My Stubborn Common Privet

[Jynxia]

I'm not sure how many people on here are familiar with the notorious British weather or how well bonsais cope with it, but I'm hoping someone might be able to help me out!

Last summer I was bought a common privet as a gift. The vendor said it was an indoor tree so I sheltered it from what was a harsh winter. After reading more about bonsai, I put the tree on my windowsill (northwest facing) so it has a few hours of full sun a day ( I checked; it's not baking), but mostly in the shade.

Now the tree has no leaves and appears to be dying. I water regularly and I use the chopstick method to check if the soil is damp 2 inches down, so I know it's not drown or dry.

It's had a problem growing since I bought it; I've repotted and cut the trunk down to encourage back budding but its leaves still fail.

Is my tree a goner? If not, how long should I give it to see any improvement?

Any help sincerely appreciated,
J

 

[marcosolo]

put it outside....now!

 

[tim]

Yep. Move it outside. Not into direct sun immediately,expose it gradually to direct and more sun. Also be careful with watering. DO NOT over water,if the tree is struggling , the roots does not function properly either. Hope it helps , and good luck.

 

[Jynxia]

Hi, thanks for the replies - it is outside (on a windowsill) but I've not seen any new growth for the last two weeks. It does have one thick green branch which has just been getting fatter without any leaves (I didn't know this could happen?).
Is this normal?

 

[Jynxia]

I've asked elsewhere and they've suggested it might be in a dormant state from not getting any rest in the winter. This seems incredibly likely if the roots are in good condition.

Anyone ever broken a tree from dormancy or had this happen? The lady suggests refrigerating it.

 

[Jynxia]

Update- tree has almost certainly died.

 

[berobinson82]

We all kill trees. Whether you've been doing this stuff for 1 year or 30. Hopefully you learned from this experience.

 

[Paulpash]

'Indoor' bonsai rarely survive any length of time in the UK due to poor light levels, central heating and poor ventilation / air flow. Buy species that you can keep outside all year round and see commonly in gardens:

Maple, hawthorn, privet (yeah I know ), juniper, cotoneaster, azalea, etc ...

Avoid so called indoor species such as Serissa, Punica, Sageretia etc. You need a frost free, temperature controlled greenhouse really for these to thrive. Chinese Elm is often sold as an indoor tree but is best grown outside and given frost protection when dormant. CE is tough and will normally last longer than the others.

My advice is to go to a garden centre and pick up a cheap ish juniper and have a go at styling it and keeping it alive for a few seasons. Never scalp a juniper - foliage is their engine!