My Satsuki Azalea leaves have brown tips .....

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

I purchased an Satsuki Azalea bonsai a few weeks ago, in January. I have kept the bonsai indoors. I am now noticing that all of the leaves have brown tips. I don't know what has caused this or what I may be doing wrong, but could definitely use some help, so I thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Gonna need some pix, Guy.

 

[shinmai]

[1] Brian is right, as per usual.
[2] Satsuki are not tropical, i.e., not indoor trees. While they can’t take a hard freeze, they should experience temps between 30 and 40 during winter for a sufficient period of dormancy.
[3] Brown tips is not, in and of itself, a sign of looming disaster. While often generally described as evergreen, they do lose leaves in fall going into winter—or later if they’ve been inside and haven’t figured out yet that winter is here. They will also shed leaves that are more than a year [typically 18 months or so] old, and those will be replaced with new growth. They also respond to change in length of day more than declines in daily temp.
This is my experience, at any rate. Your mileage may vary. [Except for item 1 above].

 

[0soyoung]

While they can’t take a hard freeze, they should experience temps between 30 and 40 during winter for a sufficient period of dormancy.

I think they are good to about 0F or outdoors in usda zone 7 with some root protection (e.g.,, mulched over on the ground or set in the ground).

Winter hardiness is affected in plants by the pattern of deepening chill (overnight) that naturally happens in fall. So, I think @BonsaiGuyNJ needs to take it outside in the afternoons for a week, say. Then in the mornings. Then leave it outside. Embed it and/or mulch it in to protect the roots, if temperatures are forecast to drop below 15F, or put it in the garage overnight.

Light levels indoors are about the same as deep shade outside. Heated interior air is very dry compared to the humidity outside.

 

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

This Winter the temps in my area of NJ have gone down to below 8-degrees. We haven't had temps between 30-40 for a very long time. As I previously mentioned,
I just acquired this plant from a Bonsai Nursery - so, of course it arrived in full leaf. The care guide indicates it can be grown Indoors or Outdoors. I also have 2 other bonsai - Wisteria and Japanese Quince, which I purchased much earlier, which were placed in a large Rubbermaid container, and covered with Mulch and placed in my shed for the winter. The temps in the shed are equal to the temps outdoors which have been quite low in the single digits.

 

[shinmai]

I think they are good to about 0F or outdoors in usda zone 7 with some root protection (e.g.,, mulched over on the ground or set in the ground).

Winter hardiness is affected in plants by the pattern of deepening chill (overnight) that naturally happens in fall. So, I think @BonsaiGuyNJ needs to take it outside in the afternoons for a week, say. Then in the mornings. Then leave it outside. Embed it and/or mulch it in to protect the roots, if temperatures are forecast to drop below 15F, or put it in the garage overnight.

Light levels indoors are about the same as deep shade outside. Heated interior air is very dry compared to the humidity outside.

I tend to discount the stated low-temp hardiness level [here in 5b] by 10 to 15 degrees, to reflect trees in pots versus trees set in the ground or mulched in. I agree with gradual acclimatization—didn’t get my greenhouse repaired in time before the cold hit, so when I got it running I did a week at 55, a week at 45, and then went to a target temp of 37.

 

[JudyB]

Are the leaves also curling? Pictures please.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think they are good to about 0F or outdoors in usda zone 7 with some root protection (e.g.,, mulched over on the ground or set in the ground).

Winter hardiness is affected in plants by the pattern of deepening chill (overnight) that naturally happens in fall. So, I think @BonsaiGuyNJ needs to take it outside in the afternoons for a week, say. Then in the mornings. Then leave it outside. Embed it and/or mulch it in to protect the roots, if temperatures are forecast to drop below 15F, or put it in the garage overnight.

Light levels indoors are about the same as deep shade outside. Heated interior air is very dry compared to the humidity outside.

Depends on the cultivar. I have one which can get into the teens a few times for brief periods, one that shouldn't go under 30F.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@BonsaiGuyNJ
It is too difficult to do the gradual acclimation to outdoor temps at this point in the winter. So indoors is your only option. You can overwinter satsuki indoors. It can be done and they survive, at least mine did and others have done so. It is not the preferred, the will grow and bloom better if wintered ''outdoors'' or in a below 40 F place, but it is not a death sentence to winter a Satsuki indoors. Satsuki are grown in Hawaii, usually with a little elevation, and they bloom even though they do not get colder than the upper 50's. So, just keep them on the brightest windowsill you have available. The cool air coming off the glass will help cool the azalea off at night. This will have to do.

Brown leaf tips, also not always a sign of a potentially fatal problem. Brown leaf tips can be caused by drying out too dry between watering. If you are ''a day late'' on when you need to water, this will be the effect. If you are 2 days late the results are often fatal. Another cause of browning leaf tips can be low humidity. If indoor humidity drops below 25%, this can cause leaf tip browning. Again, new leaves will be fine in spring.

So I think you will be okay.
For winter 2019-2020 if you can find a spot where the azalea will be less than 40 F (4 C) for the winter, that will be best for wintering Satsuki, but it takes 2 or 3 months of acclimation for a shrub or tree to reach maximum winter hardiness. Growing the tree outdoors through into autumn should do the acclimation with no problems.

 

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

Yes, I agree. I acquired this Azalea to far into the Winter. I do agree with you that I believe my problem is Low Humidity. I do not water any of my bonsai daily. For fear of root rot. Next Winter, it will have to go in my shed (where my Japanese Quince & Wisteria) are at the moment. I just thought Azalea were "Winter-indoor" type bonsai.
Now I know that it will have to stay outdoors thru the autumn until the temps drop, then it goes in the shed, protected.

 

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

Are the leaves also curling? Pictures please.

Curling leaves, and leaf tips are brown.

 

[JudyB]

Please send a photo of the leaves that are curling. You could have azalea leaf miner.

 

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

Please send a photo of the leaves that are curling. You could have azalea leaf miner.

 

[JudyB]

Not leaf miner, just some drying out, keep it in a more humid place and don't allow it to dry out as much between watering. That soil looks pretty coarse and will dry out quickly, I like more water retentive soil on azalea. Kanuma is what I use.

 

[BonsaiGuyNJ]

Ah. I thought I was over-watering this bonsai. I don't have a humidity tray for this particular bonsai. I will have to order some with some pebbles. Should I spray the plant to increase humidity ? This is a new bonsai for me - I bought it already potted from a Bonsai Nursery, so I don't know what type of soil it has --- I won't know until I repot it next year......

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

A tray is useful for catching drips and protecting furniture from water marks. The tray & pebbles is really not very effective at increasing humidity. I would not waste the money. A room humidifier is much more effective than a pebble tray set up.

Misting can cause as many problems as it cures. I would not depend on misting to increase humidity.

Spring is almost here, just get it outside in spring after danger of frost has passed, or do the ''in and out dance'', bringing it inside when frost threatens.