunky) to the mix, which may help repel and keep bugs away longer in between treatments. You can spray this mixture on just about any plant, even fruits and vegetables. Just be careful that if you're using hot sauce or coffee you don't spray on any edibles with a skin that you plan to eat (e.g. strawberries). I use it on my banana plants all the time when they get whitefly, and it's worked wonders on aphids, caterpillars and mites on nearly all my garden plants. Warm up a little chunked habanero or similar very hot pepper in a small amount of oil, (which you can then add to the soap mix and shake) for very effective results, but use care not to get in eyes or on hands when processing or spraying.

 

[steve27]

More help for my fukien tree

I was giving this tree as a gift for my 50th birthday. It was doing good up untill a few months ago
Ihad it under lights and had a few bug problems that I kelp under control . and then all of a sudden
It started to drop leafs ,turning yellow and some just turning brown and droping like files.
I made no changes to the tree since then I moved it outside and notice new growth. but the small leaves are turning brown and falling
off.
I only water when the top half feels dry. I would feel so bad if I lost THIS tree but dont know what eles
to do with it.I have another one on my mother south facing window that is doimg great with no lighting at all.
I do know that it was purchase at a local garden center. so I dont know its history,maybe a root problem but i dont want to repot it in its state.
any advice you can give please!
ps. the new growth is very pale green.